Lit Terms: List 1

allegory - an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor; a short moral story (often with animal characters); a visible symbol representing an abstract idea
alliteration - use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
allusion - passing reference or indirect mention
ambiguity - unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning; an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context
anachronism -  an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
analogy - drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect
analysis - an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole; the abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to study the parts and their relations
anaphora - using a pronoun or similar word instead of repeating a word used earlier; repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
anecdote - short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
antagonist - a drug that neutralizes or counteracts the effects of another drug; a muscle that relaxes while another contracts;someone who offers opposition
antithesis - the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance; exact opposite
aphorism - a short pithy instructive saying
apologia - a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
apostrophe - the mark (') used to indicate the omission of one or more letters from a printed word; address to an absent or imaginary person
argument - a variable in a logical or mathematical expression whose value determines the dependent variable; a summary of the subject or plot of a literary work or play or movie; a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
assumption - the act of taking possession of or power over something; the act of assuming or taking for granted
audience - a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance; the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment; a conference (usually with someone important); an opportunity to state your case and be heard
characterization - the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features; acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture
chiasmus - inversion in the second of two parallel phrases