Definition
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Term
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A literary work's rapid departure from what would be considered normal life; often requires a sustained suspension of disbelief
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Fantasy
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A quick reference to a well known cultural or literary work
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Allusion
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A story which engenders curiosity and suspense due to concealed facts
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Mystery
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A likeness or comparison between two things that have similar features
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Analogy
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An intensive analysis of something, usually done in an effort to then use it as a baseline in comparison to something else
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Case Study
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Informal evidence based on eyewitness acounts, instead of scientific proof
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Anecdotal Evidence
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An expectant uncertainty concerning the outcome of the plot
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Suspense
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Words or phrases that were once commonly used, but are not now, due to the evolution of language
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Archaic Language
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The putting together of two or more unlikely things
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Juxtaposition
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A short theatrical spoken passage that expresses a speaker's intimate thoughts; usually directed at the audience and assumed to be unheard on the stage
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Aside
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An account of one's own life, generally written as a continuous narrative of major life events
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Autobiography
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A person's need to hold on to a particular viewpoint, despite being aware of other, equally valid, opinions
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Bias
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The portrayal of a character who's features or personality is exagerated for comic effect
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Caricature
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Term used to describe the resolution of plot effect in Ancient Greek drama and liturature; not necessarily bad
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Catastrophe
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The person(s) or force(s) opposing the protagonist
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Antagonist
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The idea that an event is the reason behind the occurance of a later related event
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Cause and Effect
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General name for a narrative agent in a story, but can also refer to a person's overall personality and sense of morality
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Character
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The way in which a character's personality or portrayal is shown by the author
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Characterization
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A character who contrasts with another character (often the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities/traits of the main character
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Character Foil
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An expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect
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Cliche
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A poem consisting of a single character's words that reveal his/her own thoughts, nature, or dramatic situation
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Dramatic Monologue
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A way of organizing the plot to ensure that vital information is kept from the characters and/or the audience until the last minute, which then makes the climax have more of an impact
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Climactic Order
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A word or phrase used in normal or informal language and settings, but not in more formal ones
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Colloquialism
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Overall language used in ordinary or informal settings, designed to put the speaker and listener on an equal verbal footing
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Colloquial Language
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A comic element put into a tragic or serious work in order to provide some momentary light relief
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Comic Relief
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The deliberate downplaying of something to make it seem less than it really is
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Understatement
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The final events following the major climax of the plot; French for 'unknotting'
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Denouement
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The 'type' of person a work is written for, or a more general group of people who experience a work together
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Audience
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Generally a literary work that compares the similarities and differences of something
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Compare and Contrast
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Agreeable sounds as well as word combinations that are pleasing to the ear and mind
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Euphony
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Relating the similarities of 2 different things; also the degree to which something's value relates to something else
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Comparison
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Intellectually amusing phrases designed to delight and surprise
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Wit
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The implications or suggestions that people associate with a particular word
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Connotation
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Identifying the differences between 2 things
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Contrast
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The thing or situation to which a word refers, a definition, or literal meaning
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Denotation
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Gives details, facts, or figures for the specified topic; supporting evidence should be provable and measurable
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Descriptive Essay
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The words spoken by characters to each other in a narrative or a play
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Dialogue
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Extended narrative that carries a second meaning in addition to the main meaning/story
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Allegory
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A person's private, everyday autobiographical writings
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Diary
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The point of highest tension in the story; also where the crisis is generally resolved
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Climax
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Any play which invokes laughter through the use of 'low' or physical comedy, clowning around, etc...
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Farce
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The choice between 2 unpleasent outcomes; often involves a character's moral or ethical issues
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Dilemna
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An effect which works against the climax, often using a quick descent from something lofty or noble to something much more common
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Anti-climax
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When a character's traits, motivations, etc... are actually described by the author
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Direct Presentation
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A work designed to be represented on the stage by actors; term restricted to serious plays only
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Drama
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Expression in which the subject of the sentense carries out the action directly
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Active Voice
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Used to describe a situation when a character in a play speaks lines that have a double meaning to the audience, but not to the characters on stage
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Dramatic Irony
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A passionately delivered speech done to engender feelings of sympathy or empathy in audience
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Emotional Appeal
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The ending of a speech, fable, or play, in which the moral is identified
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Epilogue
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Debating method where an argument is given and explained through deliberate interactions between characters
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Question and Answer
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The choice and arrangement of words in a literary work
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Diction
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Informal words that take the place of more formal language
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Slang
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A sudden understanding or realization about something; often shown as a lightbulb appearing over someone's head
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Epiphany
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Essay form in which the point of view or assertion is presented in an attempt to prove a position or to convince the reader of something
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Argumentative Essay
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To use a replacement word or phrase to describe something either unpleasent, or that would not fit into the present conversation
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Euphemism
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An account of a person's life, generally written as a continuous narrative of major life events by someone else
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Biography
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The mood or emotion conveyed by a setting; can also relate to the ways in which the author uses words to describe a scene
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Atmosphere
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The evidence given by someone who has recognized expertise in a particular area, such that his or her opinion can be relied upon during legal proceedings
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Expert Testimony
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The beginning of a short story or play in which the audience is given much needed background information
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Exposition
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Conflict that originates outside the protagonist(s)
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External Conflict
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Something that stands in opposition, but not necessarily in conflict, with something else - often meant in terms of character
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Antithesis
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Where and when a story takes place
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Setting
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A brief story which illustrates a moral truth
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Fable
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Story as told by the narrator
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Narration
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A 'type' of literature
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Genre
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Language which uses figures of speech to compare dissimilar objects; often uses similes and metaphors, etc...
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Figurative Language
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Narrative told from the point of view of 'I'
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First person POV
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The use of a literary work to explain some moral, political, religious, etc... teachings or beliefs
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Didactic
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An inserted scene which gives information about events which happened at an earlier time
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Flashback
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A non-serious literary or dramatic work, which commonly is assumed to have a happy ending
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Comedy
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When the reader learns about a character through his/her actions, or the explanations of these actions by other characters
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Indirect Presentation
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Events or character experiences that can be seen to hint as to what will happen later on
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Foreshadowing
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When a metaphor is continued into the sentences beyond in order to continue the analogy
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Extended Metaphor
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Language used without slang, colloquiallisms, or informal language in order to reflect the seriousness of the subjec matter
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Formal Language
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Text that is seperate from the main body of a literary work; often another colour, font, size, etc...
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Graphic Text
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A character with admirable traits such as courage, idealism, fortitude; also can be a generic term for the protagonist
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Hero
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When a reference is made in a literary work to an actual event that occured in the past - an event that the audience will recognize and draw conclusions from; only works if the audience knows what is being referred
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Historical Reference
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Plot conclusion that was not forseen by the reader/audience
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Surprise Ending
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An essay that must prove a position and attempt to convince the audience of the position; combines logic and emotion to spur the audience to some form of action
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Persuasive Essay
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When emphasis is achieved through deliberate exaggeration
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Hyperbole
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The actual wording of this in a formal literary work such as an essay
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Thesis Statement
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An expression, word, or phrase that has figurative as well as literal meaning
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Idiom
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Any character who has few traits, or whose personality is based on a single trait or quality
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Flat Character
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Essay that uses informal, everyday language and conventions
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Informal Essay
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Language not designed for serious topics of discussion
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Informal Language
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A newspaper article that expresses someone's opinion on something; written either by the paper's editor, or as a letter sent to him/her by a reader in response to something
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Editorial
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When a character in a play is thinking to him/herself, although of course he/she must actually speak out loud, so the audience can hear it
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Interior Monologue
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Person vs self; when a character wrestles with hard choices from within
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Internal Conflict
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A device in which the writer expresses a meaning that is different frm the meaning of words; usually comes across as humorous or sarcastic
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Irony
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Essay in which the author asserts an opinion without having to prove a verifiable point
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Personal Essay
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Character whose traits do not change throughout the story
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Static Character
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Specific words or language used by a certain group, usually technical or professional
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Jargon
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A well-known story which has basis in fact but may contain imaginary material
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Legend
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The straight man in a comedy double act, whose job it is to endure the laughter of the other person
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Foil
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POV in which the narrator gives the reader an idea about his/her inner thoughts and self, but cannot do so for others - the reader is left to discover them through their words and actions
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Limited Omniscent POV
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Originally menat as a synonym for opera, but now means anything that is deliberately overacted in a dramatic fashion
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Melodrama
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A serious work of literature, suing formal language and essay structure
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Formal Essay
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The arrangement of equally important ideas, presented in a similar way, which then indicates their equal importance
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Parallelism
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An extended speech delivered by one person
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Monologue
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Character whose traits/motivations change over the course of the plot - the character learns something from his/her experience
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Dynamic Character
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The feeling or atmosphere presented in a literary work
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Mood
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A visual picture, described in words
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Image
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Things listed in order of time
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Chronological Order
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A supposedly historical anonymous tale, the origins of which are unknown
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Myth
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Person telling a story
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Narrator
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A story in which a character's actions are not commented on tonally by the author
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Objective POV
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The plot climax wrapping up of plot points
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Falling Action
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A differing form of language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular group; different from an accent in that it is the actual vocabulary of the speakers that is changed, rather than how the words are spoken
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Dialect
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A 'story within a story', in which both are of equal interest to the audience
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Frame Story
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When an author presents his or her characters in an impersonal non-committal fashion without offering any judgement on them or their actions
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Objective
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A figure of speech that presents two apparently contradictry terms in a paradoxial way
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Oxymoron
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An apparently contradictory statement which does actually contain truth that reconciles the seeming opposites
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Paradox
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The use of images in literature to add meaning
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Imagery
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To ridicule a specific type of literature by recreating its style in a comic manner
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Parody
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Explaining the topic; using a combination of fact and opinion to support the thesis
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Expository Essay
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Literature that deliberately seeks to evoke sympaty, pity, tenderness, etc... from its audience
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Pathos
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The particular 'voice' an author uses in a work, which may indicate his/her attitude towards the subject matter
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Tone
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A single feature who gives the prologue, epilogue, and sometimes introduces the scenes in plays
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Chorus
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The opposition of 2 forces or characters
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Conflict
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Term used to describe method used to attempt to change someone's opinion
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Persuasive Technique
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What happens in a story
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Plot
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The particular perspective a story is told from
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Point of View
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Technique that compares and contrasts an idea's good and bad points
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Pro/Con Argument
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'blurb' at the beginning of a play that gives a brief overview of the plot, theme, or action
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Prologue
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Literature devised and distributed in order to put forward a persuasive argument; can also b used to dissuade people from doing something
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Propaganda
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An ironic verbal device, in which what is said is actually opposite of what is meant, or involves a mildly insulting play on words
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Sarcasm
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The main character in a story
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Protagonist
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A short saying, often one that has a lesson behind it
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Proverb
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Words or phrases that are to be understood exactly as they are, with no interpretative or figurative meanings involved
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Literal Language
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A play on words involving: the use of a word with two meanings, the similarity of two words that are spelled differently but sound the same, two words that look the same but have different meanings
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Pun
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The reason why something happens
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Purpose
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The events following the climax of a play or story; also known as falling action
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Resolution
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A question asked, not to seek an answer, but for dramatic effect
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Rhetorical Question
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The sequence of plot events that leads to the climax
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Rising Action
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A character who displays many traits
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Round Character
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Writing in which the expression of personal feeling or experience is most important
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Subjective
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An extended speech in which a single onstage character expresses thoughts aloud so the audience can hear
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Soliloquy
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The person doing the talking
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Speaker
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A story told by a narrator
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Narrative
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To look stuff up
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Research
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POV in which the Narrator, 'God like', knows everything about everyting
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Omniscient POV
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Term that describes the inner experience and feelings through the mind of a character; can also refer to a type of writing done without pause or editing
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Stream of Consciousness
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Evidence based on scientific numerical proof
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Statistical Evidence
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A set of assumptions about someone or a group of people; often with little basis in fact or reality
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Stereotype
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A recognizable version of the above, by a particular writer or group of writers
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Stylistic Technique
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The type of drama being presented - tragedy, comedy, farce, etc...
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Dramatic Form
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Expression in which the subject of the sentence carries out the action indirectly
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Passive Voice
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The particular way in which a writer carries on in terms of word choice, sentence structure, rhythms, use of language, etc...
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Style
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The overall use of symbols in a narrative
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Symbolism
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Something that represents both itself and something else
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Symbol
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The character or 'mask' taken on by the speaker or narrator in a poem or work of fiction
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Voice
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An ending in which the outcome of the plot is not immediately clear
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Indeterminate Ending
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The central idea, thesis, or subject of a work, stated directly or indirectly; different from moral, which is the esson that can be extracted from a work
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Theme
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The stated main arument or point that a work is written around, or that the author is trying to make
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Thesis
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POV in which the action is described by an external narrator, who may or may not have much insight into the thoughts and motives of the characters
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Third Person POV
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The ridiculing of any subject in order to demeen it and make it laughable
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Satire
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Generally, a plot in which unfortunate events take place, especiallly the death(s) of many of the main character(s)
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Tragedy
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Character who is representative of a general class of people and displays the 'usual' assumed traits associated with them
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Stock/Stereotyped Character
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A secondary plot sequence and/or its particular point of delivery
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Story within a Story
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