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Lit terms 1
Terms starting with A's
| Term | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Acrostic | An acrostic is a piece of writing in which a particular set of letters—typically the first letter of each line, word, or paragraph—spells out a word or phrase with special significance to the text. | Roses are red, Oranges yummy, Sugar's a sweet, Elixir in my tummy. |
| Allegory | . An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. | The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is a well-known allegory with a moral that a slow and steady approach (symbolized by the Tortoise) is better than a hasty and overconfident approach (symbolized by the Hare). |
| Alliteration | Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: | Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement |
| Allusion | In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas, and they do so in order to layer associati | See what a grade was seated on this brow, Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars' to threaten and command ... |
| Anachronism | An anachronism is a person or a thing placed in the wrong time period. For instance, if a novel set in Medieval England featured a trip to a movie-theater, that would be an anachronism. | The winged boy I knew; But who wast thou, O happy, happy dove? His Psyche true! |
| Anadiplosis | Anadiplosis is a figure of speech in which a word or group of words located at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated at or near the beginning of the following clause or sentence. | I come back and look at Mr. Potter. "Mr. Potter," I write, and I put clothes on him, even though I do not see him naked, for he was my father, and just now he is not yet dead. |
| Analogy | An analogy is a comparison that aims to explain a thing or idea by likening it to something else.Principle or an observation about the world, presenting it as a general or universal truth. | "Being the successful boss or CEO of a company is like being an orchestra conductor: just as the conductor needs to stand up front where everyone—even the musicians in the back row—can see him, |
| Anapest | An anapest is a three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable. | , “stand”: Un-der-stand. |
| Anaphora | Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. | "I Have a Dream" speech contains anaphora: "So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania..." |
| Antagonist | An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend. | Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, who opposes and wants to destroy Snow White. |
| Antanaclasis | Antanaclasis is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated within a sentence, but the word or phrase means something different each time it appears | We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." In this example, the first time "hang" appears it means "stay" or "stand," while the second time it refers to being "hanged." |
| Anthropomorphism | Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). | anthropomorphism include Winnie the Pooh, the Little Engine that Could, and Simba from the movie The Lion King. |
| Antimetabole | Antimetabole is a figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed. | "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," is a famous example of antimetabole. |
| Antithesis | Antithesis is a figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel grammatical structures. | "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." |
| Aphorism | An aphorism is a saying that concisely expresses a moral principle or an observation about the world, presenting it as a general or universal truth. | "You can't always get what you want." |
| Aphorismus | Aphorismus is a type of figure of speech that calls into question the way a word is used. Aphorismus is used not to question the meaning of a word, but whether it is actually appropriate to use that word in a particular situation. | "How can you say to me I am a king?" as a way of expressing that, although he is technically a king, he doesn't feel he actually possesses the qualities of a king and that therefore perhaps the word should not apply to him. |
| Aporia | Aporia is a rhetorical device in which a speaker expresses uncertainty or doubt—often pretended uncertainty or doubt—about something, usually as a way of proving a point. | "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." |
| Assonance | Assonance is a figure of speech in which the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words. | "Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna? It was too soon!" |
| Asyndeton | An asyndeton (sometimes called asyndetism) is a figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and", "or", and "but" that join other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of equal importance—are omitted. | "I expect my dog to chew my pillows, my cat to claw my furniture." |
Created by:
Kevin Li
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