Literary Terms

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Allegory

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A narrative or description having a second or symbolic meaning beneath the surface one

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Allusion

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A reference, indirect or implied, to something in previous literature or history

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Anecdote

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A short account of an interesting or humorous incident

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Genre

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A type or class, like poetry, drama, etc.

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Imagery

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The representation through language of any sensory experience

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between two things essentially unlike

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Motif

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A recurring pattern of images, words or symbols that reveals a theme in a work of literature

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Mood

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The pervading impression or atmosphere of a work

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Moral

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A rule of conduct or maxim for living expressed or implied as the “point” of a literary work.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech combining opposite or contradictory terms into a (generally descriptive) phrase