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Definition: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. Example: 'Passed away' instead of 'died.'

Definition: An error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece, where something occurs out of its proper time. Example: 'A smartphone appearing in a Shakespeare play.'

Definition: A literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true. Example: 'A fire station burns down.'

Definition: An indirect or passing reference to an event, person, place, or artistic work that the author expects the reader to understand. Example: 'He was a real Romeo with the ladies.'

Definition: A character that does not undergo significant change throughout the course of the story. Example: 'Sherlock Holmes is typically portrayed as a static character.'

Definition: The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader. Example: 'The gloomy mood of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven.'

Definition: Descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader. Example: 'The golden yellow sunlight filtered through the pale new leaves.'

Definition: A moment of sudden revelation or insight. Example: 'Towards the end of James Joyce's Araby, the boy has an epiphany that he is not a hero.'

Definition: A figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

Definition: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Example: 'George Orwell's Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.'

Definition: A character who undergoes an important inner change, such as a change in belief, personality, or attitude. Example: 'Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.'

Definition: Use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Example: 'The dove is a symbol of peace.'

Definition: A scene set in a time earlier than the main story. Example: 'In To Kill a Mockingbird, when Scout remembers her childhood.'

Definition: A figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

Definition: A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. Example: 'Deafening silence.'

Definition: A recurrent image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme, while a theme is a central idea or message. Example: 'The 'loose ends' motif in Shakespeare's Macbeth, which supports the theme of the consequences of ambition.'

Definition: A statement that appears contradictory but contains a truth when examined more closely. Example: 'This statement is false.'

Definition: Attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Definition: A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Example: 'The evening was still. Suddenly, a cool breeze started blowing and made a windy night.'

Definition: An exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. Example: 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Definition: The perspective from which the story is told. Example: 'First-person POV is used in Catcher in the Rye.'

Definition: The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of words. Example: 'She sells seashells by the seashore.'

Definition: A word that imitates the sound it represents. Example: 'The bees buzzed.'

Definition: The attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work's central theme or subject. Example: 'The sarcastic tone of the narrator in A Modest Proposal.'