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A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. Example: The phrase 'Achilles' heel' is an allusion to the Greek mythological hero.

A pause or break within a line of poetry, often dictated by the natural rhythm of the language. Example: 'To be, or not to be: that is the question' from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'.

A moment of sudden revelation or insight experienced by a character. Example: In James Joyce's 'The Dead', the protagonist Gabriel has an epiphany that leads to a deep self-realization.

Use of language where the meaning is unclear or has two or more possible interpretations or meanings. Example: The ending of Henry James' 'The Turn of the Screw' is famously ambiguous.

A short story, often with animals as characters, that conveys a moral. Example: 'The Tortoise and the Hare' teaches that slow and steady wins the race.

The struggle between opposing forces in a story, which drives the plot and is often resolved by the end of the narrative. Example: The conflict in 'The Lord of the Rings' is the struggle against Sauron.

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Example: 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse' is a hyperbolic statement.

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction. Example: In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', Macbeth speaks to an invisible dagger.

The introduction of background information within a story; for example, about the setting, characters' backgrounds, or prior plot events. Example: The 'Once upon a time' start of fairy tales.

A statement that contradicts itself but might include a latent truth. Example: Oscar Wilde's statement 'I can resist everything except temptation' is a paradox.

A main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage, and morality. Example: Walter White from 'Breaking Bad' is an antihero.

When the audience knows something that the characters do not. Example: In 'Romeo and Juliet', the audience knows that Juliet is alive, but Romeo does not, leading to dramatic irony.

Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning different from the literal interpretation. Example: Metaphors, similes, and personification are types of figurative language.

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a sentence or line of poetry. Example: 'She sells seashells by the seashore' showcases alliteration with the 's' sound.

Attributing human characteristics to non-human creatures or things. Example: In 'Winnie the Pooh', the animal characters exhibit human-like behavior and emotions.

The repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry or prose. Example: 'Hear the mellow wedding bells' by Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates assonance with the repeated 'e' sound.

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza in poetry. Example: The use of enjambment is common in modern poetry to create a sense of natural speech.

Placing two or more concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other in a narrative for the purpose of contrast. Example: The juxtaposition of good and evil in 'Harry Potter'.

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing. Example: Hemingway used a simple and direct diction, while Joyce often used a more complex and elaborate diction.

A figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities. Example: 'Time is a thief' implies time steals moments from us.

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Example: Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I have a dream' speech uses anaphora with the repeated phrase 'I have a dream'.

A mournful, melancholic poem, especially one lamenting the dead; a sorrowful reflection. Example: 'In Memoriam A.H.H.' by Alfred Lord Tennyson is an elegy for the poet's friend Arthur Hallam.

A contrast or incongruity between expectations for a situation and what is reality. Example: A fire station burns down - this situation is ironic.

A character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character. Example: The Joker is the antagonist to Batman, the protagonist.

A scene in a narrative that is set in an earlier time than the main story, providing background or context to the current events. Example: In 'Wuthering Heights', much of the story is told in flashback.

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, commonly used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse. Example: Shakespeare's plays are largely written in blank verse.

The process by which an author reveals the personality of a character in a story. Example: J.K. Rowling uses direct and indirect characterization to build the character of Harry Potter.

A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. Example: The phrase 'bittersweet' describes something that is both bitter and sweet.

A figure of speech where human qualities are given to animals, objects, or ideas. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees' personifies the wind.

Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time. Example: A character in a Shakespeare play talking about watches, which weren't invented yet.

The most intense, exciting, or important point of a story; a culmination or apex. Example: The climax of 'Romeo and Juliet' occurs when Romeo finds Juliet in a deathlike sleep and kills himself.

A narrative in which characters and events represent particular ideas or themes, often relating to moral, religious, or political concepts. Example: George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.

The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests. Example: The denotation of the word 'snake' is 'a legless reptile,' not its negative connotations.

A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Example: The witches' prophecy in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' is an instance of foreshadowing.

The process of releasing strong or repressed emotions through art, typically resulting in renewal and restoration. Example: In Greek tragedies, the audience experiences catharsis during the climax.

Descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures for the reader. Example: 'The golden yellow sunlight filtered through the autumn leaves' is an example of visual imagery.

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named. Example: 'Buzz', 'hiss', or 'crack' are onomatopoeic words.

The implied or associative meaning of a word, as opposed to its literal definition. Example: The word 'home' connotes feelings of warmth, comfort, and family.

A plot device where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story to resolve the conflict and bring about a solution. Example: In Greek plays, a god was often lowered by a crane to solve a problem.