glosary of key terms english

• What is an allegory?

  A story conveying a hidden meaning
• How does Duncan’s death serve as an allegory?

  It symbolizes the risks of killing a king
• What is an allusion?

  An indirect reference to another work
• What does an archetype represent?

  The first real example or ideal model
• What is bathos?

  An abrupt anti-climax in tone
• What does biblical language imply?

  It has religious connotations
• What is a blazon?

  A poem describing a woman's physique
• What is a caricature?

  An imitation with exaggerated characteristics
• What is a colloquialism?

  An informal word or phrase
• What is comic relief?

  Relief from tension through comedy
• What does connotation refer to?

  Impressions associated with a word
• What is a dichotomy?

  A division between two opposed things
• What is a double entendre?

  A phrase with double meanings
• What is a dysphemism?

  An offensive term for a less offensive one
• What is an epithet?

  A descriptive word or phrase for a person
• What does epitome mean?

  A perfect example of a quality
• What is epizeuxis?

  Repetition of words in succession
• What is a euphemism?

  A harmless term for an offensive one
• What is an extended metaphor?

  A metaphor that continues over many sentences
• What is foreshadowing?

  A device suggesting future plot developments
• What does grotesque mean?

  Ugly and distorted in a comic way
• What is hyperbole?

  An extravagant exaggeration of fact
• What is ideology?

  A system of beliefs and ideals
• What is imagery?

  Visually descriptive or symbolic language
• What is irony?

  Words contrary to expected meaning
• What is juxtaposition?

  A technique comparing opposing elements
• What does manifestation mean?

  A physical expression of an abstract idea
• What is a motif?

  An element that recurs for emphasis
• What is an oxymoron?

  A paradox combining contrasting terms
• What is a parable?

  A story teaching a moral lesson
• What is pathetic fallacy?

  Human emotions given to nature
• What is personification?

  Giving human traits to non-human entities
• What is a pun?

  A play on words with multiple meanings
• What is satire?

  Humour used to criticize stupidity
• What is a semantic field?

  Words grouped under one sub-heading
• What is sibilance?

  Repetition of 's' sounds close together
• What is a simile?

  A comparison using "like" or "as"
• What is symbolism?

  Using one object to expose a broader idea
• What is a trope?

  A frequently used character or event type
• What is zoomorphism?

  Imagery representing animal forms