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Abstract
refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places.)
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Ad Hominem
in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man." Fallacy
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Allegory
an extended narative in prose or verse in which characters, events and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story
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Alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another.
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Allusion
a reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, mythology, or the Bible.
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Analogy
Comparison of two similar but different things, usually to clarify an action or a relationship, such as comparing the work of a heart too that of a pump. An Analogy is a comparison to a directly parallel case.
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Anaphora
Repitition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.
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Anecdote
a short, simple narrative of an incedent; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.
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Annotation
Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite soruces, or give bibliographical data.
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Antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.
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Antithesis
the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs.
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Aphorism
A short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life.
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Apostrophe
usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or a personified abstraction.
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Argumentation
writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.
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Assonance
repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade.
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Asyndeton
Commas used (with no conjuction) to seperate a seres of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjuction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjuction.
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Cacophony
harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.
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Chiasmus
(ki az' mus) In rhetoric, a contrast by reverse parallelism, as in "They fall succesive, and succesive rise." Repetition of ideas in inverted order or the repetition oof grammatical structures in inverted order.
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Colloquialism
a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y'all, ain't).
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Coherence
quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle.
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Concrete Language
Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.
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Connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind.
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Consonance
repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and ping-pong.
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Conundrum
A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem.
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Deduction
the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example. Also known as Syllogism.
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