Glossary of Literary Terms
alliteration – repetition of the same sounds or of the same type of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables
assonance – repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
consonance – repetition of consonants or of a consonant pattern, especially at the ends of words
ellipsis – omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete construction of a phrase or sentence but not necessary for understanding
foot – a section from a line of verse
free verse – verse with no regular pattern in either rhyme or line length
half-rhyme – partial or imperfect rhyme, often using assonance or consonance (also known as imperfect rhyme and pararhyme)
iambic – a foot of verse which uses unstressed, followed by stressed syllables
iambic pentameter – a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable
imagery – use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas
metaphor – figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison
onomatopoeia – formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions to which they refer
oxymoron – figure of speech in which contradictory terms are combined
parable – simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson
simile – figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, in a phrase containing such words as: like or as
syntax – the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences, to express a meaning
