a word free from limitations or qualifications (eg. “best”, “all”, “unique”, “perfect”)

a familiar proverb or wise saying

an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an isssue

a literary work where characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

repetition of initial sounds

a reference to something historical, literart, or mythological that the author assumes the reader will recognize

comparison of 2 different things that are similar in some way

the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanaced

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea

a figure of speech when one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions

a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast

insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second is reversed (eg. “Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary”)

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off

the point of highest interest in a literary work

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions

fanciful, clever extended metaphor

details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events

the implied or associative meaning of a word

the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases

makes a statement or declaration

a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case. (eg. “the sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise tuesday morning

the literal meaning of a word

variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

conversation between two or more people

word choices made by a writer