CRISIS-- in fiction or a drama the point at which the opposing forces that create the conflict interlock in the decisive action on which the plot will turn.

CRITICISM-the analysis or evaluation of a literary work.

CYNICISM-a term used in literature to characterize groups of writers or movements distinquished by dissatisfaction with contemporary conditions.

DACTYL-a metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables.

DEDUCTIVE ORDER-paragraph development moves from the general to the particular in an expository essay. The generalization to be proven is stated in the topic sentence or paragraph.

DENOTATION-the dictionary meaning of a word-without emotional overtones or association.

DENOUEMENT- the final unraveling of the plot in drama or fiction, the solution mystery, the explanation or outcome. Denouement implies an ingenious untying of the knot of an intrigue, involving not only a satisfactory outcome of the main situation but an explanation of all the secrets and misunderstandings connected with the plot complication.

DESCRIPTION-writing that helps readers to picture a person, a place, or an event.

DIALECT-the pattern of speech used by people of a certain group or of a particular region. It refers to the special expressions and pronunciations of that region or group.

DIALOGUE- conversation between two or more characters.

DICTION- the selection of words, the “vocabulary” used in writing.

DIDACTIC-teaching, having a moral purpose.

DILEMMA- a situation in which the protagonist faces two choices, neither of them desirable.

DISGUISE-use of costume or personality to hide the true identity of a character until he must be revealed. A device to add suspense to plot.

DISSONANCE- use of language which seems harsh, rough, difficult to articulate or unmusical as words seem to clash against each other ie. The cow eats grass.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE- a play on words in which a word or phrase is to be understood in two senses, one of which is usually indecorous.

DRAMA- the kind of literature designed for the theater. Actors take the roles of the characters, perform the assigned actions, and speak the written words. It is also the conflict or tension in a story.

DRAMATIC IRONY-a type of irony that occurs in a story when the reader has information or an understanding of events that a character does not have. See irony.

DRAMATIC EMPHASIS-every scene or converation between characters must have a purpose.

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE- the character speaks throughout the poem to another who never speaks in return.

ELEGY-a serious, meditative poem, particulary poems concerned with death.

ELISION-ommission (usually of a vowel or unstressed syllable), as in o'er

ELLIPSIS-a figure of speech characterized by the omission of one or more words which, while essential to the grammatical structure of the sentence, are easily supplied by the reader.

EMPHASIS-proper significance is given to the important subject matter; it is gained through placement of ideas at the beginning or end of a sentence or paragraph;through repetition of ideas, words or phrases; and in a climactic order of main events or ideas that lead to a strong conclusion.

ENDINGS-happy,unhappy,surprise, indeterminate

END-RHYME-identical sounds at the end of the lines of poetry.

ENJAMBMENT-a line of poetry in which the grammatical and logical sense run on, without pause, into the next line(s.

EPIC-a long narrative poem on a serious subject and in an elevated style. It centers on an heroic figure, upon whose actions the fate of a nation or a race often depends.

EPIGRAM-brief, witty poem or saying, ie. To err is human, to forgive divine.(Alexander Pope).

EPIGRAPH- a quotation at the beginning of a work, just after the title, often giving a clue to the theme.

EPILOGUE-concluding statement.

EPIPHANY- a 'showing forth', as when an action reveals a character with particular clarity or when a something becomes clearly understood or meaningful to a character, revealed through an action etc.

EPISODE- an incident presented as one continous action, having a unity of its own.

ESSAY-a work, usually in prose and ususally fairly short, that purports to be true and that treats its subject tentatively.

EULOGY- high praise; a speech praising someone who has just died.

EUPHEMISM-a mild, delicate, or indirect word or expression used in place of a plainer and more accurate one, which by reasons of its meaning or association might be offensive, unpleasant, or embarrassing,ie. downsizing the company ( for firing employees).

EUPHONY-a pleasant combination of sounds, ie. the soft, warm sensations of a satin summer day.

EXPLICATION- close examination of a poem:form, content and structure.

EXPOSITION-the part of the plot in which important background information is given and the characters and the conflict are introduced. The exposition is usually found at the beginning of a story.

EXTENDED METAPHOR- a metaphor that involves the entire poem.

EXTERNAL CONFLICT- a struggle between a person and an outside force. The four kinds of external conflict are 1) conflict within a person, 2) conflict between a person/persons and society, 3) conflict between a person/persons and the forces of nature, 4) conflict with spiritual forces. See conflict.

EYE-RHYME- words that look like they ryhme, but do not, as in come/home.

FALLING ACTION-the part of the plot following the climax in which the action begins to slow down. The falling action leads to the resolution.

FABLE-a story in which the characters are animals whose actions teach a lesson.

FALLING ACTION-the part of the plot following the climax in which the action begins to slow down. The falling action leads to the resolution.

FANTASY- is an imagined reality. Fantasy may include imaginary beast, magic, ghosts, demons, or other supernatural powers. See science fiction.

FARCE- a type of comedy designed to provoke the audience to simple, hearty laughter. It contains ridiculous characters and improbable situations. A farce often relies on verbal and physical humor.

FATE-the force that determines the outcomes of the conflict in a story.

FICTION-narrative writing which tells a story drawn from the imagination of the author rather than historical fact.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE-the use of words and phrases in unusual ways to create strong, vivid images, to focus attention on certain ideas, or to compare dissimilar things. When words or phrases are used figuratively, they have meanings other than their usual meanings,i.e.when lemon is not a fruit, but a defective car. See metaphor, personification, and simile.

FIGURES OF SPEECH: simile,metaphor,personification,apostrophe,allusions,hyperbole, metonymy, synecdoche, antithesis, euphemisms etc.

FIRST-PERSON POINT OF VIEW- the vantage point in which the narrator is a character in the story and tells the story as he or she experiences or understands it. The narrator used the “I” vantage point to tell what happens. See point of view.