Aubade

A poem or song about lovers parting at dawn, which often expresses sadness at daybreak.

Ballad

A narrative poem that tells a story in short stanzas in a musical setting.

Blank Verse

A poem written in unrhymed, iambic pentameter ( common in Shakespeare)

Cacophony

The use of harsh, discordant sounds in writing in order to create a jarring effect.

Carpe Diem

The Latin for “seize the day” is a theme that inspires people to make the most of it.

Catharsis

emotional release experienced by the audience after an intense drama or tragedy.

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device where the words or concepts are repeated in reverse order order.

Colloquial

Informal language or expressions used in everyday conversation.

Comic Relief

A humorous scene or character that provides a funny break from a serious Or tragic moment.

Conceit

An extended metaphor that compares to an unlikely thing in a surprising or clever way.

Connotation

The emotion or cultural meaning associated with a word that is beyond it actually definition.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of a word.

Conventional

The following traditional or widely accepted forms, styles, or ideas in literature.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same meter.

Dactyl

A metrical foot with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Denouement

The final part of a story where everything is resolved.

Deus Ex Machina

A plot device where an unexpected power or event resolves everything.

Diction

The author’s choice of words and style of expression in writing or speech.

Didactic

intends to teach or instruct more often with a moral or lesson.