Lit Terms 31-56

Dialect- the language of a particular district, class or group of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others

Dialectics- formal debates usually over the nature of truth

Dichotomy- split or break between two opposing things

Diction- the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words

Didactic- having to do with the transmission of information; education

Dogmatic- rigid in beliefs and principles

Elegy- a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral setting

Epic- a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, morals, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time

Epigram- witty aphorism

Epitaph- any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone

Epithet- a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone's character, characteristics

Euphemism- the use of an indirect, mild, or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offense or blunt

Evocative- a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality

Exposition- beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and characteristics in a detailed explanation

Expressionism- movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feelings

Fable- a short simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth

Fallacy- from Latin word "to deceive", a false or misleading notion, belief or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound

Falling Action- part of the narrative or drama after the climax

Farce- a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue

Figurative Language- apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech

Flashback- a narrative device that flashes back to prior events

Foil- a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent

Folk Tale- a story passed on by word of mouth

Foreshadowing- in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing, though not to give away

Free Verse- verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme