Literary Terms Dictionary

This is a list of terms I use on the site when describing literary qualities of Snape's character. It is short, I know, but I fear that some might be unsure as to some of my word usages.

alliteration - repetition of the initial letter or sound in two or more words

allusion - short reference to a person, place.event,or other work of literature

consonance - repetition of the initial consonant letter or sound in two or more words

epithet - a phrase or description about a character which is used with or in place of character's name

foil - the arrangement of characters that usually implies opposition or contrast

imagery - uses of language that evoke sense impressions -- usually visual, but may be auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, or kinesthetic

irony - awareness by author, character, or reader of a contrast of difference between the way things are and the way they seem

juxtaposition (jux) - to place items side by side for purposes of comparison

metaphor - an implied comparison of two usually unlike things

motif - a series of recurring images or metaphors

parallel - to emphasize similarities between items

parallel construction - within a passage, it is the use of repetitive structures (ie, a noun and verb repeated) to imply a similarity or buildup between items

silibance - consonance of 's' sounds

symbol - a word or image that signifies itself and something other than what is literally represented.

theme - can either represent a recurring concept or represent a statement about human behaviour that the work is trying to make

tone - the literary speaker's attitude toward his subject, characters, or readers -- formal or intimate, outspoken or reticent, abtruse or simple, serious or ironic, condescending or obsequious

voice - the point of view which the novel is taken