Lit Terms 30-56

31.Dialect- the language of a particular district, class or groups of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others
32.Dialectics- formal debates usually over the nature of truth
33.Dichotomy- split or break between two opposing things
34.Diction- the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words
35.Didactic- having to do with the transmission of information; education
36.Dogmatic- rigid in beliefs and principles
37.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
38.Epic- a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time
39.Epigram- witty aphorism
40.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
41.Epithet- a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone's character, characteristics
42.Euphemism- the use of an indirect, mind or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt
43.Evocative- a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality
44.Exposition- beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and or characters, in a detailed explanation
45.Expressionism- movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling
46.Fable- a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth
47.Fallacy- from Latin word "to deceive", a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound
48.Falling Action- part of the narrative or drama after the climax
49.Farce- a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue
50.Figurative Language- apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech
51.Flashback- a narrative device that flashes back to prior events
52.Foil- a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent
53.Folk Tale- story passed on by word of mouth
54.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 it away
55.Free Verse- verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme
56.Genre- a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content