| Assonance | A sound structure employing a similarity among vowels but not consonants.
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| Iambic pentameter | Type of poetic meter. An iamb is a metrical unit, or foot, of two syllables; the first unaccented and the second accented. Pentameter is a five-foot line. See sonnet.
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| Theme | In music, a melody or motive of considerable importance because of later repetition or development. In other arts, a theme is a main idea or general topic.
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| Denotation | The direct, explicit meaning or reference of a word or words. See connotation.
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| Connotation | Use of language to suggest ideas and/or emotional coloration in addition to the explicit or denoted meaning. "Brothers and sisters" denotes relatives, but the words may also connote people united in a common effort or struggle, as in the expressions "Brotherhood of Teamsters" or "Sisterhood Is Powerful." See denotation.
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| Imagery | Use of language to represent objects and events with strong appeal to the senses, especially the visual.
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| Metaphor | An implied comparison between different things. See simile.
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| Symbol | Something perceptible that stands for something more abstract.
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| Diction | In literature, drama, and film, the choice of words with special care for their expressiveness.
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| Narrative | A story told to an audience.
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| Episodic narrative | A story composed of separate incidents (or episodes) tied loosely together. See organic narrative.
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| Epic | A lengthy narrative poem, usually episodic, with heroic action and great cultural scope.
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| Protagonist | The chief character in drama and literature.
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| Lyric | A poem, usually brief and personal, with an emphasis on feelings or states of mind as part of the subject matter. Lyric songs use lyric poems.
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| Objective correlative | An image that is similar to a subjective awareness.
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