A quintain (five line poem) with an aabba rhyme scheme in which the first, second, and fifth lines have nine syllables and the third and fourth lines have six syllables.

A story in which ideas are represented or personified as actions, people, or things. Example: Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

The repetition of beginning consonant sounds through a sequence of words. Gerard Manley Hopkins is noted for using alliteration in lines such as “Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;” from “ [..]

A comparison based upon similarities and relationships of things that are somewhat alike but mostly different. An analogy often makes a point-by-point comparison from a familiar object to an unfamilia [..]

The character who opposes the main character (the protagonist).

A counter-proposition that denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition, balancing an argument for parallel structure.

A plot pattern, such as the quest or the redeemer/scapegoat, or character element, such as the cruel stepmother, that recurs across cultures.

The repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words. Example: “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.

A narrative poem or song with a repeating refrain. A ballad often tells the story of a historical event or retells a folk legend. Example: “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.

Also known as a “beast epic,” this is an often satirical, allegorical style in which the main characters are animals. It is often written as a mock epic. Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell.