Language Features Of Language

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http://www.numberworks.com.au/fun-stuff/knowledge-bank/glossary-of-language-features-and-poetic-terms/

GLOSSARY OF LANGUAGE FEATURES
Alliteration
Occurs when the initial sounds of a word, beginning with either a consonant or a vowel are repeated. It is important to listen to the sound rather than rely on the visual representation of the letter.
E.g. photo frame, gigantic jigsaw, chicken 'n chips
People who pen poetry probably pamper pets.

Analogy
Using a simple comparison to explain a complex concept.
E.g. The process of achieving your goals is like working your way up a ladder.
Antagonist
A character or force against which another character struggles.
Assonance
The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose. It is important to listen to the sound of the vowel and vowel combinations rather than rely of the visual representation of the letters.
E.g. cow/ shout too / blew bird/ curl/ her bear/mare/deer/there/their The round clown found himself rolling around on the ground.

Characterisation
The way writers present and reveal character through speech, dress, manner and actions.
Cliché
An expression which is over used "my better half" (means wife/husband/partner)

Climax
The turning point of the action in the plot of play or story.
Colloquial Language
Everyday/informal language used in conversation - often not literal meanings.
E.g."Gidday, mate - how's it goin'?"
Complication
An intensification of the conflict in a story or play. Complication builds up, accumulates and develops the primary or central conflict.
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces in a story or a play, usually resolved by the end of the story or play.
Contractions
Two words shortened by combination, "I'll" instead of "I will"

Couplet
A pair of rhymed lines that may or may not constitute a separate stanza in a poem.
Dialogue
The conversation of characters. In fiction, dialogue is typically enclosed within quotation marks. In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their names.
Euphemism
When something not so nice is said in a nice way, e.g. "passed away" instead of "died"
"came into this world" instead of "born"
Fiction
An imagined story, whether in prose, poetry or drama. Opposite to non-fiction.
Figurative Language
Used to create special meaning or effect. Includes similes, metaphors and personification. Opposite to literal language.
Free Verse
Poetry without a regular pattern of meter or rhyme.
Hyperbole (pron. Hi - per - boll - ee)
A figure of speech involving exaggeration.
E.g. "I am so hungry I could eat a horse" and " I laughed until I died."
Image
A concrete expression of a sense impression, a feeling or an idea. Imagery refers to the pattern of related details in a work.
Imagery
Descriptions which invoke mental images to the reader. Often uses similes and metaphors. Often used in poetry and song lyrics. Imagery allows the writer to show what he/she means instead of telling directly.
E.g. I took a walk around the world to
Ease my troubled mind
I left my body laying somewhere
In the sands of time.
I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do.
Kryptonite - Three Doors Down

Irony
A difference or the opposite between what is said and what is actually intended or implied - often used for humour.
E.g. Your friend turns up in dirty ripped jeans and you say with a smirk, "I see you have your best clothes on!"
Listing
Listing is a stream of words, separated by commas. It is used to enhance the message and provide impact.
Literal
A form of language in which writers and speakers mean exactly what their words denote. Opposite of figurative language.
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase meaning one kind of idea is used in place of another to suggest a similarity.
E.g. "The ship ploughed through the waves."

Mood
Sets the tone for the reader's expectations and determines whether a