A form of verbal irony, expressing sneering, personal disapproval in the guise of praise. (Oddly enough, sarcastic remarks are often used between friends, perhaps as a somewhat perverse demonstration of the strength of the bond--only a good friend could say this without hurting the other's feelings, or at least without excessively damaging the [..]

A novel where exciting events predominate over characterization and sometimes theme. Examples: H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines

A novel focusing on and describing in detail the social customs and habits of a particular social group. Usually these conventions function as shaping or even stifling controls over the behavior of the characters. Examples: Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

A type of novel, popular in the eighteenth century, that overemphasizes emotion and seeks to create emotional responses in the reader. The type also usually features an overly optimistic view of the goodness of human nature. Examples: Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield

A novel that presents an ideal society where the problems of poverty, greed, crime, and so forth have been eliminated. Examples: Thomas More, Utopia

"A form of extended metaphor in which objects and persons in a narrative, either in prose or verse, are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. Thus it represents one thing in the guise of another--an abstraction in that of a concrete image. The characters are usually personifications of abstract qualities....&quot [..]

The recurrence of initial consonant sounds. The repetition can be juxtaposed (and then it is usually limited to two words): Ah, what a delicious day!

A causal and brief reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event: You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first. 'Tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size. --Shakespeare

A rhetorical trope formed by repeating the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or very near the beginning of the next. It can be generated in series for the sake of beauty or to give a sense of logical progression: Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,/ Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain. . . . --Phili [..]

The comparison of two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one. While simile and analogy often overlap, the simile is generally a more artistic likening, done briefly for effect and emphasis, [..]