Epistemology
The study of knowledge-how we know what we know; relevant in literary theory about perception.
Hermeneutics
The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of texts.
Ambiguity
The quality of being open to multiple meanings or interpretations.
Allusion
An indirect or passing reference to something.
Juxtaposition
Placing two elements close together to contrast or compare them.
Paradox
A statement that contradicts itself but reveals a deeper truth.
Anachronism
Something that is out of its proper time period.
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which an item is referred to by the name of a closely associated item.
Synecdoche
A figure of speech where one part represents the whole or vice versa.
Didacticism
Intended to teach, particularly moral instruction.
Intertextuality
The relationship between texts and how they reference or influence each other.
Parataxis
Placing clauses or phrases one after another without coordinating conjunctions.
Cacophony
A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds, often used to describe prose style or tone.
