Literary Tones and Styles

Compiled By: Aparna Singh 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Abstract Absurd Accusatory Acerbic Affected Aggressive Ambiguous Amused/Amusing Analytical Anecdotal Apathetic Apologetic Apprehensive Archaic

Argumentative
Arrogant

Atmosphere Attitude
Audacious Awe Bantering

Baroque
Belligerent Biased Bizarre Bland Bombastic Breezy Callous

theoretical without reference to specifics contrary to logic, but sometimes artistically viable charging of wrong doing harsh/ severe; bitter assuming a false manner or attitude to impress others forceful; tending towards unprovoked offensiveness, angry/indignant open to more than one interpretation/ doubtful or uncertain agreeable, pleasing, entertaining, cause pleasure inclined to examine things by studying their contents or parts involving short narratives of interesting events emotionless; not interested/ concerned; indifferent; unresponsive expressing remorse, regret, sorrow for having failed, injured, insulted or wronged another anxious, fearful, uneasy about the future in the style of an earlier period type of discourse in which one debates a topic in a logical way having of displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or importance the pervasive mood or tone of a literary work. the author's viewpoint regarding his subject matter. attitude can usually be detected in author's tone. fearless, often recklessly daring, bold solemn wonder good-humored, playful a grand and exuberantly ornamental style aggressively hostile; bellicose favoring one thing/person/group over another for personal reasons. unusually strange or odd non-disturbing, unemotional, uninteresting pretentious and pompous quick-paced, but sometimes superficial unfeeling; insensitive to feelings of others

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Candid Caustic Childish Choleric Cinematic Classical

Classification
Colloquial Comic Commiserating Condescending Confessional Confused

Connotation
Contemplative Contemptuous Contented

Convention
Conventional Convoluted Critical Cynical Decadent

unprejudiced, impartial, open & sincere intense use of sarcasm; stinging; biting; acerbic immature (when applied to adults or writing) hot-tempered, easily angered having the qualities of a motion picture formal, enduring, and standard, adhering to certain traditional methods organization wherein the writer explains the relationships between terms or concepts characteristic or ordinary and informal conversation humorous, light, funny (there are many levels) feeling/ expressing sorrow for; empathizing with; pity patronizing; showing/implying patronizing descent from dignity/ superiority characterized by personal admissions of faults unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence the range of further associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its straightforward dictionary meaning. studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue expressing contempt/ disdain ; showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect satisfied with things the way they are. a device of style of subject matter so often used that it becomes a recognized means of expression. lacking spontaneity, originality and individuality very complicated or involved (as in the case of sentences with many qualifiers, phrases, and clauses) finding fault displaying a belief that people are always self-seeking and never altruistic in their actions marked by a decay in morals, values, and artistic standards the precise literal meaning of a word, without emotional associations or overtones. sad, gloomy (without any of the redeeming qualities of true tragedy) unkind and displaying contempt ; ridiculing, mocking separated, disconnected, aloof or impartial disinterested, unbiased, emotionally disconnected the version of a language spoken by people of a particular region or social group. the conversation of two or more people as represented in writing. violently bitter verbal attack

Denotation
Depressing Derisive Detached Detached

Dialect Dialogue Diatribe

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Diction
Didactic Diffident

Digression
Discursive Disdainful Disparaging Dogmatic

Dramatic Irony
Dreamlike Earnest Earthy Effeminate Elegiac Elegiac Emotional Emotional

Epigraph
Epistolary Erudite Ethical Eulogistic Euphemistic Evocative

Expository
Expressionistic Facetious Factual Fanciful Farcical Fatalistic

the choice of words used in a literary work author attempts to educate or instruct the reader reserved in manner; timid a portion of a written work that interrupts or pauses the development of the theme or plot. moving pointlessly from one subject to another; rambling scornful speak slightingly; depreciating; belittling asserting opinions in an arrogant manner; imperious; dictatorial a situation in which the audience knows more about the character's situation than the character does. having the characteristics of a dream intense, a sincere state of mind realistic, rustic coarse, unrefined, instinctive, animalize soft, delicate, unmanly expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past expressing sorrow or lamentation much given to strong feelings easily affected by feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear and the like the use of a quotation at the beginning or a work that hints at its theme. a novel written as a series of documents. the usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used learned, polished, scholarly dealing with principles of morality; honest; righteous involving formal praise in speech or writing, usually in honor of someone dead substitution of mild, indirect or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or blunt having the ability to call forth memories or other responses type of discourse in which one explains or describes stressing the subjective and symbolic is art and literature amusing, but light, unserious, frivolous real, provides facts using the imagination humorous but in a light way, comedy with high exaggeration believing that everything that happens is destined and therefore out of the hands of the individual

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Flamboyant

Flashback
Flippant Forthright Gloomy Grandiose Haughty Horrific Humanistic Humorous

Hyperbole
Idiomatic

Illustration Imagery
Impartial Incendiary Indignant

Inference
Insolent Intimate Introspective

Invective
Irate

Irony
Irreverent

Jargon
Jovial Judgmental

Juxtaposition
Laudatory

Local Color
Lugubrious

conspicuously bold or colorful a way of presenting scenes or incidents that took place before the opening scene. disrespectful levity or casualness, pert. directly frank without hesitation darkness, sadness, rejection more complicated/ elaborated than necessary; pompous proud and vain to the point of arrogance terrifying evincing keen interest in human affairs, nature, welfare, values funny and amusing a bold overstatement or extravagant exaggeration used either for serious or comic effect. peculiar to or characteristic of a given language organization wherein the topic sentence is stated and then followed by the details language that evokes sensation as opposed to an abstract idea. unprejudiced, not biased causing strong feelings marked by anger; aroused by justice a conclusion the reader can draw based upon details presented by the author. presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech, arrogant, disrespectful, rude, impertinent very familiar consider one's own internal state of feelings direct denunciation or name-calling. extremely angry, enraged in its broadest sense, the incongruity or diff between reality and appearance showing disrespect for things that are usually respected or revered the special language of a profession or group happy, jolly, full of good humor authoritative and often having critical opinions the side by side comparison of two or more object praising; extolling; applauding the use of the physical setting, dialect, customs, and attitudes in a region mournful, dismal, gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree

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Lyrical

Malapropism
Malicious Matter Of Fact

Metaphor
Metaphorical Mocking

Mood
Morose Motivating Mournful Mundane

Narrative Pace
Naturalistic Nostalgic Objective Obsequious Ominous Optimistic Parody Patronizing Pedantic Pedestrian

Personification
Persuasive Pessimistic Philosophical Picturesque Pious Poetical

expressing a poet's inner feelings; emotional; full of images; song-like the comic substitution of one word for another similar in sound but different in meaning purposely hurtful accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional a direct comparison that does not use "like" or "as." having the characteristics of melodrama in which emotions are plot are exaggerated and characterization is shallow treating with contempt or ridicule the prevailing emotional attitude in a literary work gloomy, sullen, sourly, despondent impelling; inciting sorrowful, sadness, melancholy ordinary or common, as in everyday matters ("his mind was filled with mundane matters") the speed at which an author tells a story tending to present things in art and literature as they appear in nature or actuality inclined to long for or dwell on things of the past; sentimental an unbiased view - able to leave personal judgments aside fawning; showing servile complaisance; flattering; deferent ; polite and obedient in order to gain something menacing, threatening hopeful, cheerful a satirical imitation of something serious, such as a comic takeoff of Romeo and Juliet (the parody must have enough elements of the original for it to be recognized) air of condescension; haughty; looking down upon overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, lacking vitality, imagination, distinction the attribute of human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. intended or having the power to induce action or belief seeing the worst side of things interested in the study of basic truths of existence and reality strikingly expressive or vivid having or displaying a reverence for god and religion; sometimes used pejoratively, when the display is excessive and overly righteous having the qualities of poetry, such as pleasing rhythms or images

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Poignant Pompous Populist Provincial Provocative Prurient

Pseudonym
Puritanical Quizzical Realistic Reflective Regretful Restrained Reverent Ribald Ridiculing Romantic Sanguineous

Sarcasm
Sarcastic Sardonic

Satire
Satirical Sentimental

Simile
Sincere

Situational Irony
Skeptical Solemn

affecting or moving the emotions displaying one's importance in an exaggerated way; sometimes this quality is found in comic characters egalitarian; pertaining to the characteristics of common people/ working class limited in perspective; narrow and self centered inciting; stimulating; irritating; vexing preoccupied with lewd and lustful thoughts pen name, alias strict or severe in matters of morality odd, eccentric, amusing inclined to represent things as they really are illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions sorrowful because of what is lost, gone, or done held-back, deprived, checked treating a subject with honor and respect offensive in speech or gesture slightly contemptuous banter; making fun of fanciful; impractical; unrealistic; extravagant; exaggerated optimistic, cheerful harsh cutting personal remarks not necessarily ironic harsh, bitter derision; taunting; sneering; cutting remarks scornfully and bitterly sarcastic any form of literature that blends ironic humor and wit with criticism. seeks to correct through ridicule ironical; taunting; human folly held up to scorn/ derision/ ridicule ; ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point or to teach resulting from or colored by emotion rather than reason or realism a comparison using "like" or "as." without deceit or pretense, genuine the contrast between what is intended or expected and what actually occurs. doubtful, apprehensive in agreement deeply earnest, tending towards sad reflection a speech delivered while the speaker is alone, calculated to inform the audience of the character's thoughts.

Soliloquy

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Speculative

Stream-OfConsciousness
Subjective Surrealistic Technical Terse Timorous

theoretical rather than practical; thoughtful; reflective; hypothetical a technique that allows the reader to see the continuous chaotic flow of half formed thoughts relying on one's own inner impressions, as opposed to being objective stressing imagery and the subconscious and sometimes distorting ordinary ideas in order to arrive at artistic truths using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book effectively concise, brief funny, witty the reflection in a work of the author's attitude toward his or her subject lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed excessively ornate or complex in style or language; grandiloquent the quality of oneness in a literary work sophisticated, socially polished admiration, wonder a contrast between what is said and what is meant distressed, annoyed, perplexed prudish, stuffy, and puritanical (qualities associated with queen victoria's reign) full of anger and hatred cruel and angry criticism the sense a written work conveys to a reader of the writer's attitude, personality and character odd, strange, fantastic devious in course or purpose; misdirected

Tone
Trite Turgid

Unity
Urbane Veneration

Verbal Irony
Vexed Victorian Vitriolic Vituperative

Voice
Whimsical Wry