Begging the question:
Often called circular reasoning, begging the question occurs when the believability of the evidence depends on the believability of the claim. In other words, one assumes a statement to be true when it has not been proven so.

Example:
Rebecca: "Goody Ann! You sent a child to conjure up the dead?"
Mrs. Putman: "Let god blame me, not you, not you, Rebecca I'll not have judging me anymore! Is it natural work to lose 7 children before they live a day?"
-The Crucible

Explanation:
This is an excellent of begging the question. Mrs. Putnam believes that it is unnatural to lose so many children, she believes it must be a curse cast on her from one of the witches in the town. Arthur Miller uses begging the question to add to the suspense of The Crucible. This serves the purpose of showing the betrayal and finger pointing that was created during the Salem Witch Trials. The main purpose of begging the question in The Crucible shows how Little proof was shown or needed, and how the allegation were far fetched and the  believeability of the claim was just assumed to be true, without real proof.

Balanced Sentence:
Construction in which both halves of the sentences are about the same length of importance.


Example:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." 
-A Tale of Two Cities

Explanation: 
Charles Dickens uses a balanced sentence for many reasons. In this case, this is a balanced sentence with a purpose. The sentence adds suspense, and foreshadows what the novel will be about. The use of a balanced sentence adds to parallelism and creates a certain rhythm that Dickens is known for. This sentence compares to contrasting phrases. Dickens does this on purpose to add to the suspense and show that it is not ine or the other... but in fact, it's both.

Atmosphere:
The emotional mood created by the entirely of a literary work, established partly by the settling and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. frequently, atmosphere foreshadows events.


Example:
"A throng of bearded men, in sad–coloured garments and grey steeple–crowned hats, inter–mixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes."
-The Scarlet Letter


Explanation:
The beginning of The Scarlet Letter is a great example of atmosphere. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the people as dark, gloomy, plain people with dark depressing colors on. He then goes on to describe the wooden door with iron spikes. The descriptions of the objects (hats and door) shows that its not a happy place with friendly people.. which can help the reader foreshadow the characters and events that will happen later in the novel. This is exactly what Hawthorne wanted, and that is why he described the atmosphere as early as he possibly could in the novel.

Assonance:Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity.



Example: 
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great and would suffice.
-Robert Frost

Explanation:
Robert Frost uses assonance in many of his poems. His purpose in this poem is to create a smooth and soothing transition between line to line. The poem does not have a perfect rhyme scheme, so the assonance adds flexibility and allows the poem to have a nice tone and flow, and not just be dull and boring. Also the assonance adds a spin on the poem and makes the reader have fun and be entertained while reading.

Antecedent:
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Example:
"Mr. Gore was a grave man, and, though a young man, he indulged in no jokes."
-Frederick Douglass An American Slave


Explanation:
The author uses Mr. Gore as an antecedent to make the sentence less confusing. The purpose of using an antecedent makes the sentence more professional and sophisticated and it allows you to know what the pronoun has to do with. In this case the antecedent is not that significant, it just allows the reader to know who the person that is being described is.

Apostrophe: 
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, a personified  abstraction, or sometimes an inanimate object.

Example:

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men:
O raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea,
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free;

So didst thou travel on life's common way
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

-William wordsworth

Explanation:

This poem has an apostrophe to Milton, one of the greatest writers of epic poems. William Wordsworth directly talks to Milton as if he knows him and they are best buds. This type of apostrophe adds an emotional intensity to the poem, which is what Wordsworth was going for. He also wants the reader to feel a sense of familiarity when reading the poem, this is why he refers to the apostrophe, Milton, as an old friend. The main purpose of the apostrophe is to address someone that is gone, but very important and needs to be remembered, which is exactly what Wordsworth does. 

Antithesis:
A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses.

Example:

"They were, in fact and at last free. And the lives of these old black women were synthesized in their eyes—a puree of tragedy and humor, wickedness and serenity, truth and fantasy.”
—Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

Explanation:
This is a great example of antithesis. This quote compares contrasting words multiple times. "tragedy and humor", "wickedness and serenity", and "truth and fantasy". The author uses this to show the reader all of what the women had to endure in her lifetime. The ups and downs, which are best realized when compared next to each other. The author uses this to make the argument as strong and evident as possible.