Abstract

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images ( ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.

Allegory

an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.

Ancedote

a short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.

Annotation

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Antithesis

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the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “To be or not to be…” “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country….”

Aphorism

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a short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life: “Early bird gets the worm.”

Apostrophe

usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction

Argumentation

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writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting
reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation

Coherence; Unity

harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony

Caricature

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descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality

Colloquialsim

a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)

Concrete Language

Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities

Connotation

implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.

Consonance

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repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and ping- pong

Conundrum

a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem

Deduction

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

Denotation

literal meaning of a word as defined

Description

the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse

Diction

word choice, an element of style; Diction creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning. Different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang.

Didactic

writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. Didactic writing may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.

Discourse

spoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.

Emotional Appeal; Pathos

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When a writer appeals to readers’ emotions (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument

Epigraph

the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein."

Ethical Appeal; Ethos

When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text. Reputation is sometimes a factor in ethical appeal, but in all cases the aim is to gain the audience’s confidence.

Euphemism

a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. “He went to his final reward” is a common euphemism for “he died.” Euphemisms are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses “collateral damage” to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation.

Euphony

a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony

Example

An individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern. Arguing by
example is considered reliable if examples are demonstrable true or factual as well as relevant.

Explication

The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. Explication usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.

Exposition

the immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information
necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse

Generalization

When a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain
rather than probable. Sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a claim
applies to all instances instead of some

Genre

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a type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as science fiction or sonnet, within the larger genres

Humor

anything that causes laughter or amusement; up until the end of the Renaissance, humor meant a person’s temperament

Hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis (Example: He was so
hungry he could have eaten a horse.)

Image

A word or words, either figurative or literal, used to describe a sensory experience or an object perceived by the sense. An image is always a concrete representation.

Imagery

words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the five senses in order to create a mental picture

Induction

the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization

Inference

a conclusion one can draw from the presented details

Invective

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a verbally abusive attack

Inversion

reversing the customary (subject first, then verb, then complement) order of elements in a sentence or phrase; it is used effectively in many cases, such as posing a question: “Are you going to the store?” Usually, the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject.

Jargon

The special language of a profession or group. The term jargon usually has pejorative Associations with the implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, and unintelligible to outsiders. The writings of the lawyer and the literary critic are both susceptible to jargon.

Logical Appeal, Logos

Logos When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics, facts, and reasons. The process of reasoning

Lyrical

Songlike; characterized by emotions, subjectivity, and imagination.

Mode

the method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written

Mood

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similar to tone, mood is the primary emotional attitude of a work (the feeling of the work; the atmosphere). Syntax is also a determiner of mood because sentence strength, length, and complexity affect pacing.

Narration

the telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of the four modes of discourse

Objectivity

an impersonal presentation of events and characters. It is a writer’s attempt to remove himself or herself from any subjective, personal involvement in a story. Hard news journalism is frequently prized for its objectivity, although even fictional stories can be told without a writer rendering personal judgment