Term
|
Definition
| Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Latin. In an argument, this in attack on one's opponent, rather than on the opponent's ideas. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A narrative or description having a second meaning beneath the surface one. A story, fictional or nonfictional, in which characters, things, or events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things and events is meant to reveal an abstraction or truth. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The repitition of initial consonant sounds in words, as in "rough and ready." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
An indirect reference to famous characters or events from history, literature, or mythology.
- "I thought as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron : Penelope did this too." -- Edna St. Vincent Milay
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is intentionally ambiguous. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Placement of an event, person, or thing, out of its proper chronological relationship, sometimes unintentional, but often deliberate as an exercise of poetic license.
- In Julius Caesar a clock chiming would be considered an anachronism because clocks had not yet been invented.
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Repitition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginnning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repitition and helps make the author's point more coherent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas. Conjuctions that express antithesis include but, yet, and while. It can occur when the wording contrasts, when the sense of the statement contrasts, or when both contrast.
- I offered to help but he refused my assistance.
- The prodigal robs his heir; the miser robs himself.
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
- Ethos : Appealing to the audience's sense of ethics, morals, or principles.
- Logos: Appealing to the audience's sense of logic.
- Pathos : Appealing to the audience's emotions.
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An address to the dead as though they were living; to the inanimate as if animate; to the absent as if present; to the unborn as if alive. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Exploring a problem by investigating all sides of it; persuasion through reason. One of the four chief forms of discourse, the others being expression, narration, and description. The purpose of argumentation is to convince by establishing the truth or falsity of a proposition. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The original model, form, or pattern from which something is made or from which something develops. (stereotype of literature) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The repition of identical or similar vowel sounds, especially in stressed syllables, without repetition of consonants. Examples: "mad as a hatter," "free as a breeze." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When details are not stated but must be inferred by the reader or audience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A series of words separated by commas (with no conjunction), e.g. "I came, I saw, I conquered." The parts in the sentence are emphasized equally; in addition, the use of commas with no conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Construction in which both halves of the sentence are about the same length and importance, sometimes used to emphasize contrast. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process by which an unhealthy emotional state produced by an imbalance of feelings is corrected and emotional health is restored. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A writer asserts that one thing results from another. To show how one thing produces or brings about another is often relevant in establishing a logical argument. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Arrangement of repeated thoughts in the patter XY-YX. Chiasmus is often short and summarizes a main idea, e.g. "Ask not what your counrty can do for you, but what you can do for your country." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Any expression so often used that its freshness and clarity have worn off. The reader or speaker of the expression pays no attention to the real meaning of the words (trite). "The new policy is just the tip of the iceberg, but it has already bred verbal pyrotechnics that throw a wet blanket over the in-depth brainstorming of seminal issues." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Humorous speeches and incidents in the course of the serious action of a tragedy; frequently comic relief widens and enriches the tragic significance of the work. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places rather than ideas or qualities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The emotional implication that words may carry as distinguished from their denotative meanings. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The repitition of consonant sounds not limited to the first letters of words. "...and high school girls with clear skin smiles...." At Seventeen by Janis Ian. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Following certain conventions, or traditional techniques of writing. An over reliance on conventions may result in a lack of originality. The 5 paragraph theme is considered conventional. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sentence that begins with the main idea and then expands on that idea with a series of details or other particulars. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The specific, exact meaning of a word, independent of its emotional connotation or association; the dictionary definition. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Refers to the level of usage common in serious books and lofty discourses. "Ultimately every successful character represents a fusion of the universal and the particular and becomes an example of the CONCRETE UNIVERSAL." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Refers to the level of usage found in the relaxed but polite and cultivated conversation. "Let's go to a movie tomorrow night!" as opposed to the formal, "Would you like to attend the cinema with me tomorrow evening?" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Refers to everyday usage and may include terms and constructions accepted in that group but not universally accepted. "How y'all doing?" instead of "How are you all doing?" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Refers to a group of newly coined words that are not uet a part of formal usage. "That movie was the bomb!" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Term used to describe fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A temporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A formal sustained poem lamenting the death of a particular person. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Deliberate omission of a word or words implied by context. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
The reader understands closely what the character is feeling.
- The children in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (eventually) feel empathy for Boo Radley. This causes the reader to feel empathy for Boo, also.
|
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A syllogism in which the premises - often the major premise - is unstated, but meant to be understood. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Strictly, an adjective used to point out a characteristic of a person or thing, such as "noisy mansions" for schoolhouses. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A mild word or phrase that substitutes for another that would be undesireable because it is too direct, unpleasent, or offensive. The word "joint" is a euphemism for the word prison. "Little boys' room" in replace of "bathroom." "Passed away" place of "died." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The arrangement and presentation of events and information in a FICTION or DRAMA in such a way that later events in the work are prepared for. In drama, a method used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Word or words that are inaccurate literally, but describe by calling to mind sensations or responses that the thing described evokes. Figurative language may be in the form of metaphors or similies, both non-literal comparisons. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| 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. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The major category in which a literary work fits. Basic divisions: prose, poetry, drama. Among these divisions, there are many sub-genres. On the Lang/Comp exam, expect writing from the following: autobiography, biography, diaries, criticism, essays, as well as journalistic, political, scientific, and nature writing. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Grotesque is applied to anything having the qualities of grotesque art: bizzare, incongruous, ugly, unnatural,. fantastic, abnormal. In a pieve of literature, a character can serve as a "grotesque." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Figurative language that greatly overstates or exaggerates facts, whether in earnest or for comic effect. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A use of words, a grammatical construction peculiar to a given language, or an expression that cannot be translated literally into a second language. "Shooting yourself in the foot." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The respresentation through language of sense experience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Variation of the normal word order (subject first, then verb, than complement), which puts a modifier or the verb as first in the sentence. The element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject. Happy is he who lives longest. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A character says the opposite of what he or she means. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The reader or audience understands more about the events of a story than the character in the story. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Placing two or more things side by side for the purpose of examination. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Understatement purposefully represents a thing as much less significant than it is, achieving an ironic effect. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A type of sentence in which the main clause comes first, folllowed by dependent grammatical units, such as phrases and clauses. These sentences seeem more infromal and conversational. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In a metaphor, a word is identified with something different from what the word literally denotes. A metaphor is distinguished from a simile in that it equates different things without using connecting terms such as like or as. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Explores a variety of ways in which a metaphor is appropriate to its subject. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Designation of one thing with something closely associated with it. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work, partly by a description of the objects or by the style of the work. Some people consider mood to be synonymous with tone; others argue that mood reveals the author's attitude toward the audience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A frequently recurring character, incident, or concept in literature. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A sentence that begins by stating what is not true, then ending by stating what is true. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An oxymoron is the combination of words, which at first view, seem to be contradictory or incogruous, but whose surprising juxtaposition expresses a truth or dramatic effect. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. They are joined by coordinate conjunctions or correlative conjunctions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A statement that contains seemingly contradictory elements or appears contrary to common sense, yet can be seen as perhaps, or indeed, true when viewed from another angle. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A comic imitation of another work, often used to ridicule the other work. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult or "bookish." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Insertion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal flow of the sentence. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sentence that places the main idea or central complete thought at the end of the sentence, after all introductory elements. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sentence which uses and or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate the items in a series. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The attribution of human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A play on words. It exploits the multiple meanings of a word, or else replaces one word with another that is similar in sound but has a very different meaning. Puns are sometimes used for serious perposes, but more often for comic effect - almost exclusively so after the eighteenth century. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In fiction, realism is a faithful representation of actuality. The author strives to make his or her imaginative story or novel seem as though it could really happen by using realistic characters, dialogue, settings, and plot. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse. Rhetoric focuses on the interrelationship of invention, arrangement, and style in order to create a felicitous and appropriate discourse. Greek for "orator." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Emphasizes communication between author and reader. Analyzes the elements employed in a literary work to impose on the reader the author's view of the meaning, both denotative and connotative, in a work. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A question asked for rhetorical effect to emphasize a point; no answer is expected. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A form of verbal irony in which, under guise of praise, a cuastic and bitter expression of strong and personal disapproval is given. Greek for "to tear flesh." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A method to arouse laughter at targets such as individuals, types of people, groups, or human nature. Often satire is used to expose human vice or folly. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A figure of speech which takes the form of a comparsion between two unlike qualities for which a basis for comparison can be found, and which uses the words "like" or "as" in the comparison. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Technique of writing that undertakes to reproduce the raw flow of consciousness, with the perceptions, thoughts, judgements, feelings, associations, and memories presented just as they occur without being tidied into grammatical sentences or given logical and narrative order. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The organization or arrangement of the various elements in a work. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Used when there's a story to be told (usually chronological order). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Consists of a series of scenes, each of which is presented vividly and in detail. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Organized like an argument or an essay. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The arrangement of words in a manner best expressing the indiviuality of the author and the idea and intent in the author's mind. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A grammatically correct construction in which one word is placed in the same grammatical relationship as to two words but in quite different senses. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Something that is itself and yet also represents something else, like an idea. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A figure of speech wherein a part of something represents the whole thing. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One sensory experience described in terms of another sensory experience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Similar to diction, but rather than referring only to words, syntax refers to groups of words. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The main idea(s) the author expresses in a literary work. Not to be confused with a motif. Themes may be explicityly stated or implied. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In expository, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition. A writer must strive to prove his/her thesis accurately, effectively, and thoroughly. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The attitude the speaker of a work of literature expresses through language to the reader. Some people consider mood to be synonymous with tone; others argue that mood reveals the author's attitude towards the subject and tone the author's attitude toward the audience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Controlling presence of 'authorial voice' behind the characters, narrators, and personae of literature. It is the total "sound" or "feel" of a writer's style. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Intellectual humor. A witty statement is humorous, while suggestion the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The wirter uses one word to govern several successive words or clauses. |
|
|
