Glossary of Literary Terms and see pgs. – 12-25 in the SEEP
Antithesis
DEFINITION: Contrast of ideas by means of parallelarrangements of words, phrases or clauses
EXAMPLES:
- We are caught in war, wanting peace. Weare torn by division, wanting unity. --Richard Nixon
- If a free society cannot help the many whoare poor, it cannot save the few who arerich. --JFK
Atmosphere (n)
Definition: The prevailing mood or feeling of a literary work.
Example: The atmosphere in the novel was dark and mysterious.
Audience (n)
Definiton: The particular group of readers or viewers that the writer is addressing.
Example: The target audience for King Lear was Grade 12 students in English.
-Anachronism: Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.
Example: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.
-Anecdote:An anecdote is simply a true story that is generally amusing, thought-provoking, strange, humorous etc.
Example: If someone were talking about the misuse of law enforcement, for example, they might tell a story about how a man in charge of road cleanup was ticketed for littering when a scrap of paper he had already picked up off the road blew out the back of his truck.
Anachronism:
- The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order.
- One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time.
Ambiguity:
- Doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation.
- Something of doubtful meaning.
Anecdote: a short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical.
Ex: Dave and Andrew were talking about the misuse of law enforcement. Dave then told Andrew of a story in which a man hired to clean the roads was given a ticket for littering after a piece of paper that he had already picked up had flown off the back of his truck.
Balance
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well.
Bias: A preference or tendency towards a particular perspective, idea or result, usually when it impairs the ability to be objective or impartial.
Ex: The presidential poll was false because the organization polled more people in rich, Protestant neighbourhoods than they did anywhere else, resulting in a strong bias towards the Republican party.
Cause and Effect: two events that are related when one event makes the other occur. The event that happens first is the cause; the event that follows is the effect
Example: In literature discussion groups, the cause is that they begin by talking about a novel, but the effect is that soon they are discussing their own lives and literature becomes a vehicle for much-needed reflection.
Colloquialism: an expression not used in formal speech, writing or paralinguistics.
Examples: ain’t, dude, gonna
Catastrophe: A final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one.
Catastrophe:
DEFINITION:A catastrophe is any sudden disaster that has occured. It is the scene in a tragic drama that includes the protagonist's death or moral destruction.
EXAMPLE:
- One example is the dueling scene in Act V of Hamlet in which Hamlet dies, along with Laertes, King Claudius, and Queen Gertrude.
- Also consider the fates of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello.
Concession: The act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument.
Concession: The act of conceding or yielding, as to a demand, point of argument, etc.
Example: Since my employer was struggling to stay afloat in today's poor economy, I made the concession that I would take more vacation days instead of getting a raise this year.
Connotation: The suggestive or associative significance of an expression, additional to the explicit literal meaning; implication.
Example: “Wife-beaters” were banned at Sir Robert Borden because the name carries with it a negative connotation.
Connotation/denotation - the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning.
Example: A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort, and affection.”
Consequences - the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier.
Example: The accident was the consequence of reckless driving.
Description
A description is a statement, picture in words, or account that describes; descriptive representation.
Denotation: The specific meaning of, or the object or objects designated by, a word as distinct from what it suggests: distinguished from connotation.
Example: Even though the term “wife-beater” brings with it a negative connotation, the denotation is simply a tank-top-like shirt.
Euphemism
Euphemism is a word or phrase that has an acceptable connotation and that in an indirect way expresses what may be upsetting or unpleasant. In classical Greek, phemi is “to say” and eu is a prefix meaning “well” or “good;” therefore, “euphemism” translates as “to say in a good way.”
For example, you’ll often hear people say “He’s passed on,” or “He’s gone to a better place.” As opposed to the blunt “He died.” People create new, sanitized, ways to discuss bodily functions, death, disability, sex and social conditions.
Some other examples include:
Pre-owned for used or second-hand
enhanced interrogation for torture
wind for belch or fart.
Exposition
Exposition is the act of describing, analyzing, or explaining. It is a detailed statement or explanation primarily in the form of writing or speech intended to convey information and presenting a view or display.
For example:
The exposition of a point of view.
The students prepared expositions on familiar essay topics.
(in a play, novel, etc.) dialogue, description, etc. gives the audience or reader the background of the characters and the present situation.
There are also different forms of exposition such as:
Argumentation:
Argumentation is the act or process of forming reasons and of drawing conclusions and applying them to a case in discussion. Also known as a debate.
Example: Even though the term “wife-beater” brings with it a negative connotation, the denotation is simply a tank-top-like shirt.
Hubris – An act that is brought on by pride and arrogance, usually resulting in pain or suffering.
Ex. When the hair was running a race against the tortoise, and got arrogant and relaxed, the tortoise then walked past him and won the race.
Inference/Implication
-Inference is the act or process of deriving a logical consequence conclusion from premises.
-The relation that holds between two propositions, or classes of propositions, in virtue of which one is logically deducible from the other.
-The act of Implying.
The future implications of global warming are not fully understood.
They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice
Premise 1: Balls bounce when thrown at the ground
Premise 2: Dave threw his ball at the ground
Inference: Dave’s ball bounced
Innuendo
-An indirect remark about somebody or something, usually suggesting something bad or rude.
-An indirect intimation about a person or thing, esp. of a disparaging or a derogatory nature.
"Can the Governor be trusted? You be the Judge." implies without stating that the Governor cannot be trusted.
Jargon (slang)
Definition: Special words that are used by a particular group of people in a particular profession and that other people do not understand: (medical, scientific, legal, computer jargon)
Example:Is the video “hq”? (High Quality)
Others: lol, btw, atm, ttyl (Msn slang)
Juxtaposition
Definition: To put two people or things etc. very close together, especially in order to show how they are different
Example:The artist achieves a special effect by juxtaposing light and dark
Malapropism – Substituting a correct word for another incorrect one, usually for to make a witty, clever, or comedic statement.
Ex. "I can't even phantom how that must feel!" (i.e., fathom)
Mood: emotional atmosphere created by the characters and setting and by the language chosen to present it.
E.g. The mood of Macbeth is dark, murky and mysterious, creating a sense of fear
and uncertainty.
motif: a subject or theme which appears frequently in a novel or literary work.
Narration
Narration is a recital of events, usually in chronological order, as the story narrated in a poem or the exposition in a drama.
Narrative voice: is the person who is telling the story. There is first person narration in which the story teller uses pronouns such as “I” or “we”. There is also third person narration in which the story teller refers to others as “he”, “she”, or “they”. In third person narration the narrator can be omniscient or limited omniscient.
Ex: On my way to Loblaws I was thinking about English class. (First person narration)
Oxymoron
conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')
Oxymoron: expression with contradictory words.
E.g. Bittersweet
Objective: ideas are facts and provably true
Paraphrase
express the same message in different words or rewording for the purpose of clarification
Resource:
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Parallel structure: A technique where the author uses words, phrases or clauses that are of equal value and function. The similarity between the words (etc.) not only allows for pleasing flow in the work, but also provides a more forceful meaning.
Example: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.” (A Tale of Two Cities)
(Reference: SEEP English 4U Student Handbook)
Pathetic Fallacy: A technique where inanimate objects that relate to some aspect of nature, are attributed with human feelings, seem to reflect the emotions of characters, or portray the mood in a story.
Example:”When Lee leaves the clouds in the sky weep with my eyes....
The sun smiles everytime I see Lee's face....”
(Reference: SEEP English 4U Student Handbook and quote from:
parody: a humorous imitation of literature or of real life events.
Rhetoric is the art of using language as a means to persuade. A rhetorical device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an emotional response in the audience. Usage of rhetorical device techniques can give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling to the literal or written. An example of rhetoric is the question "What's the matter with you?"An example of a rhetorical device is a Metaphor(a thing is spoken of as being that which it only resembles).
Sarcasmis a keen, reproachful expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe; a cutting jest. An example of sarcasm is the following situation: A man comes to breakfast after a night of drinking, he looks hung over and is unshaven, wearing the wrinkled clothes he slept in, with hair disheveled, and his eyes are red and squinted from the sunlight. His wife takes one look at him and says, "Well, now, don't you look just bright and shiny this morning?!"
Sarcasm
-Sarcasm is a form of irony that is bitter or cutting, being intended to taunt its target.
-Harsh or bitter derision or irony.
TEEN 1: "Don't you just love brown?"
TEEN 2: "Yeah, it's like the prettiest color ever!"
TEEN 1: “Do you watch table tennis?”
TEEN2: “Obviously dude!”
Setting
The setting is the time and place in which the story occurs. The time or place may be either stated or suggested. The setting provides a background for the action and can also help shape events.
For example:London's “Love of Life” takes place within the arctic circle in northern Canada, hundreds of miles from the nearest outpost of civilization. A man with an injured his ankle, has been deserted by his partner, and winter is coming on.
Subjective: ideas are opinions held by groups or individuals usually with some sort of bias
Ex: The United States is not a very good country to live in. (This is an opinion, or Subjective idea)
Tone
Tone is the author’s attitude, which can be stated or implied, toward a subject. An author’s tone can be revealed through punctuation, choice of words and details. Some possible attitudes are pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous, and joyful.
Theme
A theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the topic.
Central theme: an idea the author returns to time and again, becoming one of the most important ideas in the story.
Example: The subject of Macbeth might be ambition, but its theme might be that excessive ambition leads to betrayal and ultimately results in a person’s downfall.