LIT TERMS Vocab
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absolute | a word free from limitations or qualifications ("best,""all,""unique,""perfect")
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adage | a familiar proverb or wise saying
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ad hominem argument | an argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue
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allegory | a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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alliteration | the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words
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allusion | a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize
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analogy | a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
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anaphora | the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences
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anecdote | a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event
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antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
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antithesis | a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced
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aphorism | a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance
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apostrophe | a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction
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archetype | a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response
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argument | a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work
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asyndeton | a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjuctions I came, I saw, I conquered
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balanced sentence | a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast
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bathos | insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity
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chiasmus | a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("susan walked in, and out rushed Mary")
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cliche | an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off (as easy as pie)
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climax | point of highest interest
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colloquialism | informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing
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complex sentence | sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
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compund sentence | sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions
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conceit | fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor
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concrete details | details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events
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connotation | implied or associative meaning of a word
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deductive reasoning | reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating general principle and the appying that principle to a specific case (sun rises every morning, therefore rise Tuesday
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denotation | literal meaning of a word
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dialect | variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or prounouciation
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didactic | having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing
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dilemma | situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unatrractive alternatives
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dissonance | harsh, inharmonious, or descordant sounds
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elegy | formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme
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ellipsis | omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (some prefer cats; others, dogs
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epic | long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation
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epigram | brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying
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epigraph | saying or statement on the title page or a work, or uses as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work
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epiphany | moment of sudden revelation or insight
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epitaph | inscription on a tombstone or burial place
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epithet | term used to point out a characteristic of a person. (swift-footed Achilles) (the rocket)
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eulogy | formal speech praising a person who has died
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euphemism | indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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expletive | an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity
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fable | brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters
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fantasy | story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters
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figurative language | language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery
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flashback | insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative
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flat character | character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the coruse of a story
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foreshadowing | the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work
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frame device | story within a story
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genre | major category or type of literature
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homily | sermon, or a moralistic lecture
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hubris | excessive pride or arragance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy
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hyperbole | intentional exaggeration to create an effect
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hypothetical question | question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition
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idiom | expression in a given laguange that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression (fit as a fittle)
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imagery | the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses
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implication | a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating directly
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inductive reasoning | deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (every cat i have ever seen has four legs; cats or fourlegged animals)
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inference | conclusion one draws based on premises or evedence
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invective | an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attact
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irony | use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or incongruity between whatt is expected and what actually occurs
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jargon | specialized languange or vocabulary or a particular group or profession
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juxtaposition | placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
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legend | narrative handed down from the past,containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements
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limerick | light verse consisting of five lines or regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and 2nd third lines rhyme
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limited narrator | narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single cahracter and restricts info to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character
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literary license | deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieved a certain effect
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litotes | type of understatment in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (not to bad)
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malapropism | the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sound similar (the doctor wrote a subscripiton)
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maxim | concise statement, often offering advice; an adage
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metaphor | direct comparison of two different things
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metonymy | substituting the name of one object for another object closely associtated with it (the pen {writing} is mightier than the sword{war, fighting}
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mood | emotional atmosphere of a work
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motif | standard theme, element, or dramative situation that recurs in various works
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motivation | charceter incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a charcter to act
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myth | traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events
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narrative | story or narrated account
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narrator | one who tells the story
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non sequitur | an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, "does not follow
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omniscient narrator | who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feeling of the characters
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onomatopoeia | a word formed from the limitation of natural sounds (ding dong, BAM, ruff) "figurative language"
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oxymoron | an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined (bittersweet, jumo shrimp, same difference
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parable | a simple "story" that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
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paradox | an apparently contractory statement that acutally contains some truth (I can resist everything except temptation) Nobody goes to taht restraunt, its too crowded)
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parallelism | the use of corresponding grammatically or syntactical forms (I like "to" swim, "to" hike, and "to" sleep) anaphora
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paraphrase | a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity
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parody | a humorous imitation of a serious work (Epic Movie)
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parenthetical | comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain "The hatchet 'by Gary paulsen' is a good book"
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pathos | quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity
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pedantic | charecterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship "arrogant people"
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personification | endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics
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philippic | strong verbal dnunciation. the term comes from the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Madedonia in the fourth century "smack talk"
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plot | action of a narrative or drama
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point of view | the vantage point from which a story is told (1st person, 3rd person)
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polysyndeton | the use, for rhetorical effect, or more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (He ran 'and' jumped 'and' laughed 'and' jumped for joy)
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pun | a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with siimilar sounds but different meanings (taking something literal, 'stealing home') amelia bedilia
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resolution | the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax
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rhetoric | the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive way
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rhetorical question | question for effect and not requiring an answer
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rhetorical devices | literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression
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riddle | question requiring thought to answer or understnad; puzzle (how far can a deer run into a forest?)
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romantic | term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of Ramanticism, stressed emotion, imagination, indivualism
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round character | a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work
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sarcasm | harsh, cutting language or tone intended to redicule
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satire | the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions
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