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Literary Terms
English IV Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Logos | To appeal to the audiences sense of reason or logic. Ex- Echo is a dog, all dogs wag their tale, 100% chance of death |
| Ethos | Used to convey the writer's credibility and authority Ex- As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results. |
| Pathos | To persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel. Ex- A teenager tries to convince his parents to buy him a new car by saying if they cared about their child's safety they'd get him it |
| Alliteration | The repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession Ex- Up from his swampland, sliding, silently |
| Allegory | A story, picture or other piece pf art that uses symbols to convey a hidden or ulterior meaning, typically a moral or political one. Ex- Animal Farm- George Orwell |
| Allusion | A reference (typically brief) to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar Ex- Chocolate was her achilles heel |
| Analogy | Literary device that creates a relationship based on parallels or connections between two ideas Ex- As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country- Proverbs 25:25 |
| Anaphora | The repetition of words or phrases in a group of sentences, clauses, or poetic lines Ex- Give me liberty or give me death |
| Antagonist | The principle opponent or foil of the main character, who is referred to as the protagonist in a drama or narrative Ex- Grendel- Beowulf |
| Anecdote | A usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident Ex- My friend tells me about how her cat comes downstairs at a certain time every night. |
| Apostrophe | A speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object Ex- "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" |
| Archetype | A literary device in which a character is created based on a set of qualities or traits that are specific and identifiable for readers Ex- Lover- guided by emotions and passion of the heart, Innocent- pure character in terms of morality and intentions. |
| Aside | A short comment or speech that a character delivers directly to the audience or to himself, while other actors on stage appear not to hear Ex- "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him"- Crucible- Arthur Miller |
| Assonance | A literary device in which the repetition of a similar vowel sounds takes place in two or more words in proximity to each other within a line of poetry or prose Ex- Son of a gun, surf and turf, stranger danger |
| Asyndeton | Stylistic device used to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy Ex- Arc all thy conquest, glories, triumphs, spoils, shrunk to this little measure?- Julius Caesar- Shakespeare |
| Bildungsroman | A special kind of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood Ex- The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling- Henry Fielding |
| Characterization | Literary device used step-by-step in literature to highlight and explain the details of a character in a story |
| Direct Characterization | The writer reveals traits of a character in a straight forward manner, or through comments made by another character (adjectives, epithets, phrases) Ex- The patient boy, the quiet girl |
| Indirect Characterization | Audience has to deduce the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and manner of communication with other characters |
| Clause | A group of words that contains a subject and verb that have a relationship; A section of a sentence that has its own importance and value; Independent, Dependent, Relative, Noun. Ex- "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" |
| Complex Sentence | A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause Ex- Because my pizza was cold, I put it in the microwave |
| Compound Sentence | Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction and a comma or semicolon Ex- The pirate captain lost her treasure map, but she still found the buried treasure. |
| Compound/Complex Sentence | A sentence comprised of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses Ex- Though Mitchell prefers watching romantic films, he rented the latest spy thriller and he enjoyed it very much |
| Connotation | The use of a word to suggest a different association than its literal meaning Ex- Wall Street- Connotation- wealth and power |
| Consonance | The repetition of the same consonant sounds in a line of text Ex- Mike likes his new bike, it will creep and beep while you sleep. |
| Denotation | The objective meaning of a word; dictionary definition Ex- Wall street- a street situated in Lower Manhattan |
| Dues ex Machina | A person or thing that appears or is introduced into a situation suddenly and unexpectedly and provides an artificial or contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty Ex- Someone fell off a cliff and a flying rocket appeared to catch them |
| Dialect | Language used by people of a specific area, class, district, or any other group of people; involves spelling, sounds, grammar, and pronunciation Ex- "We's safe, Huck, we's safe! Jump up and crack yo, heels. Dat's de good ole Cairo at las' I jis knows it |
| Dialogue | Spoken lines by characters in a story that serve many functions; any communication between two characters Ex- "How do you know I'm mad" said Alice. "You must be,' said the cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here" |
| Diction | Choice of words, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness Ex- Good day to you (formal), See ya later! (informal), Cheerio (colloquial) Peace out (Slang) |
| Didactic | Literary movement encompassing written works that both instruct and entertain Ex- Animal Farm- George Orwell |
| Epiphany | Sudden realization or discovering that illuminates a new perception or awaking Ex- There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will (Claudius was planning a revenge on his father murder then he realizes no wisdom for his plan |
| Epigram | A short, pithy, saying, usually in a verse often with a quick, satirical twist Ex- "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"- Oscar Wilde |
| Epistrophe | Repetition of phrases or words at the ends of the clauses or sentences Ex- "Where now? Who now? When now?"- The Unnamable- Samuel Beckett |
| Epitaph | A short poem intended for an inscription on a tombstone (honoring a dead person) Ex- "Even amidst fierce flames, the golden lotus can be planted"- Sylvia Plath's Epitaph |
| Eponymous | A person whose name has given rise to the name of a people, place, etc, or a personal name which is used as a common noun Ex- The Book Jane Eyre- named after the main character Jane Eyre |
| Eulogy | A commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased Ex- Mark Antony's monologue- Julius Caesar- William Shakespeare |
| Euphemism | An appropriate expression used in the place of a phrase or words that may be found inappropriate of offensive Ex- "The beast with two backs"- Othello- William Shakespeare |
| Farce | A comic dramatic piece that uses highly improbable situations, stereotyped characters, extravagant exaggeration and violent horseplay Ex- The Taming Of the Shrew- William Shakespeare |
| Flashback | Device that interrupts the flow of the plot to "show" readers/viewers and event that happened previously. Ex- Death of a Salesman- Arthur Miller- Willy talks with his dead brother while playing cards with Charley |
| Foil | A character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second show. Ex- Unferth- Beowulf |
| Foreshadowing | Device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story Ex- Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie |
| Genre | A form, class, or type of literary work Ex- Poetry, Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Realism, etc. |
| Hyperbole | Device that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration Ex- My feet are killing me, Cry me a river, etc. |
| Idiom | A wildly used expression, or saying that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase's literal meaning Ex- "Its raining cats and dogs," wear my heart upon my sleeve |
| Imagery | The use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader Ex- "There's daggers on men's smile- Macbeth- William Shakespeare |
| Irony | A contradictory statement or situation reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true |
| Verbal Irony | A speaker speaks something contradictory to what he intends to say; contradictory to their emotions and actions |
| Situational Irony | Something takes place that is different or the opposite of what is expected to happen |
| Dramatic Irony | The audiences or readers understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters |
| Juxtaposition | Placing two things side by side so as to highlight their differences Ex- East Egg and West Egg- Great Gatsby, Lennie (innocence), George (jaded)- Of Mice and Men |
| Kenning | Compound metaphor (usually two words) to describe somebody Ex- Proud Prince- Beowulf, our giver of bright rings- Hrothgar |
| Malapropism | The use of an innocent word in place of a similar sounding word which results in a nonsensical and humorous expression Ex- "I was putrified with astonishment-" Huckleberry Finn (malapropism- putrified- petrified |
| Metaphor | Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things without using like or as Ex- There is a garden in her face, Life is a highway |
| Mood | The emotional response that the writer wishes to evoke in the reader through a story Ex- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll- whimsical mood |
| Motif | An object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work Ex- Hamlet (motif- incest)- William Shakespeare |
| Onomatopoeia | A word that sounds like what it refers to or describes Ex- The buzzing bee flew away, The sack fell into the river with a splash (plop). |
| Oxymoron | Figure of speech pairing two words together that are opposing and/or contradictory Ex- "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life"- The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger |
| Paradox | A statement that appears at first to be contradictory, but upon reflection that make sense Ex- "I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind-" Hamlet- William Shakespeare |
| Parody | An imitation of the style of something that is deliberately exaggerated to create a comedic effect Ex- Sonnet 130- parody of traditional love poems- William Shakespeare |
| Personification | A figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were humans Ex- The sun seemed to dance over the land of the Danes- Beowulf |
| Protagonist | The central or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel, or any other story Ex- Beowulf in Beowulf |
| Pun | A literary device that is also known as a "play on words," they involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings Ex- Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man- Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespeare |
| Rhetoric | Is used in speech and writing to make a specific impact on the audience/reader. Rhetoric relies on language and composition techniques to create an effect on the readers. Ex- "Here comes the Helen of our school" All blondes are dumb" |
| Rhetorical Question | A question asked just for effect, or to lay emphasis on some point being discussed when no real answer is expected Ex- "Will no one tell me what she sings"- The Solitary Reaper- William Wordsworth. "Are you stupid" |
| Satire | The art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets Ex- Political Cartoons |
| Simile | When two essentially dissimilar objects or concepts are expressly compared with one another through the use of like or as Ex- "His appearance was like lighting and his clothes were white as snow- Matthew 28:3 |
| Soliloquy | Literary Device in the form of a speech or monologue spoke by a single character in a theatrical play or drama Ex- Hamlet- Shakespeare "To be or not to be- that is the question..." |
| Symbol | Something that stands for or represents something else Ex- Mockingbird- innocence- To Kill a Mockingbird |
| Synecdoche | Figure of speech in which a part of something is used to signify the whole or vice-versa Ex- Pearly Gates (heaven), Behind Bars (jail) |
| Syntax | A set of rules in a language; dictates how words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought Ex- "What light from yander window breaks?- Romeo and Juliet- Shakespeare |
| Theme | Literary device that refers to the central deeper meaning of a written work Ex- Scarlet Letter Themes- Sense of sin, conformity to religion, etc. |
| Thesis | The sentence that states the main idea of a book or writing assignment and helps control the ideas within the paper Ex- Public Libraries- Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities |
| Tone | Literary device that reflects the writer's attitude toward the subject matter or audience of a literary work Ex- Tone of Beowulf- Melancholy |
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AaliyahQatato
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