Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
188 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Abstract:
|
Opposed to concrete, not quantifiable
|
|
Adjective:
|
modifies, alters, changes a noun
|
|
Adverb:
|
modifies, alters, changes a verb
|
|
Aesthetic:
|
the study or philosophy of beauty in art, literature and nature
|
|
Allegory:
|
form of a metaphor, the meaning of a person, object, or action resides outside the story, the concrete is within the story
|
|
Alliteration:
|
repetition of initial consonant sounds
|
|
Allusion:
|
an indirect reference, often to another text or an historic event
|
|
Ambiguity:
|
having more than one meaning, used in verbal, written, and nonverbal
communication |
|
Anachronism:
|
out of time, placing something in a time where it does not belong
|
|
Analogy:
|
the comparison of two things alike in some respects
|
|
Analysis:
|
to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation
|
|
Anaphora:
|
the repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses
|
|
Anecdote:
|
a short narrative detailing the particulars of an event
|
|
Annotation:
|
explanatory or critical notes added to a text
|
|
Antagonist:
|
the force against the protagonist, a person, nature, or the person’s psyche
|
|
Antecedent:
|
the noun to which the pronoun refers
|
|
Antimetabole:
|
the repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast
|
|
Antihero:
|
a protagonist who is particularly graceless, inept, stupid, or dishonest
|
|
Antithesis:
|
figure of speech, using strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences or ideas
|
|
Aphorism:
|
a brief statement of general truth or wisdom
|
|
Apology:
|
a written or spoken defense
|
|
Appositive:
|
a word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun
|
|
Archaic Diction
|
the use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language
|
|
Archetype:
|
a blocked off memory or our past or of pre‐human experience, a type of struggle or character to which a culture relates without prior knowledge
|
|
Argument:
|
a statement put forth and supported by evidence
|
|
Aristotelian triangle:
|
a diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among
the speaker, the subject, and the audience |
|
Artificial Setting:
|
man made settings
|
|
Assertion:
|
an emphatic statement; declaration.
|
|
Assumption:
|
a belief or statement taken for granted without proof
|
|
Asyndeton:
|
leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses
|
|
Attitude:
|
the author’s or speaker’s feelings toward the subject, attend to distance when discussing attitude
|
|
Audience:
|
the intended receiver/s for a speaker or writer’s message
|
|
Authority:
|
a reliable, respected source – someone with knowledge
|
|
Begging the Question:
|
a fallacy in reasoning which omits the minor premise and goes directly
to the conclusion |
|
Bias:
|
prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue
|
|
Bildungsroman:
|
a coming of age novel, the story of a persons’ development
|
|
Canon:
|
an accepted list of literary works
|
|
Carpe Deim:
|
literally “Seize the day,” a philosophy of living for the day and not thinking of
tomorrow |
|
Catharsis:
|
a moral and spiritual cleansing you receive when watching a protagonist overcome great odds to survive
|
|
Character:
|
a person described as an individual with reference to characterization
|
|
characterization:
|
an imaginary person who seems life‐like
|
|
Chronological:
|
in the order of time.
|
|
Claim:
|
an assertion, usually supported by evidence
|
|
Cliche
|
an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect
|
|
Clause:
|
any combination of subject and verb which makes a complete sentence, Independent/dependent
|
|
Colloquial:
|
informal conversation, it differs in grammar, vocabulary, syntax, imagery, or connotation
|
|
Common Ground
|
Share beliefs, values, or positions
|
|
Complex Sentence
|
a sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one
dependent clause. |
|
Conceit:
|
a type of metaphor that is strikingly odd and thoughtful, ex. Love compared to a motorcycle
|
|
Concession:
|
a reluctant acknowledgment or yielding
|
|
Concrete:
|
opposed to abstract, quantifiable
|
|
Concrete Detail:
|
details used in a persuasive paper which attempt to convince the reader: proof or evidence
|
|
Confidant (male)/ Confidante (female)
|
A person who partakes little in the action, is very close to the protagonist, and hears all of the intimate secrets of the protagonist
|
|
Conflict:
|
Protagonist/ Antagonist clash, anytime these two come into the same arena there is some form of conflict
|
|
Connotation:
|
that which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word’s literal meaning
|
|
Context:
|
words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning
|
|
Controlling Image:
|
an image or metaphor which runs throughout the work
|
|
Coordination:
|
grammatical equivalence between parts of a sentence, often through a
coordinating conjunction such as and, or but |
|
Counterargument:
|
a challenge to a position; an opposing argument
|
|
Credible:
|
worthy of belief; trustworthy
|
|
Crisis:
|
The point of the highest clash
|
|
Criticism:
|
analysis, study, and evaluation of individual works of literature
|
|
Cumulative Sentence:
|
an independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that
supply additional detail |
|
Declarative Sentence:
|
a sentence that makes a statement
|
|
Deductive:
|
reasoning from the general of the specific
|
|
Denotation:
|
the literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition
|
|
Descriptive Detail:
|
Details in an essay which use sensory description (the five senses) therefore you analyze these descriptions by each sense.
|
|
Detail:
|
specifically described items placed in a work for effect and meaning
|
|
Deus Ex Machina:
|
literally “God in the machine” Greek idea from when the gods would come on stage to rescue the hero, now it applies to anytime the hero is saved by a miraculous or
improbably event |
|
Dialect
|
a term that applies to particular speech patterns, or it's characteristic to a particular group of the language speakers.
|
|
Devices:
|
speech, syntax, diction. These stylistic elements collectively produce and effect
|
|
Diction:
|
word choice: denotation = dictionary definition, connotation = all the emotions the word brings
|
|
Didactic:
|
a teaching type of tone, usually lesson‐like or boring in nature
|
|
Digression:
|
insertion of material not closely related to the work or subject
|
|
Dilemma:
|
2 choices – both bad, or 2 choices either one producing a bad outcome
|
|
Doppelganger:
|
literally double goer” a mysterious twin or double fighting against your good
work |
|
Dystopia:
|
“bad place” An imaginary world which was constructed to be perfect yet failed. Present tendencies are carried out to their intensely unpleasant end.
|
|
Elegiac:
|
mournful over what has passed or been lost; often used to describe tone
|
|
Ellipsis/Ellipse:
|
the omission of one or more words
|
|
Epigram:
|
a brief witty statement
|
|
Epiphany:
|
a sudden understanding or realization which prior to this was thought of or
understood |
|
Ethos:
|
the character of the writer reflected in the speech or writings
|
|
Euphemism:
|
a device where being indirect replaces directness to avoid unpleasantness
|
|
Explication of text:
|
explanation of a text’s meaning through an analysis of all of its constituent parts, including the literary devices used; also close reading
|
|
Expository:
|
a mode of writing which is used to explain something
|
|
Fantasy:
|
a genre--usually the breaking away from reality
|
|
Figurative language:
|
the use of tropes or figures of speech; going beyond literal meaning to
achieve literary effect |
|
Figure of Speech:
|
uses of language which depart from customary construction. Metaphors,
similes, personfication, hyperboles, etc. |
|
Fragment:
|
a word, phrase, or clause that does not form a full sentence
|
|
Generic Conventions:
|
from “genre” or type, each type of writing editorial, biography, narrative, persuasive, etc.; uses particular conventions. The persuasive mode of writing uses the technique of syllogism to prove a point
|
|
Genre:
|
A particular type or category of writing; tragedy, comedy, epic, short story, historical fiction, didactic, etc.
|
|
Hamartia:
|
from Greek and translated in the New Testament as “sin” literally it means an error, mistake, frailty, or misstep. The protagonist’s hamartia will cause his/her downfall
|
|
Hyperbole:
|
to overstate an issue, exaggeration
|
|
Imagery:
|
literally, the collection of images within a work. Specifically, descriptive details which use figures of speech to explain a concept, person, or thing.
|
|
Imperative sentence:
|
a sentence that requests or commands
|
|
In Medias Res:
|
“in the midst of things” starting a story the middle of the action. Later the first
part will be revealed. |
|
Independent Clause:
|
a sentence which stands alone
|
|
Dependent clause:
|
a sentence which needs to be joined with another sentence in order to
make sense |
|
Inductive:
|
reasoning from the specific to the general
|
|
Inference:
|
to conclude by reason an idea, attitude, tone which is not directly stated by the author
|
|
Invective:
|
a violent verbal attack
|
|
Inversion:
|
a sentence in which the verb precedes the subject
|
|
Irony:
|
a recognition of reality different from the appearance.
|
|
Irony (verbal):
|
the actual intent is the opposite of what is said, something like sarcasm but not as harsh.
|
|
Juxtaposition:
|
placement of two things side by side for emphasis
|
|
Kitsch:
|
“gaudy trash” shallow flashy art designed to have a mass appeal
|
|
Language:
|
the style of the sentence and vocabulary used in conversation and written communication. Slang, formal, parental, didactic, common, etc.
|
|
Linking Verb:
|
a being verb; is, are, was, were, have been, had been, has been, will have been; which joins a subject to a predicate nominative or predicate adjective.
|
|
Logos:
|
a Greek term that means “word”; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals
|
|
Mechanics:
|
any form of sentence regulation which aides in interpretation; period, comma,
hyphen, question mark, italics, capitalization, etc. |
|
Metaphor:
|
saying one thing in terms of something else
|
|
Metonomy:
|
figure of speech. The substitution of the name of an object with a word closely associated with it. Ex. The White House for the presidency, the crown for the royal family or
the queen. |
|
Microcosm:
|
“small world” representing an entire idea through a small situation or confl
|
|
Modifier:
|
a word, phrase, or clause that qualifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause
|
|
Motif:
|
a simple device that serves as a basis for an expanded narrative, the motif is a recurring feature in the work
|
|
Narrative Devices:
|
the ordering of events, withholding information until a climactic moment,
and all tools the storyteller uses to progress the story line |
|
Narrative Technique:
|
The “style” of the story, concentrate on the writer’s order of events and
details |
|
Natural Setting:
|
all setting that is produced through nature including weather and
light/darkness |
|
Nominalizaton:
|
turning a verb or adjective into a noun
|
|
Noun:
|
any name of a person, place, thing, or idea
|
|
Objective:
|
a tone of fairness and even discussion of a subject, it usually suggests that there is distance between the author and the subject being discussed. Be careful, this tone can also be cold and impersonal.
|
|
Occasion:
|
an aspect of context; the clause or reason for writing
|
|
Omniscient narrator:
|
an all knowing, usually third‐person narrator
|
|
Oxymoron:
|
a self‐contradictory combination or words.
|
|
Paradox:
|
A statement that seems to be contradictory or absurd, however it is found to be true
|
|
Parallelism:
|
the coordination of sentence syntax, word order, and ideas. It is used for effect and emphasis
|
|
Parody:
|
a writing which imitates another serious piece and pokes fun at the original.
|
|
Pathos:
|
a Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to emotion; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals
|
|
Pedantic:
|
bookish and scholarly in tone, often boring and dull due to little interest on the part of the listener
|
|
Periodic Sentence:
|
a sentence not grammatically complete until the end. It has the dependent clause at the beginning and ends with the independent clause
|
|
Persona:
|
the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing
|
|
Personification:
|
human‐like qualities are given to inanimate objects
|
|
Persuasive Devices:
|
devices used in the writing mode of persuasion; strong connotations, order
of intensity from lesser to greater, the logic of the argument |
|
Plagiarism:
|
Literary theft. Using someone’s ideas and style and passing the off as your own.
|
|
Plot:
|
the framework upon which a story is placed; chronological, flashback, in medias res, or others. Once the story is finished a definite beginning, middle, and end can be found.
|
|
Point of View:
|
point from which an author presents a story. It can be close, distant, within a
character, or others. |
|
Polemic:
|
an argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion
|
|
Polysyndeton:
|
the deliberate use of a series of conjunctions
|
|
Predicate:
|
the part of the sentence beginning with the verb or the first verb in a verb phrase
|
|
Predicate Adjective:
|
an adjective in the predicate which modifies the subject of the sentence, the predicate adjective must follow a linking verb, and “tall” is an adjective modifying the
subject “She”. |
|
Predicate Nominative:
|
a noun in the predicate which renames the subject, It must follow a
linking verb. Ex. He is President. “President” renames the subject. |
|
Premise; major, minor:
|
two parts of a syllogism. The concluding sentence of a syllogism takes
its predicate from the major premise. Major premise: All mammals are warm‐blooded Minor premise: All horses are mammals Conclusion: All horses are warm‐blooded |
|
Pronoun:
|
a word which takes the place of a noun to prevent repetition or to act as the subject of a clause.
|
|
Propaganda:
|
A negative term for writing designed to sway opinion rather than present
information |
|
Protagonist:
|
the main character of a work who has some type of contest; mental, spiritual, physical, natural; to complete
|
|
Purpose:
|
One’s intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing
|
|
Realism:
|
being as close to reality as possible. Realistic works depict the reality of the harsh world and the effect upon the luckless protagonist.
|
|
Refute:
|
To discredit an argument, particularly a counterargument
|
|
Repetition:
|
word, sound, phrase, idea; used for emphasis. An excellent technique in persuasive speeches. Always pay attention to repetition in writing. The author is trying to tell you something.
|
|
Resource of Language:
|
an author’s use of diction, syntax, sentence structure, and figures of
speech to produce an effect |
|
Rhetoric:
|
the art of persuasion and employing the devices to persuade. Persuasion extends to the construction of a work so that you believe it to be true even though it is fiction.
|
|
Rhetorical Question:
|
A question used by the speaker or writer to achieve an awareness in the
listener or reader. No reply to the question is expected. |
|
Rhetorical Shift:
|
changing from one tone, attitude, or distance to another, Look for little words like but, however, even though, although, yet, etc..
|
|
Rhetorical Structure:
|
to analyze, study, and evaluate this, you must examine
images, details and arguments. |
|
Sarcasm:
|
a bitter expression of disapproval, sometimes intended to be harsh and hurtful, levels of intensity exist
|
|
Satire:
|
a way or writing or speaking which censures things, activities, persons, or ideas; it is accomplished with humor and wit.
|
|
Scheme:
|
a pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect
|
|
Sentence Structure:
|
analyzing sentence structure asks that you look at sentence length; simple, compound, complex; unusual phrases, repetition, altered word order.
|
|
Simile:
|
a comparison of two things using “like” or “as”
|
|
Simple Sentence:
|
a sentence containing subject and verb with little else in the subject or
predicate |
|
Spatial:
|
the distance between characters, ideas, and things within the story. Careful, a character can be close physically to a person, but emotionally distant. Therefore; language, and
in movies and theater body language, explains the difference. |
|
Stylistic Devices:
|
when analyzing stylistic devices the reader must find the best combination of the elements of language to discuss: tone, syntax, attitude, figures of speech, repetition, in tone especially connotations
|
|
Subjective:
|
expressing in a personal manner your convictions, beliefs, and ideas; when this subjective response occurs it is likely to be emotional.
|
|
Subordinate clause:
|
created by a subordination conjunction, a clause that modifies an
independent clause |
|
Subplot:
|
a secondary story within a story,
|
|
Syllogism:
|
a formula for presenting a logical argument
Ex. Assertion, Proof, Commentary Ex. Major Premise, Minor Premise, Conclusion |
|
Symbol:
|
a thing that in and of itself it stands for something else. All symbols have vehicle and tenor.
|
|
Synecdoche
|
a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special
|
|
Synopsis:
|
a summary of the main points of a story or essay
|
|
Syntax:
|
the physical arrangement of words in a sentence.
|
|
Synthesis:
|
the joining of two or more idea, arguments, abstracts to produce a new idea, argument, or abstract; result of thesis and antithesis
|
|
Tenor and Vehicle:
|
terms used when referring to a symbol. The Vehicle is the physical thing or person; the tenor is the abstraction.
|
|
Theme:
|
the central idea of a story or essay.
|
|
Thesis:
|
An attitude or position taken by the speaker or writer.
|
|
Topic Sentence:
|
a sentence, most often appearing at the beginning of a paragraph, that
announces the paragraph’s idea and often unites it with the work’s thesis. |
|
Transcendental:
|
reliance upon conscience and intuition, a form of idealism, romanticism
|
|
Transition:
|
a body or phrase that links different ideas
|
|
Trope:
|
artful diction; the use of language in a non-literal way; also called a figure of speech
|
|
Understatement:
|
an actual statement which false under the magnitude of the actual event.
|
|
Utopia:
|
a perfect world
|
|
Verb:
|
the word in the sentence which gives action or being to the subject.
|
|
Wit:
|
intellectual humor
|
|
Zeugma:
|
a construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs – often in different, sometimes incongruent ways – two or more words in a sentence
|
|
Idiom
|
an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements
|
|
Jargon
|
terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event
|
|
Litotes
|
understatement, for intensification, by denying the contrary of the thing being affirmed
|
|
Mood
|
the atmosphere created by the setting, and actions of people and characters in it. It also relates to how the reader emotionally responds to the text
|
|
Tone
|
literary technique which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work
|