Ap English Terms

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Cacophony

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Harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.

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Colloquial Language

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The use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone. ie Huckleberry Finn

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Comic Relief

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The inclusion of humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.

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Connotation

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The interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.

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Deduction

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The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

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Denotation

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The literal or dictionary meaning of a word.

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Dialect

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The recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Souther way of speaking. ie Nora in Their Eyes were Watching God.

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Diction

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The author's choice of words, that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning

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Didactic

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Writing in which the purpose is to instruct or teach. Usually focuses on ethical or moral concerns.

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Ellipsis

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Indicated by a series of three periods, this indicates that some material has been omitted from a given text. It could be a word, a sentence, paragraph or whole section.

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Epigraph

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The use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.

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Euphemisim

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A more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfrotable. "He went to his final reward." instead of "He died."

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Euphony

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The pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.

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Exposition

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Background information presented in a literary work.

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Figurative Language

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The body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. Includes metaphor, similie, symbol, motif, and hyperbole.

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Flashback

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A device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, or people.

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Form

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The shape or structer of a literary work.

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Hyperbole

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Extreme exaggeration, often humorous as well as ironic.

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Imagery

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The total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature.

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Induction

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The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization.

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Inference

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A conclusion one can draw from the presented details.

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Invective

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A verbally abusive attack

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Irony

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An unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialogue and situation and can be intentional or unplanned, dramatic.

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Logical Fallacy

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A mistake in reasoning

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Metaphor

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A direct comparison between dissimilar things. ie "Your eyes are stars,"

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Metonymy

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A figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea. ( The pen is mightier than the sword )

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Monologue

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A speech given by one character.

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Motif

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The repitition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters.

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Onomatopoeia

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Words that sound like the sound they represent.

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Oxymoron

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An image of contradictory terms. ie Microsoft Works, Bittersweet

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Pacing

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The movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another.

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Parable

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A story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson.

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Pathos

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The aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience. An appeal to emotion that can be sued as a means to persuade.

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Pedantic

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A term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overy difficult and distant.

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Periodic Structure

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A sentence that presents its main clause at the end of a sentence for emphasis and sentence variety. Phrases, dependant clauses precede the main clause. For example, "As long as we ignore our children and refuse to dedicate the necessary time and money to their education, we fail to solve the problem of school violence." << point of the sentence is at the end rather than the beginning.

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Personification

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The assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts.

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Point of View

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The method of narration in a literary work.

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Pun

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A play on words that often has a comic effect. Associated with wit and cleverness.

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Reductio and Absurdum

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Lain for "reduce to the absurd". This technique is useful in creating comic effect, also as an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy, because it reduces an argument to an either/or choice.

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Rhetoric

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Refers to the entire process of written communication. Rhetorical strategies and devices are those tools that enable a writer to present ideas to an audience effectively.

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Rhetorical Question

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A question that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or the audience.

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Sarcasm

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A comic technique that ridicules through caustic language. Tone and attitude may both be described as sarcastic in a given text if the writer employs language, irony and wit to mock or scorn.

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Satire

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A mode of writing based on ridicule that criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution.

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Similie

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An indirect comparison that uses the words like or as to link the differing items in a comparison.

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Stage Directions

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The specific instructions a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delievery, etc.

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Stanza

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A unit of poem, similar in rhymes, meter, and length to other units in the poem.

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Structure

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The organization and form of a work.

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Style

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The unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure and content all contribute to this.

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Syllogism

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The format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.

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Symbol

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An event, object or person in a literary work which stands for something else.

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Synecdoche

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A figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. ie "All hands on deck"

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Syntax

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The grammatical structure of prose and poetry.

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Antithetical

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Contrasting " It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" ~Tale of Two Cities

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Inversion

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Yoda talk