Cliff Notes Glossary

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ad hominem argument

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"to or against the man"- an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect.

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allegory

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Device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning, usually dealing with a moral truth or human existence.

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alliteration

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repitition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words

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allusion

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direct or indirect reference to something that is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or art.

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ambiguity

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the multiple meanings, intentional or unintentional of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

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analogy

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similarity or comparison between two things or relationship between them. Can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with something more familiar.

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antecedent

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The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

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antithesis

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figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure. Emphasizes opposition of ideas.

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aphorism

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terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

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apostrophe

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figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction. The effect may add peculiarity or emotional intensity.

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atmosphere

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the emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Frequently foreshadows events.

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caricature

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a representation--pictorial or literary--in which the subjects distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. Can be so exaggerated that it becomes grotesque imitation or misrepresentation.

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chiasmus

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figure of speech based on inverted parallelism. It is a rhetorical figure in which two clauses are related to each other through a reversal of terms. The purpose is usually to make a larger point or to provide balance or order.

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clause

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a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.

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colloquialism

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Slang or informality in speech or writing. Gives a work a conversational, familiar tone. Includes local or regional dialects.

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conceit

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A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

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connotation

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The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. May involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

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denotation

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The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

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diction

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Related to style, refers to writer's word choices, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

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didactic

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These works have the primary aim of teaching, instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.

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euphemism

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More agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. May be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness, or to add humor or ironic understatement.

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extended metaphor

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implied comparison developed at great length, occurring frequently throughout a work.

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figurative language

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writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

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figure of speech

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device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things.

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generic conventions

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describes traditions for each genre; help to define each genre.

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genre

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the major category into which a literary work fits.

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homily

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includes any serious talk, speech or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

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hyperbole

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figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Often have a comic effect, but sometimes serious. Often produces irony.

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imagery

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sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. Uses terms relatable to the five senses.

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inference

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to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.

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invective

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emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

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verbal irony

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words literally state the opposite of the writer's true meaning.

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situational irony

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events turn out the opposite of what was expected. What the characters and readers think ought to happen does not actually happen.

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dramatic irony

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facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters.

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juxtaposition

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placing dissimilar items, descriptions, ideas close together or side by side for comparison or contrast.

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loose sentence

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the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent phrases/clauses. Work containing many of these often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational.

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metaphor

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a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful.

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metonymy

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figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

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mood

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the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Can affect setting, tone, and events.

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narrative

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telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

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onomatopoeia

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figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

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oxymoron

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figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

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paradox

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statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

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parallelism

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refers to grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

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parody

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a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. as comedy, it distorts or exaggerates distinctive features of the original. As ridicule, it mimics the work by repeating and borrowing words, phrases, or characteristics in order to illuminate weaknesses in the original. Offers insight when well written.

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pedantic

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an adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

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periodic sentence

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presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. Independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand on its own.

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personification

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figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions. Used to make these abstractions more vivid to the reader.

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first person point of view

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tells the story with pronoun "I," and is a character in the story. Narrator can be the protagonist, participant, or observer.

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third person point of view

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relates the events with pronouns "he," "she," and "it." Either omniscient (where narrator knows thoughts and actions of any or all characters) or limited omniscient (where narrator presents thoughts or feelings of only one character, and just actions of the remaining characters.)