Eng 12 Vocab

Front 1

active voice AKA passive voice

Back 1

sentence is written so that the subject is an actor of the verb.

ie. the cat ate the mouse; cat is subject, cat is doing the action.

Front 2

allegory

Back 2

story with two meanings: literal and symbolic.

things may be moral, social, religious, political significant + characters are personifications of abstract ideas

Front 3

alliteration

Back 3

repetition of identical consonant sounds at beginning of closely associated words.

Front 4

allusion

Back 4

brief direct/indirect reference to person, event, place, work of art, fiction which author assumes reader to recognize --> develops a significant idea, impression or mood.

Front 5

analogy

Back 5

comparison of two things made to explain something unfamiliar through its similarities to something familiar

Front 6

anecdotal evidence

Back 6

informal account of evidence from anecdote or hearsay

Front 7

antagonist

Back 7

character or force (character, prejudice, weather, etc) in conflict with the protagonist

Front 8

anti-climax

Back 8

sudden shift from relatively serious mood to more comic or triviala

Front 9

antithesis

Back 9

a contrast, usually expressed with parallel structure construction. ie. "to err is human; to forgive, divine"

Front 10

apostrophe

Back 10

a statement, question, or request made to an inanimate object, concept, or absent person

ie. "oh canada"

Front 11

argumentative essay

Back 11

takes a particular position of a topic & defends it

Front 12

archaic language

Back 12

words/ phrases no longer commonly used. ie. "thou" instead of "you"

Front 13

aside

Back 13

comment made by stage performer intended to be heard by audience, not other characters

Front 14

assonance

Back 14

repetition of identical vowel sounds in different, closely associated words

Front 15

atmosphere

Back 15

mood or feeling created by a literary work, often through description

Front 16

audience

Back 16

person(s) for whom a text is written for--> requires tone, diction, style

Front 17

autobiography

Back 17

narrative in which an individual tells their story

Front 18

ballad

Back 18

story/poem told in song, often by impersonal narrator and condensed form (using ballad stanza)

Front 19

ballad stanza

Back 19

quatrain of alternating four and three stress lines, usually ABCB

Front 20

bias

Back 20

preference/ inclination that inhibits impartial judgment

Front 21

biography

Back 21

narrative that tells a person's lfe storyp

Front 22

blank verse

Back 22

poetry written in unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter

Front 23

cacophony

Back 23

harsh, discordant sounds place together for effect. opposite of euphony

Front 24

caricature

Back 24

portrait that exaggerates or distorts basic features of a person for effect.

Front 25

case study

Back 25

method of qualitative research where one examines a small, select instance or event in-depth

Front 26

catastrophe

Back 26

in dramatic tragedy where concluding action following the climax that contains the resolution of the plot

Front 27

cause & effect

Back 27

the reason something happened is the "cause"; something that happened is "effect"

Front 28

character

Back 28

moral, temperamental, behavioral qualities of a fictional person

Front 29

characterization

Back 29

method a writer uses to develop and reveal the personality of the character attained by description of actions

Front 30

character foil

Back 30

character used to contrast opposing traits with another character so the reader understands personality and motivation of protagonist

Front 31

chorus

Back 31

in greek drama, group of actors who commented on and

interpreted the unfolding action of the stage

poetry, repeated refrain

Front 32

chronological order

Back 32

organizing events by time (earliest to latest)... no jump-cuts

Front 33

cliche

Back 33

metaphor or expression that's overused

Front 34

climatic order

Back 34

organizing ideas by order of importance, from least important to most

Front 35

climax

Back 35

moment in writing piece where conflict reaches greatest point of intensity and afterwards, resolved.

Front 36

colloquialism

Back 36

word/phrase accepted in casual conversation but not in formal, written communication; more acceptable than slang.

Front 37

colloquial language

Back 37

informal or conversational style

Front 38

comedy

Back 38

depicts humourous plots whereby protag. is faced with light-hearted challenge and overcomes it --> happy ending

Front 39

comic relief

Back 39

the use of humour to lighten the mood of a serious or tragic story, especially in plays (eg. gravediggers in hamlet)

Front 40

compare & contrast AKA comparision

Back 40

analyze a topic by looking at how they are alike and how they are different

Front 41

conflict

Back 41

struggle between opposing characters/forces

protag vs antag

character vs environment

character vs character

character vs self

Front 42

connotation

Back 42

emotional associations and overtones related to a word (can be positive or negative).

(ie. skinny person as scrawny --> negative)

Front 43

consonance

Back 43

repetition of similar consonant sounds at the ends of closely associated syllables / words

ie. given/heaven

Front 44

contrast

Back 44

aka juxtaposition

refers to the (striking) difference between two things being compared.

used to clarify meaning, purpose, character or heighten certain moods

Front 45

couplet

Back 45

two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are usually of equal length

ie. i think it's time/ you learned to rhyme

Front 46

denotation

Back 46

literal meaning of a word as seen in dictionary definitionsd

Front 47

denouement aka resolution aka falling action

Back 47

follows the climax and is part of the falling action

french word for unknotting

Front 48

descriptive essay

Back 48

portrays people/places/things/moments/theories with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about

captures a moment in time rather than telling a story

Front 49

dialect

Back 49

manner of speaking/variation on a language particular to an individual, person, social class, geographic region/country

Front 50

dialogue

Back 50

conversation between characters in a drama/story

Front 51

diary

Back 51

personal written record of daily events and thoughts

Front 52

diction

Back 52

vocab chosen by writer

reflects level of education of speaker

attitude of speaker

can influence mood with connotation

Front 53

didactic

Back 53

intended to teach a lesson, especially a moral one

Front 54

dilemma

Back 54

choice between two equally unfavourable options--> generates conflict and suspense

Front 55

direct presentation

Back 55

speaker is telling us about the character

Front 56

dissonance

Back 56

combination of harsh or jarring sounds, especially in poetry

Front 57

drama

Back 57

broad genre that includes a variety of forms from tragedy to comedy

a work that treats serious subjects and themes but doesn't aim at the splendour of tragedy.

Front 58

dramatic/structural irony

Back 58

a dramatic situation in which the audience knows something the character doesn't

Front 59

dramatic monologue

Back 59

a type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener

Front 60

dramatic form

Back 60

a method for expression of dramatic meaning

(ie. improv, tableau, role, dance, drama, readers theatre, mask, mime, etc)

Front 61

dynamic character

Back 61

basically, a round character

contrasted with static character

Front 62

editorial

Back 62

statement/article that expresses an opinion rather than just reporting facts

Front 63

elegy

Back 63

solemn poem that mourns the death of a person/passing of an era

Front 64

emotional appeal

Back 64

writing that persuades the audience by arousing emotions

Front 65

epic

Back 65

long, narrative poem about the adventures of a hero of great historic or legendary importance

-vast setting

-actions with cosmic significance from supernatural forces like god, angels, demons

-use elaborate metaphors and allusion to enhance the symbolic importance of a hero's adventure.

Front 66

epilogue

Back 66

short speech addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the end of play

Front 67

epiphany

Back 67

instant of significant revelation/insight in which a character suddenly recognizes a previously unknown truth

Front 68

epigram

Back 68

saying that makes the speaker's point quickly and concisely

Front 69

epitaph

Back 69

inscription on a monument or tombstone about the person buried there

Front 70

euphemism

Back 70

mild expression used to describe an otherwise offensive word/topic

Front 71

euphony

Back 71

musical/pleasant sounds place together for effect... opposite of cacophony

Front 72

expert testimony

Back 72

providing evidence from an expert, who by virtue of education, profession, experience, is believed to have a special knowledge

Front 73

exposition

Back 73

in essays, systematic explanation of a specific topic

in fiction, the beginning of story where the characters and conflict are introduced

Front 74

expository essay

Back 74

piece of non-fiction containing

-one main idea (thesis statement)

-expressed in the first paragraph (intro)

-number of paragraphs (body of essay) which support the main idea

-concluding paragraph (conclusion) which summarizes the ideas

Front 75

extended metaphor

Back 75

metaphor that develops through a poem and that involves several points of comparison

Front 76

external conflict

Back 76

eg. character vs environment

character vs character

Front 77

fable

Back 77

-narrative intended to convey a moral

-animals/inanimate objects with human characteristics often serve as characters

legends + lack of possibility = fables

Front 78

fantasy

Back 78

highly exaggerated/improbably story

has fantastic events, characters and/or setting not found in real life

used to reveal truths about human experience

Front 79

farce

Back 79

type of comedy characterized by broad humour, outlandish incidents, and often vulgar subject matter

Front 80

figurative language

Back 80

use of figures of speech in writing to attain a special effect (often found in poetry)

Front 81

first person POI

Back 81

story generally told by one of the characters who is referred to as I

reader generally sees everything through that character's eyes

can be used as an omniscient narrator

Front 82

flashback

Back 82

shift in the story to events that took place earlier, needed to fill in background details, illustrate an important point or aid in characterization

Front 83

flat character

Back 83

usually a minor character with only one apparent quality

does not change or develop through narrative

used for specific purpose

Front 84

foreshadowing

Back 84

hints/warns of events to happen later in the story; prepares reader for the climax, denouement, any changes in character

Front 85

form

Back 85

general term referring to way in which a story is put together

sometimes called how of story

includes technique + style

Front 86

formal essay

Back 86

essay that follows a prescribed path of introduction, body paragraphs (3), and a conclusion

Front 87

formal language

Back 87

writing that doesn't include idioms, slang, colloquialisms, etc and that restricts the use of contractions

Front 88

frame story

Back 88

results of inserting one+ small stories within the body of a larger story that encompasses the smaller ones

Front 89

free verse

Back 89

poetry with neither rhyme nor rhythm and meter

Front 90

genre

Back 90

"type" or "kind" as in "what kind of novel do you like?"

Front 91

graphic text

Back 91

use of pictures to help tell a story (cartoons/manga)

Front 92

hero

Back 92

protagonist who possesses heroic qualities such as courage/virtues

Front 93

tragic hero =/= protag

Back 93

usually born into some nobility, due to tragic flaw, make serious error in judgment, and eventually fall from esteem, meet death with honour

Front 94

historical reference

Back 94

allusion to a historical event for explanation or effect

Front 95

hyperbole

Back 95

deliberate overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis

Front 96

iambic pentameter

Back 96

line composed of five iambic feet (5 pairs of stressed/unstressed syllables)

Front 97

idiom

Back 97

expression that makes sense as a whole phrase but loses meaning when each word is defined

ie. piece of cake

Front 98

image

Back 98

concrete details which use the five sense and figure of speech that help the reader form vivid impressions of the subject of the writing

Front 99

imagery

Back 99

patterns of images in a single piece of writing; often the images allude to more that the surface idea and create meaning through metaphor

Front 100

indeterminate ending

Back 100

story ending with no clear outcome/resolved conflict

Front 101

indirect presentation

Back 101

speaker is showing the character's actions or words, through dialogue or another character's dialogue

Front 102

informal essay

Back 102

written mainly for enjoyment, not info/persuasion

relaxed expression of opinion, observation, humour with a strong structure

Front 103

informal language

Back 103

conversational style which uses idioms, colloquialisms, slang, etc, + freely uses contractions

Front 104

interior monologue

Back 104

narrative technique in which character's thoughts are revealed in a way that appears to be uncontrolled by the author

portrays emotional experiences as the occur at both conscious + unconscious level

Front 105

internal conflict

Back 105

eg. character vs selfin

Front 106

internal rhyme

Back 106

rhyming of words within a line of poetry

Front 107

irony

Back 107

-involves contrast between two elements so that the appearance of things differs from reality

-provides depth of meaning + impact

basic definition is called situational irony

Front 108

jargon

Back 108

specialized language found in a particular subject

Front 109

legend

Back 109

narrative of human actions that are perceived to take place within human history and within realm of possibility

Front 110

limited omniscient POI

Back 110

3rd person (he/she) narrator who reveals the thoughts and feelings of only one character

Front 111

literal language

Back 111

without exaggeration, embellishment, figurative language

Front 112

lyric

Back 112

relatively short non-narrative poem in which the first person speaker expresses thoughts and feelings, not necessarily those of the poet

Front 113

melodrama

Back 113

typical plot is a conflict between characters who personify extreme good and evil

usually end happily and emphasize sensationalism --> often using stereotypical characters in simplistic conflicts

Front 114

metaphor

Back 114

direct comparison between objects

Front 115

metre

Back 115

when poetry is read aloud, there is often a recognizable flow of rising and falling sounds

varying pattern of stressed syllables alternating with syllables or less stress is what makes up a poem's metre

foot = 1 stress + 1 unstressed

Front 116

monologue

Back 116

speech spoken entirely by one person

Front 117

mood aka atmosphere

Back 117

words + details that create a feeling in the reader

prevailing feeling of the scene-->sets up expectations in outcome of episode created by description, diction, imagery, dialogue

Front 118

motif

Back 118

repeated element in literature

Front 119

mystery

Back 119

genre in which the plot is centered on an unsolved crime

ending involves an unraveling of the plot and ultimate solves the mystery

Front 120

myth

Back 120

traditional story that is closely associated with a particular culture /group of people which usually communicates the beliefs and values of that culture

Front 121

narrative

Back 121

story that has

-plot

-conflict

-characters

-setting

-POI

may be fiction/non-fictional, includes novels, autobiographies, and biographies as well as short stories + anecdotes

Front 122

narration

Back 122

storytelling which is different from pure description or explanation

Front 123

narrator

Back 123

storyteller/speaker of the poem / novel

can be omniscient/objective, a speaker

Front 124

objective (language tone, etc)

Back 124

neutral, fact based

Front 125

objective POI

Back 125

3rd person narrator who reveals none of the thoughts + feelings of the characters but records details of the story as a video camera would, devoid of thoughts/emotions beyond the observable

Front 126

octave

Back 126

eight line stanza

Front 127

ode

Back 127

long lyric poem that praises a person/thing

Front 128

omniscient POV

Back 128

all seeing, 3rd person narrator who can reveal the thoughts + feelings of several characters

Front 129

onomatopoeia

Back 129

word whose sound suggest its meaning

Front 130

oxymoron

Back 130

phrases with an inherent contradiction

Front 131

paradox

Back 131

statement that first appears to be contradictory but actually states a truth

Front 132

parallelism

Back 132

method of comparison of two ideas in which each is developed in the same grammatical structurepa

Front 133

parody =/= satire

Back 133

imitation of either formal or thematic elements of one work in another for humourous purposes

Front 134

passive voice

Back 134

sentence that is written so that the subject isn't the one doing the action

ie. the mouse was eaten by the cat

cat is subject but not doing action

Front 135

pastoral

Back 135

literary composition on a rural theme

character and language of nobility are often laced in simple settings or characters are sepherds in a country setting

Front 136

personal essay

Back 136

focuses on the writer as subect

Front 137

personification

Back 137

inanimate / non-human things given human characteristics

Front 138

persuasive essay

Back 138

uses persuasive techniques to prove the writer's thesis

Front 139

persuasive technique

Back 139

method of trying to influence an idea, attitude, or action by rational and symbolic means

Front 140

plot

Back 140

story line/organization of events/episodes within a story

includes rising action, climax and falling action

Front 141

POV

Back 141

perspective from which a story is seen or told

establishes the relationship among author, reader and characters

Front 142

pro+con argument

Back 142

line of reasoning that looks at the positives and the negatives of a subject

Front 143

prologue

Back 143

introductory section of a literary work

often contains information establishing the situation of the characters

presents info about setting, time period, or action

Front 144

propaganda

Back 144

specific type of message presentation directly aimed at influencing the opinions of people, rather than impartially informing

often associated with war to persuade people to believe in the right cause

Front 145

protagonist

Back 145

main character of the story with whom the reader generally sympathizes

Front 146

proverb

Back 146

brief, sage saying that expresses a truth about life in a strking manner

Front 147

pun

Back 147

play on words where multiple meanings are deliberately suggested

Front 148

purpose

Back 148

main effect the author hopes to achieve

may include theme, but should not simply be equated with story's main idea

Front 149

quatrain

Back 149

four-line stanza

Front 150

question + answer

Back 150

assessment style where questions are posed and students demonstrate knowledge through their answers

rhetorical style in which a writer posed questions and provides answers as a means to convey info

Front 151

refrain

Back 151

phrase repeated at intervals throughout a poem

may appear at the end of each stanza or at least less regular intervals

maybe altered slightly at each appearance

Front 152

repetition

Back 152

words repeated for emphasis

Front 153

research

Back 153

active, diligent, systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising facts

Front 154

rhetorical question

Back 154

question that implies that the answer is obvious

Front 155

rhyme

Back 155

sound effect created when the sounds at the ends of words are repeated

Front 156

rhyme scheme

Back 156

pattern of rhymed words at the end of lines of a poem

ie. ABCB

Front 157

rhythm

Back 157

shifts in beat, speed or loudness

the pitch in a line of poetry

Front 158

rising action

Back 158

events of a dramatic/narrative plot leading up to the climax

background info is given, characters+conflicts are established and suspense is built up

may be moments of crisis within rising action before climax

Front 159

round character

Back 159

protag who undergoes significant, lasting change usually in his or her outlook on life

Front 160

sarcasm (verbal irony)

Back 160

sneering, jesting, mocking a person, situation, thing

often used in a humourous or ironic manner

expressed through vocal intonations such as over-emphasizing the actual statement

Front 161

satire

Back 161

literary art of diminishing a person or topic or human quality by making it appear ridiculous

includes irony/sarcasm --> used to promote change and targets human vices and foibles

Front 162

sestet

Back 162

six-line stanza

Front 163

setting

Back 163

time+place of a story

Front 164

simile

Back 164

outright comparison using like, as, or as if

Front 165

slang

Back 165

words used popularly or in a particular group but not considered correct english

may be vulgar

Front 166

soliloquoy

Back 166

monologue in drama used to give the audience info and to develop the speaker's character

typically a projection of the speaker's innermost thoughts

delivered while the speaker is alone on stage

Front 167

sonnet

Back 167

a 14-line, tightly crafted lyric poem that focuses on a specific theme, often written in iambic pentameter

Front 168

speaker

Back 168

imaginary voice taken on by a poet or a writer that tells the story

Front 169

stanza

Back 169

group of lines of verse in a poem that form a unit

named according to the number of lines in them

Front 170

statistical evidence

Back 170

gathering facts or statics as evidence for argument

Front 171

static character

Back 171

flat character

contrasted with a dynamic character

Front 172

stereotype

Back 172

any fixed pattern of plot/character that we are immediately familiar with because we've seen them before

Front 173

story within a story

Back 173

one story is told during the action of another story

Front 174

stream of consciousness

Back 174

modern narrative technique which attempts to depict the uninterrupted and frequently illogical flow of thoughts and feelings through a character's mind

Front 175

style

Back 175

distinctive way in which a writer uses language

Front 176

stylistic technique

Back 176

any form used to communicate your info

Front 177

subjective

Back 177

opinion based, less formal than objective

Front 178

surprise ending

Back 178

sudden twist in the direction of a story, producing a resolution which surprised the reader and often the story's character as well

Front 179

suspense

Back 179

reader's state of anxiety, excitement and anticipation regarding an outcome like ending of mystery novel

Front 180

symbol

Back 180

object that represents or stands in for a more abstract idea

character, object, events, setting

Front 181

symbolism

Back 181

use of an object to represent another

Front 182

theme =/= moral, plot

Back 182

central idea/purpose of the story, usually implied rather than directly stated

gives insight into human nature/experience

Front 183

thesis

Back 183

summarizes main ideas of writing

Front 184

thesis statement

Back 184

one sentence in an essay that declares what the main idea of the essay will be, found in intro of essay

Front 185

3rd person POV

Back 185

speaker is character outside the main action of the story

main character is spoken of he/she

may have limited/unlimited knowledge of characters

Front 186

tone

Back 186

reveals the writer's attitude toward the readers or toward the subject, may represent any human emotional attitude

Front 187

tragedy

Back 187

noble, courageous hero of excellent character who brings ruin upon oneself

treats subjects in dignified and serious manner using poetic language to evoke pity/fear/bring about catharsis

Front 188

understatement

Back 188

statement that lessens or minimizes the importance of what is meant

Front 189

voice

Back 189

sound of characters, narrators, etc

Front 190

wit

Back 190

intellectual humour, based on manipulation of concepts