English Vocab

Front 1

Ambiguity

Back 1

Intentional device in which authors evoke a number of possible meanings of a word or grammatical structure by leaving unclear which meaning they intend

Front 2

Assonance

Back 2

Repetition of vowels in a series of words: " creep three feet"

Front 3

Catharsis

Back 3

Emotional reaction or " purgation" that takes place in an audience watching a tragedy theory: when we see a good tragedy we feel both pity and fear because we recognize in ourselves the potential for similar action

Front 4

Closet Drama

Back 4

play meant to be read instead of performed- like Shelley's Prometheus Unbound

Front 5

Connotation

Back 5

Meaning that a word suggests beyond literal, explicit meaning, carrying emotional associations, judgments, or opinions. Connotations can be positive, neutral, or negative. Example: positive=describes group of loving relatives, neutral= describes biological, negative= describes an organization of criminals

Front 6

Denotation

Back 6

Dictionary meaning of a work: its explicit, literal meaning

Front 7

Euphemism

Back 7

Word consciously chosen for its pleasant connotations; often used for subjects like sex and death whose frank discussion is somewhat taboo in our society. Example: a euphemism for " to die" is to "pass away" or " to go to one's reward"

Front 8

Foil

Back 8

Minor character whose role is to highlight the main by giving readers a chance to compare and contrast their qualities. In a modern comedic team, the " straight man" can be seen as a foil for the other member

Front 9

Hyperbole

Back 9

Figurative language that depends on intentional overstatement. Mark Twain often used this to create humor.

Front 10

Dramatic or tragic irony

Back 10

Found in " Oedipus the King," it depends on the knowledge of the audience of something the protagonist has not realized yet