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128 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Tone
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The writer or speaker's attitude toward a subject
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Organization of Ideas
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the structure of a piece or literature
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Author's Message
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The motivation or experience suggested by the literary work
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Diction
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The word choices within the work and the attitude implied by word choice
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Syntax
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The sentence structure an author uses and the relationship among diction, structure, treatment of subject matter and figurative language
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Rhetorical Purpose
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The assertion or direction of a literary piece
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Genre
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The overall relationship between message and the literary type
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Absolute
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1. word or phrase isolated syntactically
Example: After having played, 2. implied transitive verb Example: We have a teacher who inspires 3. Adjective or prounoun standing alone Example: theirs |
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Acrimonious
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Bitter and sharp in language and tone
Example: bitter about the divorce |
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Adhominem
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"by man"- a claim or argument is rejected on the basis of an irrelevant fact presented by the author, addressed to principles, interests, personal passion sof men
Example: (1) Person A makes a claim= Jones said it. (2) Person B attacks= But Jones is a thief. (3) Therefore, A is wrong= then Jones is wrong. |
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Ad populum appeal
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argument supports a position by appealing to the shared opinion of a large group of people
Example: "The most widely sold", "America's favorite" "Do you not consider yourself already refused, Socrates, when you put forward view that nobody would accept? Why, ask anyone present" (Plato, Gorgious) |
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Ad verecundium
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Based on authority
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Allegory
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an extended narrative in whcih characters or events represent abstract qualities and the writer intends a second meaning to be read below the surface of the story
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Alliteration
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repetition of consonant sounds of words or within words
Example: Swift swans swim |
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Allusion
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a passing reference to something the writer assumes the reader will recognize.
Types- mythological, classical, Shakespearean, historical, biblical Example: A Separate Peace: Finny compared to Lazarus (biblical) |
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Ambivalent
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uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by an inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite things
Example: Tess' response to Angel's marriage proposal |
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Analogy
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a comparison of similar things, often for the purpose of using something familiar to explain something unfamiliar
Example: Workings of the heart:pump |
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Anaphora
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a repetition of words/phrases at the beginning of several successful clauses or paragraphs
Example: Churchill- "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. |
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Anecdote
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a brief narrative of an entertaining and presumably true incident
Example: biographical writing |
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Antithesis
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1. opposing ideas balanced by parallel syntax
Example: There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his. 2. Dialectic argument, statement of opposing viewpoint Example: Thesis: The money should be used to build a new gym. Antithesis: NO, the money should be spent on an auditorium. Synthesis: Let's build a new gymnasium and make the old gym into an auditorium |
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Aphorism
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a terse statement of a principle or truth, usually an observation about life, a maxim
Example: Life is not always fair |
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Apostrophe
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the device of calling out to an abstract or absent person or object to begin or dramatically pause a poem
Example: Carlyle's "O Liberty, what things are done in my name!"l John Milton's Paradise Lost: Sing, Heavenly Muse! |
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Apothegm
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a short, pithy saying, an aphorism
Example: Life is short |
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Argumentum ad hominem
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a fallacy that involves replying to an argument or assertion by attempting to discredit a person
Types: ad hominem abusive/circumstantial |
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Asyndeton
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the omission of conjunctions from constructions in which they would normally be used
Example: Shakespeare "Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils/shrunk to this little measure?" |
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Axilomatic
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aphoristic, self-evident
Example: "It's axilomatic in politics that voters won't throw out a presidential incumbent unless they think his challenger will clean house"- Grier |
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Characterization
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the methods used by an author to create characters
5 methods: appearance, speech, actions, thoughts (or feelings), other character's reactions |
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Chiasmus
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a form of antithesis in which the second half of the statement inverts the word order of the first half
Example: It is not the heart which seeks the mind; it is the mind which seeks the heart. |
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Colloquial speech
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common/vernacular language, words or phrases in everyday use in conversational or informal writing but inappropriate in a formal essay
Example: Contractions, a lot, etc. |
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Concrete details
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facts, quotes, evidence, support
Example: Essay on Billy Budd: Claggart had no choice over who he was, born in such a way that he could not escape. Melville's diction of "inherently evil" reveals this inescapable fate. |
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Conflict
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a problem or struggle between 2 opposing forces
Internal- man vs self, External- man vs. man, nature, society, unknown |
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Connotative diction
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using words beyond their meaning
Example: white angel implies a good angel |
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Convoluted logic
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complicated (unnecessarily), intricate, tangled language
Example: Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities |
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Deferential
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exhibiting submission or yielding to others
Example: a religious deference to a priest or even God |
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Didactic
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a morally instructive work
Example: Bacon's essays, Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress", fables |
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Digression
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a portion of a speech or written phrase that interrupts the development of the theme or plot
Example: Dickens |
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Dogmatic
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adhering to a specific and prescribed doctrine
Example: Orthodox religion |
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Equivocal statements
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ambiguous; capable of double interpretation
Example: "If you cross the Halys, you will destroy a great empire" ends up destroying his own empire, rather than another's. (Different interpretation) |
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Elaborate analogy
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extended metaphor
Example: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and t hough all parts are many, they form one body. 1 Cor 12:12 |
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Hyperbole
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Obvious exaggeration not intended literally but for figurative or humorous effect.
Example: All men are absolutely equal. |
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Elegiac
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an expression of sorrow for a past occurrence
Example: Whitman's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd |
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Ellipsis
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three dots (...) used to omit material in quotes
Example: "The three visitors...were pleased with their stay" Note: 4 dots are used at the end of the phrase if words are omitted |
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Entreaty plea
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earnest request or petition
Example: Tess' pleas to Alec to leave her alone |
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Euphemistic
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an inoffensive substitute for offensive terminology
Example: with child= pregnant, put to sleep=kill, laid off= to lose a job, in reduced circumstances=poverty |
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Euphuism
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affected, excessive, artificial style
Example: John Lyly's Euphues |
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Existentialist
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philosophy focusing on the individual being's experience of, recognition of, and triumph over the meaningless of existence
Example: Sartre, Beowulf |
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Fawning
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to seek favor by flattery and obsequious behavior
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Fatalistic
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doctrine that all events are determined by fate
Example: Calvinistic predetermination |
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Figurative language
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language expanded beyond its ordinary literal meaning
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Flashback
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an interruption to a story to present an earlier event
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Flippant
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lacking proper seriousness or respect, dismissing
Example: calling a respected elder by first name/nickname |
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Foreshadow
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hints or clues that suggest or prepare for events that occur later in a work
Example: two automobile accidents foreshadow the death of Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby |
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Generalization
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a broad view that can be applied overall
Example: The Romantics viewed feeling over reason. |
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Gregarious
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sociable, outgoing, enjoying each other's company
Example: "a gregarious person who avoids solitude |
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Hedonistic
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overly dramatic exaggerated, artificial speech
Example: Alec's taunting of Tess |
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Histrionic
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overly dramatic exaggerated, artificial speech
Example: Alec's taunting of Tess |
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Humanistic philosophy
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Christian Renaissance
Example: Erasmus |
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Idealistic Pursuits
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aiming for a utopian goal
Example: wanting a perfect marriage |
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Imagery
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Concrete details appealing to the senses
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Imperative
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A command
Example: Don't cross the street! |
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Indirect allusion
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indirect reference
Example: Without naming names, the candidate criticized national leaders by allusion. |
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Inference
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a reasonable conclusion drawn by the reader from actual clues
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Ingratiating
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to bring into the favor of good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort
Example: the actions of a teacher's pet |
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Insinuating
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to imply, introduce artfully, hint
Example: to insinuate wrong ideas |
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Invective
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vehement denunciation, insulting
Example: invective remark |
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Inversion
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reversing the normal order of sentence parts
Example: Never have I seen him in such a good mood. |
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Irony
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the recognition of the difference between appearance and reality
a. socratic- feigned ignorance of a p.o.v. to rotate arguments b. verbal- contrast in what is said and what is meant c. situational- contrast between what is intended and occurs d. dramatic- the audience knows what characters do not Example: Hamlet's catastrophe |
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Jocular
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given to or characterized by joking or jesting
Example: When the trecle was spilled in Tess |
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Laconic
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using or marked by few words, terse, concise
Example: a laconic reply |
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Litotes
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A figure of speech, a form of ironical statement that affirms something by stating the negative of its opposite
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Metaphor
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an implied comparison between 2 different things
Example: Life is but a dream. |
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Metonymy
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a figure of speech that substitutes the name of a related object, person, or idea at hand
Example: Crown for monarchy; White House for President |
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Mood
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the overall feeling in a work of art or literature
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Moralistic philosophy
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philosophy dealing with the principles of morality; ethics
Example: Tess: the definition of purity and honesty |
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Nihilistic
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traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and existence is senseless and useless, everything ends in nothing
Example: Dragon's philosophy in Grendel |
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Non-sequitir
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unrelated, cause & effect relationship illogical
Example. People who look different are inferior. |
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Onomatopoeia
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a literary device wherein the sound of the word echoes what it represents
Example: splash, knock, roar, hiss |
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Orthodox
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traditional, genuine
Example: Orthodox Christianity |
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Oxymoron
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a figure of speech in which 2 contradictory words or phrases are combined in a single expression
Example: "wise fool", "living death" |
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Paradox
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a statement that while apparently self-contradictory is nonetheless true
Example: Man loves to hate himself, |
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Paradox
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a statement that while apparently self-contradictory is nonetheless true
Example: Man loves to hate himself, |
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Parallel phrase
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parallel in subject, sometimes in idea
Example: He dictates, files, and writes |
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Parallelism
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compound verbs or verbal expressions show an action taking place at the same time or in the same tense (same tense w/ same tense)
Example: She enjoys dancing and signing. I like to dance more than I like to sing. A great example is the Declaration of Independence |
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Participle phrase
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Beginning with gerunds (-ing words)
Example: Jumping with joy |
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Paternal
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Fatherly
Example: "providing for the young is a paternal instinct" |
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Pathetic fallacy
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nonhuman characteristic in nature; a fallacy of human reason suggesting nonhuman phenomena act from human feelings
Example: weeping streams |
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Patronize
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to behave in an offensively condescending manner towards
Example: Of course it's not your fault. |
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Personification
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a figure of speech in which human characteristics and sensibilities are attributed to animals, plants, inanimate objects, natural forces, or abstract ideas
Example: The wind whispers a tale of that night; Carl Sandburg's desc. of Chicago includes shoulders |
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Persuasion (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
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Persuasion
Ethos- ethics, credentials Pathos- emotion, sympathy, empathy Logos- logic Example: Martin Luther King's Letters from the Birmingham Jail |
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Petulant
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showing sudden irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance, peevish
Example: screaming over an assignment deadline |
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Perusing
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to read through with thoroughness and detail
Example: Eager to learn all he could about his family history, he perused the articles and journals before him. |
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Pious
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dutiful spirit or reverence OR a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion
Example: hypocritical: Alec D'Urberville |
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Plot
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a sequence of events to bring about the resolution of a conflict
Introduction (conflict/setting/characters), rising action, climax, falling action, resolution |
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Point-of-view
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the author's choice of narrator
-First person- the narrator is a character in a story -Third person- the narrator is outside of the story -Objective- reports only speech and actions -Omniscient- reports speech, action, and thoughts |
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Point-of-view
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the author's choice of narrator
-First person- the narrator is a character in a story -Third person- the narrator is outside of the story -Objective- reports only speech and actions -Omniscient- reports speech, action, and thoughts |
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Polysyndeton
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repetition of conjunctions in close succession
Example: Here and there and everywhere |
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Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
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the order of events proves causation
Example: (1) A occurs before B (2) Therefore, A is the cause of B |
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Pragmatic
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practical considerations or consequences
Example: Pragmatic Sanction |
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Predicate adjective
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an adjective used to predicate an attribute of the subject
Example: Roses are red |
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Prepositional phrase
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a group of words including a preposition and a noun that cannot stand alone
Example: at the door |
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Pun
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a form of wit not necessarily funny involving a play on word with two meanings.
Example: Romeo and Juliet: "Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man", said the day before he is killed |
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Reducto Ad Absurdum
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refutation on the grounds of absurdity (self-contradiction, falsehood, implausability)
Example: "It's always sunny and warm in Illinois" (while there's a foot of snow outside) |
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Repetition
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the continuous use of a word
Example: He played basketball and played soccer |
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Reverential
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expressing proud respect or awe
Example: Coleridge: "Reverence, which is the synthesis of love and fear |
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Reverse chronology
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events told in an opposite order from their occurrence
Example: As I Lay Dying, My Antonia |
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Rhetorical question
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question asked to invoke thought or provoke reaction from the audience without intended response
Example: Has the sun not risen everyday? |
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Rhetorical question
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question asked to invoke thought or provoke reaction from the audience without intended response
Example: Has the sun not risen everyday? |
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Rhyme
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the repetition of syllable sounds
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Rhythm
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the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
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Sanctimonious
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feigning piety or righteousness
Example: Twain: "a solemn, unsmiling, sanctimonious old iceberg that looked like he was waiting for a vacancy in the Trinity |
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Sanguine
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cheerfully confident, optimistic
Example: Sanguine of success |
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Sarcastic
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expressing contempt or bitterness through imagery
Example: Yeah, Hitler's a really nice guy. He even looks it... |
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Sardonic
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characterized by a scornful derision or bitter irony
Example: sardonic grin |
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Satire
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a literary work in which the author ridicules the vices or follies of people or society, usually to produce some action or change in attitude
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Simile
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a figure of speech using like, as, or as if to compare 2 essentially different objects, actions, or attributes that share some aspect of similarity
Example: Life is like a box of chocolates. |
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Solicitous
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expressing care or concern
Example: family |
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Stereotype
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a broad generalization about something or someone that leaves no room for individual difference
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Stoic
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One indifferent to emotion (pleasure, pain); opposite of hedonistic and Epicurean
Example: Jewel in As I Lay Dying, Spartans Brutus in Julius Caesar |
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Syllepsis
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1. use of a word to govern 2 or more words but agreeing in number or case to only one
2. a figure of speech where a word is used literally and metaphorically at the same time Example: My family, as well as I, is happy. He was driving his care carelessly and his wife crazy. |
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Syllogism
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transitive theory
Example: (1) Everything that lives, moves. (2) No mountain moves. (3) Therefore, no mountain lives. |
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Symbol
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anything that signifies or stands for something else
Example: Heart and Salamander, Farenheit 451, the whale, Moby Dick |
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Synecdoche
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a figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole thing
Example: I've got wheels. |
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Synaesthesia
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a rhetorical trope involving shifts of imagery; involves taking one type of sensory output (sight, smell, etc.) and comingling it with another in an impossible way
Example: blue note, coll green, heavy silence |
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Tautology
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1. needless repetition of an idea in different words
Example: "widow woman" 2. a compound proposition or propositional form all of whose instances are true Example: A or not A, the Candidate will win or lose. |
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Theme
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the main idea
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Tone
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author's attitude, stated or implied, towards a subject
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Ultimatum
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a final demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute
Example: Unless you are willing to give up your position or reconcile on our terms, the team will vote to kick you out. |
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Understatement
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a type of verbal irony in which something is purposely represented as being far less important than it actually is (also called meiosis)
Example: Tess of the D'Urbervilles: Her acquaintance with Alec |
