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English 10H > Literary Lang. Terms > Flashcards

Literary Lang. Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

ad hominem

A

Latin for “against the man,” and refers to the logical fallacy (error) of arguing
that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive, immoral, weird, and so on.

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2
Q

Example of what?:
A professor is presenting their latest research on quantum mechanics to a group of
colleagues. At the end of the presentation, a person whispers to the other: “I don’t
believe a word. Did you know that he has been cheating on his partner for years?”

A

ad hominem

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3
Q

allegory

A

a story within a story. It has a “surface story” and another story hidden underneath.

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4
Q

Example of what?:
Dr. Seuss wrote The Sneetches as an _______ for racism and other forms of
prejudice. The story is all about creatures who are treated as inferior because they don’t
have stars on their bellies. It’s written in a child-friendly, playful style, but it still contains
an important political message.

A

allegory

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5
Q

alliteration

A

words that begin with the same sound are placed close together.

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6
Q

Example of what?:
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

A

alliteration

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7
Q

allusion

A

basically a reference to something else. It’s when a
writer mentions some other work or refers to an earlier part of the current work.

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8
Q

Example of what?:
You’re acting like such a Scrooge!

A

allusion

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9
Q

ambiguity

A

Ambiguity ( ‘am-bih-GYOO-ih-tee’) is an idea or situation that can be understood
in multiple ways.

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10
Q

Example of what?:
“The murderer killed the student with a book.” We know what all these words mean
individually, but altogether they are ambiguous; was the book used as a murder
weapon? Or was the victim carrying a book during the attack?

A

ambiguity

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11
Q

analogy

A

An analogy is a literary technique in which two unrelated objects are compared for
their shared qualities. This is not done for poetic purposes, but to make rational arguments.

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12
Q

Example of what?:
Raising children requires the same dedication you would give to a garden. Nurture
them, feed them, introduce them to both light and dark, and have patience; and soon
you will see them grow into blooming wonders.

A

analogy

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13
Q

anaphora

A

when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of
clauses or sentences that follow each other. This repetition emphasizes the phrase while
adding rhythm to the passage, making it more memorable and enjoyable to read.

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14
Q

Example of what?:
I’m sick and tired of you letting me down. I’m sick and tired of you making me mad.
And I’m sick and tired of you doing such silly things!

A

anaphora

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15
Q

anecdote

A

a very short story that is significant to the topic at hand; usually
adding personal knowledge or experience to the topic.

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16
Q

Example of what?: Mom and Dad discuss whether or not to get a dog for the family. Dad says:
You know, when I was a kid, my dog was my best friend. He made my childhood better.
Mom contemplates his anecdote and then agrees that they should get a dog.

A

anecdote

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17
Q

antithesis

A

the opposite of a statement, concept, or idea. In literary
analysis, an antithesis is a pair of statements or images in which the one reverses the other.
The pair is written with similar grammatical structures to show more contrast.

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18
Q

Ex: That’s one small step for a man – one giant leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong, 1969,
said upon walking on the moon for the first time)

A

antithesis

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19
Q

aphorism

A

a short statement of a general truth, insight, or good advice. It’s
roughly similar to a “saying.”

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20
Q

Example of what?:
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.“

A

aphorism

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21
Q

archetype

A

An archetype (ARK-uh-type) is an idea, symbol, pattern, or character-type, in a
story. It’s any story element that appears again and again in stories from cultures around the
world and symbolizes something universal in the human experience.

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22
Q

Example of what?:
Hero, Trickster, Lost Love, the Mentor, and Fire.

A

archetype

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23
Q

assonance

A

the repetition of the same or similar
vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences.

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24
Q

Example of what?:
She seems to beam rays of sunshine with her eyes of green. (4 forms of the same
sound).

A

assonance

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25
caesura (see-ZOO-ra)
refers to a break or pause in the middle of a line of verse. It can be marked as || in the middle of the line, although generally it is not marked at all – it’s simply part of the way the reader or singer pronounces the line.
26
Example of what?: “Oh, say can you see || by the dawn’s early light…”
Caesura
27
catharsis
meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory that cleansing our emotions was the purpose of a tragedy. Catharsis applies to any form of art or media that makes us feel strong negative emotions. Afterward, we can walk out of the theater feeling better. Catharsis is roughly synonymous with the idea of “blowing off steam.”
28
Example of what?: If you listen to a death metal song in which the singer screams the lyrics, it might help lessen your own feelings of needing to scream.
Catharsis
29
cliché
A cliché (pronounced ‘klee-SHAY’) is a saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative.
30
Example of what?: As white as snow, happily ever after, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Cliche
31
connotation
a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning (the denotation) - basically, the emotions or meanings that are implied.
32
Example of what?: Here are some word groups where each word has a different feeling or idea 1) Stench, smell, aroma, scent, odor, and 2) Proud, confident, arrogant, egotistical.
Connotation
33
consonance
the repetition of a consonant sound in a line or sentence, creating rhythm. Alliteration is consonance limited to just sounds at the beginning of words.
34
Example of what?: Are you asking me to come up with examples of consonance? I’ll find it in the lyrics.
Consonance
35
conundrum
A conundrum (pronounced ko-NUN-drum) is a difficult problem, one that is impossible or almost impossible to solve - anything from moral dilemmas to riddles.
36
Example of what?: 1. What can be swallowed, or can swallow a person? Pride 2. Imagine you got into only two colleges – one was a better school with better faculty, but the other has a reputation for being more fun and has a more socially active student body. Which school should you pick? Which one would make you happy in the future?
Conondrum
37
deux ex machina
Latin for “a god from the machine.” It’s when some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless situation. The effect is usually unexpected, and it’s often disappointing for audiences.
38
Example of what?: In the original story, Little Red Riding Hood is simply eaten by the wolf. But some later authors, deciding that this was too sad for young children, decided to add a random woodsman who appears right at the end and kills the wolf.
deux ex machina
39
diction
Diction (pronounced DIK-shun) refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or spoken text.
40
Example of what?: formal, informal, elementary teacher, police officer, sarcastic, flowery. The King James Bible has very distinct diction, with words like “yea” and “thy.”
diction
41
double entendre
A double entendre is much like what it sounds like—a double meaning or interpretation for a word, phrase, or figure of speech. Usually, the first meaning is straightforward, but another meaning is slightly inappropriate or risqué.
42
Example of what?: At a local farmer’s market, a woman is working at a fruit stand. A man walks up… Man: “Wow, those are some huge melons you’ve got there. Did you grow them yourself? Can I see one?” Woman: “EXCUSE ME?” Man points to a pile of watermelons behind her. Man: “The watermelons, can I see one?” Woman: “Oh, yes, of course. Here you go.”
double entendre
43
dramatic irony
occurs when the audience knows something the characters don’t — so the characters might get an unexpected outcome, but for the audience, it’s not unexpected at all.
44
Example of what?: In the last scene, we saw the intruder sneak into the bedroom, so we feel anxious for the little girl who walks in five minutes later.
Dramatic Irony
45
equivocation
Commonly known as “doublespeak,” equivocation (pronounced ee-QUIV-oh- KAY-shun) is the use of vague language to hide one’s meaning or to avoid committing to a point of view. It’s often used to avoid admitting guilt, without lying openly.
46
Example of what?: During a school-closure controversy, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel used the phrase “optimize school resource utilization” instead of “close schools.”
equivocation
47
ethos
one of the three basic argumentative appeals, in which a speaker establishes their credibility and knowledge, as well as their good moral character.
48
Example of what?: Someone writing an op-ed on the importance of childhood literacy first establishes their decades of experience as an educator. An ad for shampoo features a well-known celebrity hairdresser who vouches for the product.
ethos
49
euphemism
polite, mild phrases which substitute unpleasant ways of saying something sad or uncomfortable.
50
Example of what?: We have to let you go, Tyler (meaning fire) or friendly fire (one army accidentally killing its own soldiers).
Euphemism
51
exposition
the first paragraph or paragraphs in which the characters, setting (time and place), and basic information is introduced.
52
Example of what?: A movie starts by panning over the city or countryside and showing the main character doing something such as walking, working, or waking up.
exposition
53
fallacy
a mistaken belief, especially one based on an unsound argument.
54
Example of what?: "The notion that the camera never lies is a _______"
fallacy
55
hamartia
the tragic flaw or error that reverses a protagonist’s fortune from good to bad. Hamartia, pronounced hah-mahr-tee--uh, is derived from the Greek phrase hamartanein meaning “to err” or “to miss the mark.”
56
Example of what?: ________ includes character flaws such as excessive ambition, greed, or pride which result in tragic consequences.
Hamartia
57
homophone
Greek for “same sound.” It’s when two or more words have the same sound, but different meanings.
58
Example of what?: to, too, two, or bear, bare.
Homophone
59
hubris
means “excessive pride” or “overconfidence. It’s when somebody gets so confident that they start to believe they’re invincible. As a result, they make foolish decisions that ultimately bring about their defeat.
60
Example of what?: Advertisements for Titanic said she was “practically unsinkable,”
hubris
61
hyperbole
a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme.
62
idiom
a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning different from the words used.
63
imagery
Language used by poets, novelists, and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader. Imagery includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the reader’s experience through their senses.
64
inference
An inference is the process of drawing a conclusion from supporting evidence. It’s when you go beyond the evidence and reach some further conclusion
65
innuendo
when you say something which is polite and innocent on the surface, but indirectly hints at an insult or rude comment, a dirty joke, or even social or political criticism.
66
Example of what?: I’ve found a way to get some “extra help” on the test.
innuendo
67
irony
when there are two contradicting meanings of the same situation, event, image, sentence, phrase, or story.
68
Example of what?: A popular visual representation of irony shows a seagull sitting on top of a “no seagulls” sign.
irony
69
juxtaposition
the placement of two or more things side by side, often in order to bring out their differences.
70
Example of what?: A butler spends his days in a beautiful mansion dressed in a tuxedo, but returns home to a closet-sized apartment in a rundown part of town.
juxtaposition
71
logos
the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audience's sense of reason or logic
72
motif
a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story. Motifs can be symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or words.
73
Example of what?: Bad weather: Throughout the story, there is surprisingly bad weather—snow, freezing rain, and even a tornado. These weather conditions further emphasize the larger theme of nature’s power over humans.
motif
74
nemesis
is an enemy, often a villain.
75
onomatopoeia
refers to words whose pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe
76
Example of what?: Dogs bark, ruff, woof, arf, and howl. Cats meow, hiss, and purr. Frogs croak, chirp, and ribbit. Cows go moo. Horses neigh and whinny. Lions roar. The rooster goes cock-a- doodle-do!
onomatopoeia
77
oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements. The combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse, or give the reader a laugh.
78
Example of what?: My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos if you will. Same difference.
Oxymoron
79
paradox
a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that demonstrate how our thinking sometimes goes haywire, even when we use perfectly logical reasoning to get there.
80
Example of what?: This statement is a lie. (This is the most famous of all logical ________ because it’s so simple. These five simple words are self-contradictory: if the statement is true, then it’s a lie, which means it’s not true. But if it’s not true, then it’s a lie, which makes it true. Yikes!)
paradox
81
parallelism
also known as parallel structure, is when phrases in a sentence have similar or the same grammatical structure. In its most basic usage, parallelism provides a phrase with balance and clarity. Parallelism also serves to give phrases a pattern and rhythm.
82
parody
a work that’s created by imitating an existing original work in order to make fun of or comment on an aspect of the original. Parodies can target celebrities, politicians, authors, a style or trend, or any other interesting subject.
83
pathos
One of the three basic argumentative appeals, which appeals to emotion.
84
Example of what?: ASPCA commercials of neglected animals; encouraging audiences to donate money
pathos
85
personification
a kind of metaphor in which you describe an inanimate object, abstract thing, or non-human animal in human terms
86
situational irony
the irony of something happening that is very different from what was expected
87
Example of what?: a fire station burning down
situational irony
88
soliloquy
a kind of monologue or an extended speech by one character. The character is simply “thinking out loud” or talking to an empty room.
89
Example of what?: Remember when Romeo was standing under Juliet’s Balcony in Act 2 Sc. 2 professing his love for her to the night sky?
soliloquy
90
stereotype
Stereotyping is assuming that “they’re all alike.” It’s looking at a whole group of people and assuming that they all share certain qualities.
91
synecdoche (si-nek-duh-kee)
a figure of speech that allows a part to stand for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part.
92
Example of what?: You refer to your car as your “wheels” or a handful of quarters, dimes, and pennies as the “change” needed to pay the meter
synecdoche
93
trope
The word trope can refer to any type of figure of speech, theme, image, character, or plot element that is used many times.
94
understatement
Understatement is when a writer presents a situation or thing as if it is less important or serious than it is in reality.
95
vernacular
everyday speech. It’s just the way people talk in day-to-day life. The opposite of vernacular is formal writing.
96
Example of what?: The word “y’all” is very common vernacular in more Southern states.
vernacular

English 10H (2 decks)

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