Vocab Lit Final

Question 1

Allusion

Answer 1

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work or work of art. Allusions often come from the Bible, classical Greek and Roman myths, plays by Shakespeare, historical or political events and other materials authors expect their readers to know.

Question 2

Aphorism

Answer 2

a general truth or observation about life, usually stated concisely and pointedly. It can be witty or wise. (Francis Bacon – “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.”)

Question 3

Argument

Answer 3

a set of logically related statements consisting of a conclusion and one or more premises. The premises are the reasons for accepting the conclusion. Argument can also refer to a brief summary, or synopsis, of a literary work.

Question 4

Author’s Purpose

Answer 4

his reason for or intent in writing.

Question 5

Creation Myth

Answer 5

a supernatural mytho-religious story or explanation that describes the beginnings of humanity, earth, life, and the universe (cosmogony), usually as a deliberate act of “creation” by one or more deities. Many creation myths share broadly similar themes.

Question 6

Diction

Answer 6

is word choice. Diction can be formal or informal, abstract or concrete, plain or ornate, ordinary or technical. A writer’s choice of words has great impact in a literary work. Hemingway stated that he had to rewrite the ending to A Farewell to Arms 39 times. When asked why, he answered, “Getting the words right.” (Archaic diction refers to words that are no longer in everyday use.)

Question 7

Hyperbole

Answer 7

is a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement (I could sleep for a year. This book weighs a ton.) Macbeth after murdering King Duncan, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?”

Question 8

Infer

Answer 8

logical deductions are made based on premises assumed to be true.

Question 9

Irony

Answer 9

the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Question 10

Logos

Answer 10

to appeal to the audiences’ sense of reason or logic.

Question 11

Metaphor

Answer 11

a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated.

Question 12

Oral Tradition

Answer 12

a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another

Question 13

Parallelism

Answer 13

using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other grammatical elements to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence.

Question 14

Pathos

Answer 14

to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel.

Question 15

Rhetoric

Answer 15

the study and uses of written, spoken and visual language.

Question 16

Romanticism

Answer 16

a literary and artistic movement marked chiefly by an emphasis on the imagination and emotions.

Question 17

Simile

Answer 17

a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as.”

Question 18

Symbol

Answer 18

an object, a person, a situation, or an action that has a literal meaning in a story but suggests or represents other meanings.

Question 19

Theme

Answer 19

a central, unifying idea.

Question 20

Tone

Answer 20

the attitude that a character or narrator or author takes towards a given subject.

Question 21

Repetition

Answer 21

the use of the same word or phrase multiple times

Question 22

Parable

Answer 22

a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.

Question 23

Imagery

Answer 23

is the descriptive language used in literature to recreate sensory experiences relating to sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell. Imagery enriches writing by making it more vivid, setting a tone, suggesting emotions and guiding the reader’s reaction.