Terms : Hide Images
| 6714150742 | abstract | refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images | 0 | |
| 6714154950 | Ad Hominem | in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man." | 1 | |
| 6714160758 | Allegory | a work that functions on a symbolic level. Each character or object stands for an idea or actual person | 2 | |
| 6714169840 | alliteration | the repetition of initial consonant sounds such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" | 3 | |
| 6714180134 | allusion | a reference to a person, piece of art, or text (usually to the Bible or mythology) that exists outside the world of the text you are reading | 4 | |
| 6714187032 | anecdote | a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point | 5 | |
| 6714192039 | analogy | a literary device used to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items. | 6 | |
| 6714201389 | antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. (The exam will often ask you to identify this in the passage.) | 7 | |
| 6714214867 | antithesis | the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. "to be or not to be..." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country..." | 8 | |
| 6714225315 | argument | a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer | 9 | |
| 6714231588 | attitude | the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or audience | 10 | |
| 6714236364 | balance | a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of longer work | 11 | |
| 6714240128 | cacophony | harsh and discordant sounds in a lone or passage in a literary work | 12 | |
| 6714242688 | character | those who carry out the action of the plot in literature | 13 | |
| 6714245948 | colloquial | the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and provide an informal tone. | 14 | |
| 6714252024 | comic relief | the inclusion of humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the tragic event | 15 | |
| 6714258879 | conflict | a clash between opposing forces in literary work | 16 | |
| 6714261123 | connective tissue | those elements that help create coherence in a written piece | 17 | |
| 6714263367 | connotation | the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning | 18 | |
| 6714267718 | deduction | the process of moving from a general rule to specific details | 19 | |
| 6714270077 | denotation | a literal or dictionary meaning of the word | 20 | |
| 6714277580 | dialect | the recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern Dialect | 21 | |
| 6714281207 | diction | the author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning | 22 | |
| 6714284519 | didactic | writing whose purpose is to instruct or teach. This kind of work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. | 23 | |
| 6714290241 | discourse | a discussion of a specific topic | 24 | |
| 6714291999 | ellipsis | indicated by a series of three periods, this indicates that some material has been omitted from a given text. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole section. Be wary of this device - it could obscure the real meaning of the piece. | 25 | |
| 6714302654 | epigraph | the use of a quotation at the beginning of the work that hints at its theme. | 26 | |
| 6714307725 | euphemism | a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. For example - "He went to his final reward" rather than "He died." These often obscure the reality of the situation. The military will say "collateral damage" to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation. | 27 | |
| 6714327936 | euphony | pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work | 28 | |
| 6714330472 | exposition | background information presented in a literary work | 29 | |
| 6714331770 | extended metaphor | a sustained comparison often referred to as a conceit | 30 | |
| 6714335351 | form | the shape or structure of a literary work | 31 | |
| 6714338896 | hyperbole | extreme exaggeration, often humorous, it can also be ironic | 32 | |
| 6714343795 | image | a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion | 33 | |
| 6714346421 | imagery | the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature | 34 | |
| 6714351759 | induction | the process that moves from a given series of specifics to generalizations | 35 | |
| 6714354411 | inference | a conclusion one can draw from the presented details | 36 | |
| 6714357641 | invective | a verbally abusive attack | 37 | |
| 6714358600 | irony | an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialogue and situation and can be intentional or unplanned. Dramatic... centers around the ignorance of those involved; whereas the audience is aware of the circumstance. | 38 | |
| 6714368678 | logic | the process of reasoning | 39 | |
| 6714369736 | logical fallacy | a mistake in reasoning | 40 | |
| 6714369738 | metaphor | a direct comparison between dissimilar things. "Your eyes are stars" | 41 | |
| 6714375633 | metonymy | a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea. "the pen is mightier than the sword." | 42 | |
| 6714382251 | motif | the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or character | 43 | |
| 6714385065 | narrator | the speaker of a literary work | 44 | |
| 6714386837 | onomatopoeia | words that sound like the sound they represent | 45 | |
| 6714389069 | oxymoron | an image of contradictory terms (bittersweet, jumbo shrimp) | 46 | |
| 6714392512 | pacing | the movement of a literary piece from one point or section to the next | 47 | |
| 6714397918 | parable | a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches moral lessons | 48 | |
| 6714400161 | parody | a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original | 49 | |
| 6714401723 | pathos | the aspects of a literary work that elicit emotion from the audience | 50 | |
| 6714406129 | pedantic | a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant | 51 | |
| 6714411632 | pun | a play on words that often has a comic effect. It is usually associated with wit and cleverness. | 52 | |
| 6714415519 | reductio and absurdum | "to reduce to the absurd" - This is a technique useful in creating comic effect and also an argumentative technique considered rhetorical fallacy. It reduces an argument to an either/or choice. | 53 | |
| 6714424328 | rhetoric | refers to the entire process of written communication and the ability to present ideas to an audience effectively. | 54 | |
| 6714430409 | rhetorical question | a sentence that does not expect an explicit answer. IT is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience. | 55 | |
| 6714435115 | sarcasm | a comic technique that ridicules through caustic language. | 56 | |
| 6714439198 | satire | a mode of writing based on ridicule that criticizes the follies of society | 57 | |
| 6714445973 | style | the unique way an author presents, diction, imagery, structure, and content | 58 | |
| 6714448503 | syllogism | the format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion | 59 | |
| 6714453547 | synecdoche | a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole - "all hands on deck" | 60 | |
| 6714464570 | syntax | grammatical structure of prose | 61 | |
| 6714465975 | synthesis | locating a number of sources and integrating them into the development and support of a writer's thesis or claim | 62 | |
| 6714476301 | theme | the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc... | 63 | |
| 6714480382 | tone | the author's attitude toward his subject | 64 | |
| 6714481881 | transition | a word or phrase at links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph. | 65 | |
| 6714486365 | understatement | the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony or humor where one writes or says less than intended. | 66 |
