ap english 11 glossary

30808397	abstract	refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images
30808398	ad hominem	in an arguement, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. latin: "against the man"
30808399	allegory	a work that functions on a symbolic level
30808400	alliteration	the repetition of initial consonant sounds
30808401	allusion	a reference contained in a work
30808402	analogy	a comparison between two different items
30808403	anecdote	a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illistrate a point
30808404	antecedent	the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
30808405	antithesis	the presentation of two contrasting images; the most mature form of balance
30808406	argument	a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer
30808407	attitude	the relationship an author has toward his/her subject, and/or his/her audience
30808408	balance	a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences, paragraphs, or sections of a longer work
30808409	cacophony	harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work
30808410	character	those who carry out the action of the plot in literature; ex: minor, major, static, dynamic
30808411	colloquial	the use of slang in writing; used to create local color and to provide an informal tone
30808412	comic relief	the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event
30808413	conflict	a clash between opposing forces in a literary work; ex: man vs man, man vs nature, man vs self
30808414	connective tissue	elements that help create coherence in a written piece; ex: repeated words, transitions, conjunctions
30808415	connotation	the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning; can be positive, negative, or neutral
30808416	deduction	the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
30808417	denotation	the literal or dictionary meaning of a word
30808418	dialect	the recreation of regional spoken language
30808419	diction	the author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning
30808420	didactic	writing whose purpose is to instruct or teach; usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns
30808421	discourse	a discussion on a specific topic; written or spoken
30808422	ellipsis	... ; indicates that some material has been omitted from the text
30808423	epigraph	the use of a quotation at the begining of a work that hints at its theme
30808424	euphemism	a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable
30808425	euphony	the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work
30808426	exposition	background information presented in a literary work
30808427	extended metaphor	a sustained comparison, developed throughout a piece of writing; also called a conceit
30808428	figurative language	the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one; ex: metaphor, simile, symbol, hyberbole...
30808429	flashback	a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, or episodes
30808430	form	the shape or structure of a literary work
30808431	hyperbole	extreme exaggeration, often humorous or ironic
30808432	image	a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion
30808433	imagery	language or descriptions that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
30808434	induction	the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
30808435	inference	a conclusion one can draw from the presented details
30808436	invective	a verbally abusive attack
30808437	irony	an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen
30808438	logic	the process of reasoning
30808439	logical fallacy	a mistake in reasoning
30808440	metaphor	a direct comparison between dissimilar things; does not use "like" or "as"
30808441	metonymy	a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea or concept; ex: the pen is mighter than the sword
30808442	monologue	a speech given by one character
30808443	motif	a recurring subject, symbol, theme, idea, etc in a literary work.
30808444	narrator	the speaker of a literary work
30808445	onomatopoeia	words that sound like the sound they represent; ex: hiss, gurgle, pop
30808446	oxymoron	an image of contradictory terms; ex: jumbo shrimp, bitter-sweet
30808447	pacing	the movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another
30808448	parable	a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson
30808449	parody	a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original; depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content
30808450	pathos	an appeal to emotions of the audience, can be used to persuade
30808451	pedantic	writing that borders on lecturing, it's scholarly and academic, difficult and distant, prone to narrow-mindedness
30808452	periodic sentence	presents its main clause at the end of the sentence for emphasis and sentence variety; oreo cookie
30808453	personification	the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts
30808454	persuasion	a type of argument that has as its goal an action on the part of the audience
30808455	plot	a sequence of events in a literary work
30808456	point of view	the method of narration in a literary work; 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person
30808457	pun	a "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but have different meanings; often has a comic effect
30808458	reductio ad absurdum	latin: "to reduce to the absurd"; prove oneself by contradicting oneself; used for comic effect
30808459	rhetoric	refers to the entire process of written communication; used by writers to present ideas effectively to an audience
30808460	rhetorical question	one that does not expect an explicit answer; used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience
30808461	sarcasm	a comic technique that ridicules through caustic language; affects attitude and tone; writer employs language, irony, and wit to mock or scorn
30808462	satire	a mode of writing based on ridicule, that criticizes the follies of society without necessarily offering a solution; ex: eat babies
30808463	setting	the time and place of a literary work
30808464	simile	an indirect comparison using "like" or "as"
30808465	stage directions	the specific instructions a playwright includes conserning sets, characterization, delivery, etc
30808466	stanza	a unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem
30808467	structure	the organization and form of the work
30808468	style	the unique way an author presents his/her ideas; diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute
30808469	summary	reducing the original text into its essential parts
30808470	syllogism	the format of a formal arguement that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
30808471	symbol	something in a literary work that stands for something else
30808472	synecdoche	a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole; ex: all hands on deck
30808473	syntax	the grammatical structure of prose and poetry
30808474	synthesis	locating a number of sources and integrating them into the development and support of a writer's thesis/claim
30808475	theme	the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc
30808476	thesis	the main idea of a piece of writing; presents the author's assertion or claim
30808477	tone	the author's attitude toward his/her subject
30808478	transitions	a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph
30808479	understatement	the opposite of exaggeration; technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended
30808480	voice	1. relationship between a sentence's subject and verb 2. total "sound" of a writers style; can be passive or active