Lit Terms Presentation Emily Beaudette, Amy Bryant, Manuel Rios, Rebecca Stobby
Tercet any three lines of poetry, whether as a stanza or as a poem, rhymed or unrhymed, metered or unmetered PB Shelley and Lord Byron often used tercet poetry form Ter means three, so it s easy to remember a tercet is any three lines of poetry
Theme An underlying meaning, message, or moral of a literary work that is stated directly or indirectly Example: The theme of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is lying and deceiving others breaks trust. Way to remember theme: Theme Helps Evaluate Meaning Everywhere
Volta The turn of thought or argument in a sonnet For a Petrarchan sonnet, this occurs between the octave and the sestet For a Shakespearean sonnet, this occurs before the final two lines Example: When the poem changes from describing one s flawed beauty to admiring the person s inner beauty and qualities, this is the volta. The root vol means to turn!!
Zeugma A figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses or to two others of which it suits only one Example: The farmers grew potatoes and bored. Queen Anne dost sometimes counsel take and sometimes tea. ( The Rape of the Lock ) A way to remember: If you are doing Zumba (which sounds similar to zeugma), your eyes and calves will be weeping.
Abstract As applied to writing or literary works, abstract refers to words or phrases that name things not knowable through the five senses. Can be a feeling. Example: Love or art can be abstract. Way to Remember: ABS-track. Someone brags about their abs, but you have to squint to see them.
Allegory A narrative technique in which characters representing objects or abstract ideas are used to convey a message or teach a lesson. Allegory is typically used to teach moral, ethical, or religious lessons but is sometimes used for satiric or political purposes. Examples: John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, George Orwell's Animal Farm and Golding s lord of the Flies Tortoise and the Hare: Slow and steady wins the race Way to Remember: All-are-gory. The message is that everyone is human, and sometimes we don t look perfect.
Alliteration The repetition of a speech sound in a sequence of nearby words. Example: Sally sells seashells by the sea shore Coleridge s Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner Ways to remember: All-iteration: iteration meant to repeat. L s repeat in the word.
Ambiguity Ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning, or a hidden one. Ambiguous words or statements can lead to vagueness and confusion. Examples: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Way to remember: ambiguity is a hidden meaning, and the word BIG is hidden in the word.
Analogy Definition: A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification Example: There are plenty of fish in the sea. Way to remember (Mnemonic device): The term has the word log in it so you can think of the analogy that someone is as important to you as logs to a fire (meaning they are very important). From that you can think of the definition being a comparison.
Anaphora Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Example: Every century. Every year. Every month. Every day Way to remember (Mnemonic device): Imagine that one person presenting in your class that does not know how to use different vocabulary for the start of their Sentences. (--------->) Annnnn...aphora. And...
Anastrophe Definition: The inversion of the usual order of words or clauses. Example: Into the goal, the player shot the ball Way to remember (Mnemonic device): Just think about how Yoda talks (maybe this picture will help more)
Anticlimax Definition: A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events. Example: A person in a movie slowly walks down a long highway to a room with a strange noise coming from inside with the door moving back and forth. Then he reaches the room and notices a toy car is continuously hitting the door and the television is playing the strange noise. Way to remember (Mnemonic device): Anti- means opposite and climax is the most important or exciting part of something, so think of the term as the opposite of exciting or impressive.
Antithesis Definition: A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other. Example: John Milton writes in Paradise Lost that it is Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav n. Way to remember (Mnemonic device): Again, anti- means opposite and thesis means a statement, so think of the term as a statement of opposing ideas.
Epigraph Definition: a pertinent motto at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc. Basically, it s an attention getter. Have you ever used a quote to start off an essay? That was an epigraph! You used a well-known saying from a notable author to draw a connection to what you had to say. Epi- means before and a graph is a connection of lines and shapes, so an epigraph is the quote that precedes the thematic connections you make in essays and writers make in literature.
Apposition Definition: the setting of a second word beside a first as an adjunct term Example: Peter, King of Narnia Basically, it s a descriptive repetition of the noun. Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of men
Epistrophe Definition: the repetition of the same word at the end of clauses or sentences. Example: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...we had everything before us, we had nothing before us (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)
Anadiplosis Definition: repetition of a word, especially the last word, of one clause at the beginning of the next. Example: Anna ran through the field of flowers. Flowers were her favorite part of springtime.