LiteraryTerms Aesthetics Aphilosophicalinvestigationintothenatureofbeautyandtheperceptionofbeauty especiallyinthearts;thetheoryofartorartistictaste. Allegory Astoryorvisualimagewithaseconddistinctmeaningpartiallyhiddenbehinditsliteralor visiblemeaning.inwrittennarrative involvesacontinuousparallelbetweentwo(ormore)levels ofmeaninginastorysothatitspersonsandeventscorrespondtotheirequivalentsinasystemofideas orachainofeventsexternaltothetale. Allusion Anindirectorpassingreferencetosomeeventpersonplaceorartisticworkthenatureand relevanceofwhichisnotexplainedbythewriterbutreliesonthereader'sfamiliaritywithwhatisthus mentioned. Ambiguity Astatementwhichcancontaintwoormoremeanings.Forexamplewhentheoracleat DelphitoldCroesusthatifhewagedwaronCyrushewoulddestroyagreatempireCroesusthoughtthe oraclemeanthisenemy'sempire.infacttheempirecroesusdestroyedwashisown. Analogy Aresemblanceofrelations;anagreementorlikenessbetweenthingsinsomecircumstances oreffectswhenthethingsareotherwiseentirelydifferent. Anaphora repetitionofawordorphraseatthebeginningofsuccessivephrasesclausesorsentences. "Weshallnotflagorfail.Weshallgoontotheend.WeshallfightinFrance" Anecdote Averyshorttaletoldbyacharacterinaliterarywork.InChaucer'sCanterburyTales The Miller'sTale and TheCarpenter'sTale areexamples. Antagonist thecharacter,force,orcollectionofforcesinfictionordramathatopposestheprotagonist andgivesrisetotheconflictofthestory Anti hero aprotagonistwhohastheoppositeofmostofthetraditionalattributesofahero.[a characterwho]maybebewilderedineffectualdeludedormerelypathetic. Aphorism Abriefstatementwhichexpressesanobservationonlifeusuallyintendedasawise observation.benjaminfranklin'spoorrichard'salmanaccontainsnumerousexamplesoneofwhichis Drivethybusiness;letitnotdrivethee." Apostrophe Afigureofspeechwhereinthespeakerspeaksdirectlytosomethingnonhuman. Archetype atermusedtodescribeuniversalsymbolsthatevokedeepandsometimesunconscious responsesinareader.inliteraturecharactersimagesandthemesthatsymbolicallyembodyuniversal meaningsandbasichumanexperiences Aside Adeviceinwhichacharacterinadramamakesashortspeechwhichisheardbytheaudience butnotbyothercharactersintheplay Asyndeton Theomissionofaconjunctionfromalist('chipsbeanspeasvinegarsaltpepper') Canon agreekwordthatimpliesruleorlawandisusedinliteratureasthesourcewhichregulates whichselectionofauthorsorworkswouldbeconsideredimportantpiecesofliterature.
Catharsis describesthereleaseoftheemotionsofpityandfearbytheaudienceattheendofatragedy. InhisPoeticsAristotlediscussestheimportanceofcatharsis.Theaudiencefacesthemisfortunesofthe protagonist,whichelicitpityandcompassion.simultaneouslytheaudiencealsoconfrontsthefailureof theprotagonistthusreceivingafrighteningreminderofhumanlimitationsandfrailties. Chiasmus Atermfromclassicalrhetoricthatdescribesasituationinwhichyouintroducesubjectsin theorderabandcandthentalkaboutthemintheordercbanda. Climax Theturningpointoftheplayornoveltowhichtherisingactionleads.Thisisthecrucialpartof thedramathepartthatdeterminestheoutcomeoftheconflict. Colloquialism spokenorwrittencommunicationthatseekstoimitateinformalspeech Comedy Aliteraryworkwhichisamusingandendshappily.Moderncomediestendtobefunnywhile Shakespeareancomediessimplyendwell. Conceit Afar fetchedsimileormetaphoraliterarywhichoccurswhenthespeakercomparestwo highlydissimilarthings. Connotation Theemotionalimplicationsandassociationsthatwordsmaycarryasdistinguishedfrom theirdenotativemeanings Denotation Thebasicdictionarymeaningofawordasopposedtoitsconnotativemeaning DeusExMachina Anunrealisticorunexpectedinterventiontorescuetheprotagonistsorresolvethe conflict.thetermmeans""thegodoutofthemachine""andreferstostagemachinery. Diction Anauthor'schoiceofwords.Sincewordshavespecificmeaningsandsinceone'schoiceof wordscanaffectfeelingsawriter'schoiceofwordscanhavegreatimpactinaliterarywork. Didactic Aworkdesignedtoimpartinformationadviceorsomedoctrineofmoralityorphilosophy. Dystopia seeutopia Epigraph Abriefquotationwhichappearsatthebeginningofaliterarywork. Epigram Apithy,sometimessatiriccoupletorquatrainwhichwaspopularinclassicLatinliterature andineuropeanandenglishliteratureoftherenaissanceandtheneo Classicalera. Epithet Inliteratureawordofphraseprecedingorfollowinganamewhichservestodescribethe character.forexampleintheiliad:zeus lovedachilles Exegesis Criticalinterpretationofatextespeciallyabiblicaltext;fromtheGreekex +egeisthai meaning"toleadout." Farce Atypeofcomedybasedonahumoroussituationsuchasabankrobberwhomistakenly wandersintoapolicestationtohide.inthiscaseitisthesituationwhichprovidesthehumornotthe clevernessofplotorlines
Formalism strictobservanceoftheestablishedrulestraditionsandmethodsemployedinthearts,can alsorefertothetheoryofartthatreliesheavilyontheorganizationofformsinaworkratherthanon thecontent. FramingDevice Astoryinwhichoneormoreotherstoriesaretold.ExamplesincludethePrologueto thecanterburytalesandtheplayatthebeginningofthetamingoftheshrew. Genre Aliterarygenreisarecognizableandestablishedcategoryofwrittenworkemployingsuch commonconventionsaswillpreventreadersoraudiencesfrommistakingit[with]anotherkind Gothic characterizedbygloomandmysteryandthegrotesque;gothicnovelsincludefrankenstein Homily Aninspirationalsayingorplatitude. Hubris acommonthemeingreektragediesandmythologywhosestoriesoftenfeaturedprotagonists sufferingfromhubrisandsubsequentlybeingpunishedbythegodsforit. Hyperbole Afigureofspeechinwhichanoverstatementorexaggerationisusedfordeliberateeffect Idiom Aspecializedvocabularyusedbyagroupofpeople;jargonorastyleormannerofexpression peculiartoagivenpeople Imagery thecollectionofimageswithinaliterarywork.usedtoevokeatmospheremoodtension.for exampleimagesofcrowdedsteamingsidewalksflankingstreetschokedwithlinesofshimmering smokingcarssuggestsoppressiveheatandallthepsychologicaltensionsthatgowithit. InMediaRes inorintothemiddleofasequenceofeventsasinaliterarynarrative IntentionalFallacy assumingfromthetextwhattheauthorintendedtomean Interpolation Apassageincludedinanauthor'sworkwithouthis/herconsent Intertextuality isawayofaccountingfortheroleofliteraryandextra literarymaterialswithout recoursetotraditionalnotionsofauthorship.aliteraryworkthenisnotsimplytheproductofasingle authorbutofitsrelationshiptoothertextsandtothestructuresoflanguageitself. Inversion reversalofthenormalorderofwordsfordramaticeffect Irony Adevicethatdependsontheexistenceofatleasttwoseparateandcontrastinglevelsofmeaning embeddedinonemessage.verbalironyissarcasmwhenthespeakersayssomethingotherthanwhat theyreallymean.indramaticironytheaudienceismoreawarethanthecharactersinawork. Situationalironyoccurswhentheoppositeofwhatisexpectedhappens.Thistypeofironyoften emphasizesthatpeoplearecaughtinforcesbeyondtheircomprehensionandcontrol. Litotes afigureofspeechbywhichanaffirmationismadeindirectlybydenyingitsopposite,usually withaneffectofunderstatement:commonexamplesarenomeanfeatandnotaversetoadrink.this figureisnotuncommoninallkindsofwriting. MagicalRealism aliterarytechniquewherethedisbeliefofthereaderandwriterproducesa momentaryshiftintherealworldwhereinanelementofthesurrealentersandleaveswithease.
Malapropism isanincorrectusageofawordusuallywithcomiceffect."heistheverypineappleof politeness." Metaphor atypeoffigurativelanguageinwhichastatementismadethatsaysthatonethingis somethingelsebutliterallyitisnot.inconnectingoneobjecteventorplacetoanother.ametaphorcan uncovernewandintriguingqualitiesoftheoriginalthingthatwemaynotnormallynoticeoreven considerimportant.metaphoriclanguageisusedinordertorealizeanewanddifferentmeaning. Metonymy Afigureofspeechinwhichawordrepresentssomethingelsewhichitsuggests.For exampleinaherdoffiftycowstheherdmightbereferredtoasfiftyheadofcattle. Minimalism astyleofartinwhichobjectsarestrippeddowntotheirelementalgeometricformand presentedinanimpersonalmanner,inliteraturetheuseofshortdescriptionsandsimplesentences. Monologue thoughtsofasinglepersondirectedoutward. Motif Arecurrentimagewordphraserepresentedobjectoractionthattendstounifytheliterarywork orthatmaybeelaboratedintoamoregeneraltheme Naturalism Thetermnaturalismdescribesatypeofliteraturethatattemptstoapplyscientific principlesofobjectivityanddetachmenttoitsstudyofhumanbeings.unlikerealism,whichfocuseson literarytechnique,naturalismimpliesaphilosophicalposition Nemesis avillainwhohasaparticularinterestindefeatingaheroorgroupofheroesandwhoisoften ofparticularinteresttothehero(es)inreturn. Oxymoron Acombinationofcontradictorytermslikecompassionateconservative. Parallelism therepetitionofwordsphrasessentencesthathavethesamegrammaticalstructureor thatrestateasimilaridea.restatementisrepetitionofanentireideaindifferentwords.structuralism Parallelismistherepetitionofawordorentiresentencepattern.Antithesisisconnectingideasthatare oppositeratherthansimilar. Parable abriefandoftensimplenarrativethatillustratesamoralorreligiouslesson.someofthebest knownareinthebiblewherejesususesthemtoteachhisdisciples. PatheticFallacy Theattributionofhumanemotionsorcharacteristicstoinanimateobjectsorto nature;forexampleangryclouds;acruelwind. Parody aliteraryforminwhichthestyleofanauthororparticularworkismockedinitsstyleforthe sakeofcomiceffect Pastoral Ofrelatingtoorbeingaliteraryorotherartisticworkthatportraysorevokesrurallife usuallyinanidealizedway. Persona Inliteraturethepersonaisthenarratororthestorytellerofaliteraryworkcreatedbythe author.asliterature:anintroductiontofictionpoetryanddramaputsit,thepersonaisnottheauthor buttheauthor'screation thevoice"throughwhichtheauthorspeaks."
Personification Afigureofspeechwhereanimalsideasorinorganicobjectsaregivenhuman characteristics.oneexampleofthisisjamesstephens'spoemthewind;inwhichwindperformsseveral actions.inthepoemstephenswrites,"thewindstoodupandgaveashout.hewhistledonhistwo fingers." PointofView awaytheeventsofastoryareconveyedtothereaderitisthe"vantagepoint"from whichthenarrativeispassedfromauthortothereader. Intheomniscientpointofviewthepersontellingthestoryornarratorknowseverythingthatis goingoninthestory. Inthefirst personpointofviewthenarratorisacharacterinthestory.usingthepronoun I thenarratortellsushisorherownexperiencesbutcannotrevealwithcertaintyanyother character sprivatethoughts. Inthelimitedthird personpointofviewthenarratorisoutsidethestory likeanomniscient narrator buttellsthestoryfromthevantagepointofonecharacter Polemic Acontroversialargumentespeciallyonerefutingorattackingaspecificopinionordoctrine. Protagonist thecentralcharacterofaliterarywork Realism Broadlydefinedas""thefaithfulrepresentationofreality"or"verisimilitude"realismisa literarytechniquepracticedbymanyschoolsofwriting.althoughstrictlyspeakingrealismisa techniqueitalsodenotesaparticularkindofsubjectmatterespeciallytherepresentationofmiddleclasslife. Rhetoric Theartofpersuasiveargumentthroughwritingorspeech theartofeloquenceand charismaticlanguage. RomanaClef anovelinwhichactualpersonsandeventsaredisguisedasfictionalcharacters Romance Themythosofliteratureconcernedprimarilywithanidealizedworld.Aformofprose fictionpracticedbyscotthawthornewilliammorrisetc.distinguishablefromthenovel. Romanticism whichwasareactiontotheclassicismoftheearly18thcenturyfavoredfeelingover reasonandplacedgreatemphasisonthesubjectiveorpersonalexperienceoftheindividual.naturewas alsoamajortheme. Satire Aliteraryworkwhichexposesandridiculeshumanvicesorfolly.Historicallyperceivedas tendingtowarddidacticismitisusuallyintendedasamoralcriticismdirectedagainsttheinjusticeof socialwrongs. Scansion Theanalysisofapoem'smeter.Thisisusuallydonebymarkingthestressedandunstressed syllablesineachlineandthenbasedonthepatternofthestressesdividingthelineintofeet. Semantics thestudyofthemeaningoflanguageasopposedtoitsform Semiotics theoriesregardingsymbolismandhowpeoplegleanmeaningfromwordssoundsand pictures. StockCharacter afictionalcharacterthatreliesheavilyonculturaltypesorstereotypesforits personalitymannerofspeechandothercharacteristics.stockcharactersareinstantlyrecognizableto membersofagivenculture.
StreamofConsciousness techniquethatrecordsthemultifariousthoughtsandfeelingsofacharacter withoutregardtologicalargumentornarrativesequence.thewriterattemptsbythestreamof consciousnesstoreflectalltheforcesexternalandinternalinfluencingthepsychologyofacharacterata singlemoment. Subtext thehiddenmeaninglyingbehindtheovert. Synecdoche Afigureofspeechinwhichapartofsomethingstandsforthewholeorthewholefora partaswheelsforautomobileorsocietyforhighsociety. Syntax Thewayinwhichlinguisticelements(wordsandphrases)arearrangedtoformgrammatical structure. Soliloquy Adramaticorliteraryformofdiscourseinwhichacharactertalkstohimselforherselfor revealshisorherthoughtswithoutaddressingalistener. Tone thewriter'sattitudetowardthematerialand/orreaders.tonemaybeplayful,formal,intimate, angry,serious,ironic,outraged,baffled,tender,serene,depressed, Theme Theabstractconceptexploredinaliterarywork Frequentlyrecurringideassuchasenjoy lifewhile you can Repetitionofameaningfulelementinaworksuchasreferencestosightvisionandblindnessin OedipusRex. Tragedy Aseriousplayinwhichthechieffiguresbysomepeculiarityofcharacterpassthrougha seriesofmisfortunesleadingtoafinaldevastatingcatastrophe. TragicFlaw/Hamartia thecharacterflaworerrorofatragicherothatleadstohisdownfall Trope Theintentionaluseofawordorexpressionfigurativelyi.e.usedinadifferentsensefromits originalsignificanceinordertogivevividnessoremphasistoanidea.someimportanttypesoftropes are:antonomasia(callingsovereignyourmajesty),irony,metaphor,metonymyandsynecdoche. Utopia/Dystopia animaginaryandindefinitelyremoteplaceofidealperfectionespeciallyinlaws governmentandsocialconditions,animaginaryplacewherepeopleleaddehumanizedandoftenfearful lives;animaginaryplaceorstatewhereeverythingisasbadasitpossiblycanbe:oradescriptionof suchaplace. Verisimilitude SeeRealism Vernacular theeverydayspeechofthepeople(asdistinguishedfromliterarylanguage) Vignette asmallillustrativesketch Voice inwriting,ametaphordrawnfromthespokenencompassingthewriter'stonestyleandmanner. YoumayalsoenjoyVocabularyForTheUnmotivated(completewithtests):
http://www.world english.org/improve_vocabulary.htm