1.1 Flashcards
allegory
X
allusion
a direct/indirect reference to things like an event, book, work of art, etc.
Ex: “She’s such a Mona Lisa!” (She’s such a work of art)
ambiguity
Multiple meanings of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Ex: “She bad!” can mean exactly that, OR it can mean she’s fine/good-looking
antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause, referred to by a pronoun
Ex: Max just wanted the truth, it would help him solve the crime. (‘truth’ is the antecedent for ‘it’)
antithesis
The contrast or opposition of ideas.
Ex: Speech is silver, but silence is gold. (contrasting ideas: silver & gold)
aphorism
A short phrase that states a wise principle
Ex: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
atmosphere
The emotional feeling of a literary work; it’s set up by details such as settings, background, and objects, (Tends to foreshadow events)
Ex: It was a dark and eerie night, the routine sound of people talking to one another in the courtyard was replaced with claps of thunder. (The atmosphere is really mysterious and a little scary in this selection)
caricature
an exaggerated or distorted description of a person’s distinct physical features for a comical effect
Ex: Obama has big ears - “Obama’s elephant ears” (Elephants have big ears) (But Obama’s are not THAT big)
clause
a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a verb.
Ex: Independent- can stand by itself ( I like cars.)
Dependent- can’t stand alone (Until she arrives.)
colloquialism
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Ex: “What up dog!” exclaimed Will to Tyrone
conceit
a figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together, usually in the form of a(n) (extended) metaphor, an analogy, or a simile. {Fancy and/or suprising/weird]
Ex: My life is like a free online game, people seem to be playing with it
connotation
The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; usually has emotion or attitude
Ex: The word “knife” has a negative connotation, it usually stands for violence, death, and anger
denotation
The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.
Ex: Knife - an instrument composed of a blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon
didactic
Words/stories with the aim of teaching moral or ethical principles.
Ex: The “King Midas” story taught readers that loving wealth too much can have bad consequences
euphemism
a less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.
Ex: “earthly remains” rather than “corpse”
