Course Terminology Flashcards
ad hominem
a fallacy of argument in which the writer responds with irrelevant attacks on a person’s character rather than their claims
ad populum
a fallacy of argument in which the argument is considered sound simply due to its broad acceptance
allegory
the device of using character and/or story elements to represent an abstraction beyond the literal meaning
alliteration
the repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds, in neighboring words
allusion
a direct or indirect reference to a commonly known event, book, myth, place, or work of art
ambiguity
the multiple meanings (whether or not intentional) of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage
analogy
a similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them
anaphora
a figure of speech involving repetition, particularly of the same word at the beginning of several clauses
anecdote
a brief story used to illustrate a point or claim
antagonist
a person or force opposing the protagonist
anti-hero
a notable figure in a story who lacks heroic qualities (courage, physical prowess, and perseverance) and feels helpless in a world over which they have no control
antimetabole
repetition of identical words in reverse order
antithesis
the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite
aphorism
a short statement (of known authorship) which expresses a general truth or moral principle
apology
a defense is the framework for a discussion
apostrophe
a figure of speech that directly addresses someone or something that cannot answer
appeal
means of persuasion
logos
appeals to logic through use of facts and science
pathos
appeals to emotion by stimulating pity and sorrow
ethos
appeals to credibility and character of writer
archetype
patterns that recur in legends, ceremonies, and stories
argument
expression of a point of view, accompanied with evidence
aside
a short soliloquy
assonance
repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
asyndenton
a style where conjunctions are omitted
atmosphere
the emotional feeling of a literary work, established through setting and descriptions
attitude
tone, voice, and mood of writing`
balance
a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal
bandwagon
see “ad populum fallacy” (everyone’s doing it so it must be right)
begging the question
a fallacy in which a claim is based on doubted support, therefore “begging the question” that the evidence is sound
cacophony
harsh or jarring sounds in a line or passage
canon
accepted as authentic
caricature
a description used to exaggerate a person’s distinctive qualities for comedic effect
character
a person in a literary work
round character
has many traits
flat character
has few traits
static character
character who doesn’t change as a result of the story
dynamic character
character who changes as a result of the story
characterization
outlining the qualities of a particular character
direct characterization
writer directly tells what a character is like through description and dialogue
indirect characterization
the reader has to figure out what a character is like based on their actions and thoughts
chiasumus
repetition of grammatical structures in inverted order
circular reasoning
argument repeats a claim in order to provide evidence
claim
a statement of an argument’s main idea or position
cause and effect
seeks to explain the chain of how things relate to each other
fact
asserts that something is true or untrue
policy
proposes a change
value
argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong
problem/solution
an issue and its solved outcome
cliche
a trite, stereotyped expression that has become overused to the point of little impact or meaning
colloquial(ism)
the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing
comic relief
the use of a humorous character or scene to contrast with tragic elements of a work
common ground
a basis of mutual interest or agreement that is established in the course of an argument
comparison/contrast
the examination of similarities and differences between a group of things
conceit
a prolonged comparison of two unlikely things (often in the form of an extended metaphor or analogy)
concession
an acknowledgment that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable
confirmation
the development of proof in an argument through the use of claims and supporting evidence
conflict
a disagreement
internal conflict
a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character
external conflict
a character struggles against an outside force; often society, nature, or another character
connotation
the non-literal, associative meaning of a word
consonance
repetition of two or more consonants in close proximity
context
the entire situation surrounding a piece of writing
convention
accepted manner, model, or tradition
conviction
a belief that a claim or course of action is true or reasonable
counter argument
an argument in opposition to another
couplet
two consecutive lines of poetry that form a unit
credibility
an impression of integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness conveyed by a writer in an argument
critique
a detailed analysis or assessment
deductive reasoning
argument in which specific conclusions are drawn from general principles
denotation
the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word
deux ex machine
an unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation
dialect
way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or group of people
diction
specific word choice to persuade or convey tone
didactic
words with the intention of teaching or instructing (especially moral or ethical principles)
digression
a message that departs from the main subject
discourse
discussion on a specific topic
exposition
explain and analyze information by presenting an idea
description
recreate, invent, or visually present something for the reader to understand
narration
tells about an event, story, experience, etc.
dogmatism
a fallacy of argument in which a claim is supported on the grounds that it’s the only acceptable conclusion within a given community
either/or argument
a fallacy in which two extreme options are presented as the only options
elegy
poetic lament upon the death of a particular person
ellipsis
three periods in a row; indicating that some material has been omitted
enthymeme
a syllogism with one of the premises implied and taken for granted as understood
epigraph
a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work that is suggestive of the theme
epistrophe
repetition of a phrase at the end of sentences
epitaph
praise for a dead person; usually on a headstone
equivocation
a fallacy of argument in which a lie is given the appearance of truth, or in which the truth is misrepresented in deceptive language
eulogy
a speech or prose in praise of a deceased person
euphemism
a less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept
euphony
pleasant, melodious presentation of sounds in a literary work
exordium
the beginning or introductory part of a treaty or argument; establishes ethos and purpose of discourse
extended metaphor
a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently throughout a literary work
fable
a short story in which animals or objects speak to teach a moral or religious lesson
fallacy
a failure of reasoning in an argument
figurative language
writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning
figure of speech
any device used to produce figurative language
flashback
a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, or episodes
foil
a character that contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) and highlights various traits of the main character’s personality
form
the shape or structure of a literary work
Freudian terms
terms coined by neurologist Sigmund Freud
ID
instant gratification, impulsive actions, subconscious selfishness
EGO
balances ID and SUPEREGO and makes decisions based on advice from both
SUPEREGO
moral compass, causes guilt, can punish self for not meeting expectations
Freytag’s Pyramid
diagram of dramatic structure (exposition - rising action - climax - falling action - resolution)
genre
the major category into which a literary work fits
grounds
reasons or supporting evidence
hasty generalization
basing an argument on limited or insufficient evidence
homily
a serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
hyperbole
a figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement
imagery
the sensory details or figurative language used to describe something
inductive reasoning
argument in which general conclusions are drawn from specific facts
inference
to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented
innuendo
subtle or indirect observation about a person or thing (usually of disparaging nature)
intended readers
the actual people whom a writer consciously wants to address in a piece of writing
invective
an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language
inversion
inverted order of words in a sentence
invoked readers
the readers directly addressed or implied in a text (whether intended or not by the author)
irony
the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be true and what is actually true
verbal irony
when the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) meaning
situational irony
when events turn out the opposite of what was expected
dramatic irony
when facts or events are unknown to a character but known to the reader, audience, or other characters
isocolon
succession of clauses of approximately equal length and structure
jargon
specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group
judgment/value
evaluation about the accuracy or error of something, usually based on a particular set of values
juxtaposition
placement of two things close together to emphasize similarities or differences
leading questions
a question that prompts or encourages the desired answer
litote
a form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite
logic
process of reasoning
logical fallacies
potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument
metaphor
a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other
metonymy
a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated thing
monologue
a long speech given by one person in the company of others (not to be confused with soliloquy)
mood
the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work
motif
repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work (used to develop theme or characters)
narrative
the telling of a story or an account of an event
non sequitur
a fallacy of argument in which claims, reasons, or warrants fail to connect logically
occasion
the time and place a speech is given or a piece is written
onomatopoeia
a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the form of words
overgeneralization
statements that are so general that they oversimplify reality
oxymoron
a figure of speech in which the author groups apparently contradictory terms together to suggest a paradox
pacing
movement of a literary piece from one point to another
parable
a short story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson
paradox
a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer examination contains some degree of truth or validity
paralepsis
giving emphasis by professing to say little or nothing about a subject but still (somehow) reveals it
parody
a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule
pedantic
words, phrases, or general tone that are overly scholarly, academic, or bookish
persona
the aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others
personification
a figure of speech in which the author presents concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions
persuasion
a type of argument that aims to change a person’s attitude or behavior
plot
a sequence of events in a literary work
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
first person
the narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun (“I”)
third person
the narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns (“he”, “she”, “it”)
third person omniscient
the narrator presents the thoughts and actions of any and all characters
third person limited
the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character and only the actions of the rest
polysyndeton
sentence that uses “and” or other conjunctions multiple times with no commas to separate items in a series
post-hoc argument
a fallacy of argument that implies that anything is a cause simply because it happened earlier (“correlation does not imply causation”)
precedents
actions or decisions in the past that have established a pattern or model for subsequent actions
premise
a statement or position regarded as true and upon which other claims are based
prior knowledge
knowledge that stems from previous experience
prolepsis
the anticipation and answering of possible objections
propaganda
an argument advancing a point of view without regard to reason, fairness, or truth
prose
“ordinary writing” that is made up of sentences and paragraphs without any metrical (or rhyming) structure
protagonist
character that the reader is meant to be concerned with
pun
a play on words that are either identical in sound or similar in sound but are sharply different in meaning
purpose
the goal the speaker wants to achieve
qualifier
words or phrases that are added to another word to modify its meaning, either by limiting or enhancing it
qualitative evidence
evidence supported by reason, tradition, or precedent
quantitative evidence
includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers
realism
describing nature/life without idealization
rebuttal
gives voice to possible objections
red herring
when a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue
refutation
a denial of the validity of an opposing argument
repetition
the duplication, either exact or approximate, or any element of language
rhetoric
the art of finding ways of persuading an audience through language
rhetorical analysis
an examination of how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience
rhetorical question
a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than the purpose of getting an answer
rhetorical situation
the relationship between topic, author, audience, and other contexts that determine or evoke an appropriate response
Rogerian argument
an approach to argumentation based on the principle that audiences respond best when they don’t feel threatened
sarcasm
bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something
satire
the use of humor to ridicule human weaknesses, vices, or stupidity with the hope of bringing about social reform
scare tactic
a fallacy of argument in which an issue is presented in terms of exaggerated threats or dangers
scheme
a figure of speech that involves a special arrangement of words, such as inversion
semantics
the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relations to one another
setting
time and place of a literary work
simile
direct comparison that uses “like” or “as”
slippery slope
a fallacy of argument exaggerating the possibility that a relatively inconsequential action or choice today will have serious consequences in the future
SOAPS
the elements of a historical situation - subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker
abstract
language that describes concepts rather than concrete images
soliloquy
a prolonged aside heard only by the speaker and audience (no other characters)
spin
a kind of political advocacy that makes any fact or event, no matter how unfavorable, serve a political purpose
stacking the deck
fallacy of argument in which the writer shows only one side of the argument
stance
a speaker’s attitude toward the audience (not to be confused with tone, or attitude towards the subject)
straw man argument
a fallacy of argument in which an opponent’s position is misrepresented as being more extreme than in actually is (so it’s easier to refute)
structure
the organization and form of a work
style
the way an author writes, including classification and comparison to other writers
syllogism
a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
symbolism
anything that represents itself and stands for something else
synecdoche
figure of speech that uses a part to represent a whole
synesthesia
when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another
synthesis
combining two or more ideas in order to create something more complex in support of a new idea
syntax
the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences
tautology
repetition of the same statement
testimony
a personal experience or observation used to support an argument
theme
the central idea or message of a work
thesis
the statement that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position
tone
the author’s attitude towards his material, the audience, or both
Toulmin model
an approach to analyzing and constructing arguments that can be stated as a template: “because (evidence), therefore (claim), since (warrant or assumption), on account of (backing), unless (observation)”
transition
a word or phrase that links different ideas
understatement
the ironic minimizing of fact
verisimilitude
the appearance of being true
vernacular
language spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region
voice
source of words behind a story
vulgate
common, recognized text or version of a work
warrant
expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience
wit
intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights
zeugma
use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different meanings
antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
clause
a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb
complex sentence
a sentence that includes one independent clause and at lease one dependent clause
compound sentence
a sentence that includes at least two independent clauses
cumulative sentence
a sentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence then builds or adds on
horative sentence
a sentence that exhorts, urges, entreats, implores, or calls to action
imperative sentence
a sentence used to command or enjoin
loose sentence / non-periodic sentence
a sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses
parallelism
also known as parallel structure
periodic sentence
the opposite of a loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end
subject complement
the word or clause that follows a linking verb and completes the subject of the sentence by either renaiming it or describing it
predicate nominative
a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject
predicate adjective
an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb
subordinate clause
a clause that cannot stand alone, (often begin with although, because, unless, if, even though, since, as soon as, while, who, when, where, how, that)
