Introductory Vocabulary Flashcards
Alliteration
It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.
Ex. - But a better butter makes a batter better.
- A big bully beats a baby boy.
Both sentences are accurate because the same first letter of words (B) occurs close together and produces this in the sentence. An important point to remember here is that accuracy does not depend on letters but on sounds. So the phrase not knotty is also this, but cigarette chase is not.
Allusion
A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.
Ex. You make a literary allusion the moment you say, “I do not approve of this quixotic idea,” Quixotic means stupid and impractical derived from Cervantes’s “Don Quixote”, a story of a foolish knight and his misadventures.
Anaphora
The deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect. Possibly the oldest literary device, has its roots in Biblical Psalms used to emphasize certain words or phrases. Gradually, Elizabethan and Romantic writers brought this device into practice.
Ex. Psalm - “O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?”
The repetition of the phrase “O Lord,” attempts to create a spiritual sentiment.
Anecdote
A short and interesting story or an amusing event often proposed to support or demonstrate some point and make readers and listeners laugh. There is an extensive range of tales and stories. In fact, it is a short description or an account of any event that makes the readers laugh or brood over the topic presented for the purpose.
Ex. “Death in the Arctic” by Robert W. Service
“What is that? Bells, dogs again! Is it a dream? I sob and cry. See! The door opens, fur-clad men Rush to my rescue; frail am I; Feeble and dying, dazed and glad. There is the pistol where it dropped. “Boys, it was hard — but I’m not mad. . . . Look at the clock — it stopped, it stopped. Carry me out. The heavens smile. See! There’s an arch of gold above. Now, let me rest a little while — Looking to God and Love . . .and Love . . .”
In this poem, the speaker is freezing slowly in the Arctic. He recollects the memories of his life and tells the whole story to the readers, but sees flashes of his life before he dies. In fact, he is using this device to tell his life story.
Antagonist
A character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character. The term comes from Greek word “antagonistēs” that means opponent, competitor or rival. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy) against whom a hero (the good guy) fights in order to relieve himself or others. In some cases, they may exist within the protagonist that causes an inner conflict or a moral conflict inside his mind.
Antithesis
This, literal meaning opposite, is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect. It emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses, i.e. the structures of phrases and clauses are similar in order to draw the attention of the listeners or readers.
Ex. “Setting foot on the moon may be a small step for a man but a giant step for mankind.”
The use of contrasting ideas, “a small step” and “a giant step”, in the sentence above emphasizes the significance of one of the biggest landmarks of human history.
Aphorism
A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. To qualify, it is necessary for a statement to contain a truth revealed in a terse manner. These statements are quoted in writings as well as in our daily speech. The fact that they contain a truth gives them a universal acceptance. Scores of philosophers, politicians, writers, artists and sportsman and other individuals are remembered for their famous aphoristic statements. They often come with a pinch of humor, which makes them more appealing to the masses. Proverbs, maxims, adages and clichés are different forms of these statements that gain prevalence from generation to generation and frequently appear in our day-to-day speech.
Ex. - “Youth is a blunder; Manhood a struggle; Old age regret.” - Benjamin Disraeli
- “Pride hath fall.” - Proverb
Apostrophe
In literature, this is a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. A writer or a speaker, using this, detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech.
It is important not to confuse this which is a figure of speech and the punctuation mark (‘). It shows possession or a mark to indicate omission of one or more letters (contractions) while in literature it is an arrangement of words addressing a non-existent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings.
Ex. From “Macbeth” by Shakespeare
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?
Come, let me clutch thee!
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”
In his mental conflict before murdering King Duncan, Macbeth has a strange vision of a dagger and talks to it as if it were another person.
Archetype
In literature, this is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. This, also known as universal symbol, may be a character, a theme, a symbol or even a setting. Many literary critics are of the opinion that these, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work. Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued that the root of one of these is in the “collective unconscious” of mankind. The phrase “collective unconscious” refers to experiences shared by a race or culture. This includes love, religion, death, birth, life, struggle, survival etc. These experiences exist in the subconscious of every individual and are recreated in literary works or in other forms of art.
Ex. The Hero: He or she is a character who predominantly exhibits goodness and struggles against evil in order to restore harmony and justice to society e.g. Beowulf, Hercules, D’artagnan from “The Three Musketeers” etc.
Assonance
This takes place when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds.
Ex. “Men sell the wedding bells.”
The same vowel sound of the short vowel “-e-” repeats itself in almost all the words excluding the definite article. The words do share the same vowel sounds but start with different consonant sounds unlike alliteration that involves repetition of the same consonant sounds.
Asyndeton
Derived from a Greek word that which means unconnected. It is a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in the sentence, yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. This literary tool helps in reducing the indirect meaning of the phrase and presents it in a concise form. It started to be seen in Greek and Latin literature.
Types of Asyndeton
A. One type of asyndeton is used between words, phrases and a sentence.
Ex. “Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?” (Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1 by William Shakespeare)
B. Second type is used between sentences or clauses.
Ex. “Without looking, without making a sound, without talking” (Oedipus at Colonus by Sophecles)
