lit vocab #3 (uses of language)

Question 1

allusion

Answer 1

a reference to another event, person, place, or work of literature within another work of literature. allusions are often implied rather than explicit. they provide another layer of meaning.

Question 2

analogy

Answer 2

the comparison of a subject to something that is similar to it in order to clarify or enhance the subject’s nature, purpose, or function

Question 3

binary opposition

Answer 3

this is similar to contrast/tension. it defines a pairing of opposite that largely depend on each other in order to be defined (for instance, “outside” exists only as the opposite of “inside”- it’s difficult to define either without the other. similarly, “rich” is largely defined through comparison with “poor”, and “hot” is defined against “cold”

Question 4

connotation

Answer 4

the implied meaning of words, or the images, feelings, or implications associated with a specific word (for instance, “gold” has a connotation of treasure and value, unlike “yellow”, even though “gold” may be used as a synonym for “yellow”)

Question 5

contrast/tension

Answer 5

when an author juxtaposes opposing ideas or opinions or objects in text

Question 6

denotation

Answer 6

the dictionary or literal meaning of a word

Question 7

double entendre

Answer 7

(french for “double meaning” or something that can be heard two different ways): the use of ambiguity in a phrase or image, especially involving sexual or humorous themes

Question 8

euphemism

Answer 8

a more pleasant, less taboo, or more sugar-coated way of saying something (example: Saying that someone “passed away” instead of “died”; euphemisms are also frequently employed to describe sexual or bodily subject matter in a less explicit way)

Question 9

figurative language

Answer 9

language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally. “figurative language” is a helpful term to discuss a variety of literary techniques including symbolism, irony, metaphor, simile, personification, and sometimes other things that do not really have a specific term

Question 10

framed narration

Answer 10

a story that contains another story. usually the frame story explains why the interior story (the main story) is being told.

Question 11

epistolary novel

Answer 11

a novel that is told through a series a documents (usually letters, but potentially diary entries, newspaper clippings, or other documents). often this creates a kind of framed narration, where the main story is contained within an outer story (example: in frankenstein, the letters between the captain walton and his sister contain the story of victor and the creature, which means that the novel has an epistolary frame)

Question 12

hyperbole

Answer 12

exaggeration (for instance, saying “I am dying of exhaustion”)

Question 13

imagery

Answer 13

the use of words to create a picture or “image” in the mind of the reader. images can relate to any of the senses, not just sight, but also hearing, taste, touch, and smell. “imagery” is often used to refer to descriptive language, particularly to the use of metaphors or similes.

Question 14

dramatic irony

Answer 14

this type of irony occurs when the reader or audience knows something important that one or more characters don’t know, which creates humor or suspense

Question 15

situational irony

Answer 15

this type of irony occurs when we have reason to expect one thing, but the opposite occurs, which creates humor or points out a problem (if a fire station is burning down) it can also be when someone has one intention but actually causes the opposite to occur

Question 16

verbal irony

Answer 16

this type of irony occurs when a character says one thing but means to another. sarcasm can be one type of this (saying “thanks for the birthday present” to your friend who forgot your birthday)

Question 17

metaphor

Answer 17

a particular kind of figurative language in which word or thing that literally means one thing is used to describe a separate thing in order to create a comparison between the things

Question 18

motif

Answer 18

a recurring object, subject, or idea that runs through a piece of literature. it is usually a category or type of something that is repeated, but each time in a different form (such as references to animals or nature or motherhood, etc)

Question 19

onomatopoeia

Answer 19

the use of words whose sound copies the sound of the thing or process they describe (ex. bang, hiss, splash)

Question 20

oxymoron

Answer 20

a figure of speech that contrasts two opposite or apparently contradictory words (ex: wise fool, unbearable lightness)

Question 21

paradox

Answer 21

a statement that appears contradictory, but when considered more closely is seen to contain truth (ex: i love big parties, they’re so intimate)

Question 22

personification

Answer 22

the attribution of human feelings, emotions ,or sensations to an inanimate object. personification is a kind of metaphor where human qualities are given to animals, things or abstract ideas, and they are described as if they were a person

Question 23

pun

Answer 23

a play or two or more words that are similar in sound but different in meaning

Question 24

simile

Answer 24

like a metaphor, a simile creates an analogy between two unlike things for the purpose of creating meaning through the comparison

Question 25

synecdoche

Answer 25

a figure of speech in which the terms for a part of something is used to represent the whole (for instance, manual laborers being called “hands”)

Question 26

topic

Answer 26

the (or a) central idea in a piece of writing, which can be expressed in an abstract term. a piece of writing may address several topics

Question 27

word choice

Answer 27

the use of a particular word instead of another one (for instance, describing a “lonely raindrop” instead of a “single raindrop” changes the tone of a sentence)