Summer Vocab Flashcards
refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images
Abstract
in an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning “against the man.”
Ad Hominem
a work that functions on a symbolic level
Allegory
the repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
Alliteration
a reference contained in a work that brings greater meaning to the piece.
Allusion
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence or passage.
Ambiguity
a literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two different items.
Analogy
a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point
Anecdote
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. The AP English Language and Composition Exam often expects you to identify the antecedent in a passage.
Antecedent
the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “To be or not to be…” “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country…”
Antithesis
compares opposites in a parallel structure - often compound
Antithetical Sentence
A terse statement of known authorship which expressed a general truth or moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author’s point.
Aphorism
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, “Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee.”
Apostrophe
a single assertion of a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer.
Argument
The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly be setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. See mood.
Atmosphere
the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience.
Attitude
a situation in which all parts of the presentation are equal, whether in sentences or paragraphs or sections of a longer work.
Balance
a sentence with 2 clauses or phrases of fairly equal length and strength for clarity. It expresses parallel or like ideas, often compound. Ex: The novel concentrates on character; the film intensifies the violence
Balanced Sentence
- harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.
Cacophony
- those who carry out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of characters.
Character
-the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone. Huckleberry Finn is written in colloquial style.
Colloquial
-the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.
Comic Relief
– A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison being made.
Conceit
-a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. god; man vs. self.
Conflict
-those elements that help create coherence in a written piece.
Connective Tissue
- the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.
Connotation
- the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.
Deduction
- the literal or dictionary meaning of a word.
Denotation
- the recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern dialect. Zora Neale Hurston uses this in such works as Their Eyes Were Watching God
Dialect
- the author’s choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning.
Diction
-writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns.
Didactic
-indicated by a series of three periods, the ellipsis indicates that some material has
been omitted from a given text. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a
whole section. Be wary of the ellipsis; it could obscure the real meaning of the piece of
writing.
Ellipsis
- the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a
lost generation” by Gertrude Stein.
Epigraph
- a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. “He went to his final reward” is common euphemism for “he died.” Euphemisms are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses “collateral damage” to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation.
Euphemism
- the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.
Euphony
