Unit 2

Question 1

allegory

Answer 1

A fictional story or narrative poem that conveys a message, idea, or concept that exists outside of the text; the message can’t be found in the literal meaning of the story.

Question 2

anaphora

Answer 2

A form of parallel syntactical construction that creates emphasis through the repetition of the same word, or words, at the beginning of successive clauses.

Question 3

apostrophe

Answer 3

As a figurative term, it means to address an inanimate object as though it could answer.

Question 4

connotative

Answer 4

A reference to what the word suggests.

Question 5

denotative

Answer 5

The dictionary or literal meaning of a word.

Question 6

epiphany

Answer 6

A moment of revelation.

Question 7

ethnicity

Answer 7

A term that generally refers to the cultural practices and norms of a particular group. Race and ethnicity are related, though not always synonymous. Categories of race are usually broader than categories of ethnicity.

Question 8

fable

Answer 8

A short tale that teaches a lesson, often using animals as central characters. Modern writers use fables to satirize contemporary social and political issues.

Question 9

frame story

Answer 9

A narrative technique in which a main story is composed for the purpose of organizing a set of shorter stories within it; a story within a story.

Question 10

hyperbole

Answer 10

An intentional exaggeration for effect; an overstatement.

Question 11

legend

Answer 11

A story, similar to myths, about the supernatural or exceptional feats of fictional or real-life characters. A legend frequently refers to situations or events that have occurred in recent history.

Question 12

metaphor

Answer 12

A figure of speech in which the characteristics of one thing are applied to another. Metaphors never use the words “like” or “as.”

Question 13

controlling metaphor

Answer 13

A metaphor that is applied throughout the entire poem.

Question 14

extended metaphor

Answer 14

A metaphor that is developed further throughout the poem.

Question 15

metonymy

Answer 15

A type of symbolism that refers to the use of a concrete word to refer to an abstract idea; the substitution of one thing for another by the transfer of name. It is a rhetorical effect used at the word level.

Question 16

myth

Answer 16

A story that attempts to explain the unexplainable. Typically, its subjects relate to and emerge from a specific culture. This helps explain the term “mythology,” which is the study of the collection of myths in a given culture.

Question 17

overstatement

Answer 17

An exaggeration for effect.

Question 18

oxymoron

Answer 18

A condensed form of paradox; two contradictions used together.

Question 19

parable

Answer 19

A short story that is similar to a fable in that it teaches a lesson. However, unlike a fable, a parable is a narrative and is usually concerned with moral or religious themes.

Question 20

paradox

Answer 20

A union of words that appear contradictory but can be seen as true when considering the full range of meanings implied by the words. It is a rhetorical effect used at the word level.

Question 21

personification

Answer 21

The attribution of human qualities to an abstract idea, animal, or inanimate object. It is a rhetorical effect used at the word level.

Question 22

point of view

Answer 22

A position that refers to the perspective, values, attitudes, and biases of the narrator.

Question 23

pov, dramatic

Answer 23

Narration that is confined to the reporting of actions and speeches, with no commentary or revelation of any of the characters’ thoughts.

Question 24

pov, first person

Answer 24

Narration that uses “I” and is also called the “first-person narrator.” It presents the point of view of only one character.

Question 25

pov, limited omniscient

Answer 25

Narration that is more constrained. A limited omniscient narrator can usually see into the head of only one of the characters. On rare occasions, the limited omniscient narrator sees into the heads of two characters.

Question 26

pov, third person

Answer 26

Narration that uses “he, she, or it” to tell the story. This type of narrator never appears as a character in the story. There are three different types of third-person narrator: omniscient, limited omniscient, and objective.

Question 27

pun

Answer 27

A humorous play on words that often creates humor through a word’s multiple meanings.

Question 28

race

Answer 28

At its most basic, race is aligned with skin color. Race and ethnicity are related, though not always synonymous. Categories of race are usually broader than categories of ethnicity.

Question 29

simile

Answer 29

A figure of speech that compares two different ideas or things by using the words “like” or “as.” It can be found at the word level.

Question 30

stream of consciousness

Answer 30

A form of narrative in which the words resemble the flow of human thought. The intent is to connect the reader directly to the images, thoughts, and feelings of a character without the interference or interpretation of a narrator.

Question 31

synecdoche

Answer 31

A type of symbolism that uses a part of an object or idea to stand for, or “symbolize,” the whole, or a whole to symbolize a part.

Question 32

understatement

Answer 32

To play down the magnitude or effect of a statement in order to draw attention to some unstated point.

Question 33

unreliable narrator

Answer 33

A narrator whose interpretation of events is something the reader can’t trust. A narrator may be unreliable if he or she provides an interpretation of events that are different from that of the author.

Question 34

pov, objective

Answer 34

Narration that is entirely detached from the characters. This kind of narrator can’t see into any of the characters’ minds. The objective narrator reports action and dialogue without telling the reader what the character thinks or feels.

Question 35

pov, omniscient

Answer 35

Narration that is all-knowing and can take the reader inside the minds and thoughts of the other characters. The omniscient narrator knows everyone’s inner thoughts, how they feel, and what motivates them.

Question 36

metaphysical conceit

Answer 36

A metaphor that makes striking parallels between things that are commonly understood to be radically different, far-fetched, or seemingly inappropriate.

Question 37

petrarchan conceit

Answer 37

First developed by the Italian poet Petrarch in the 14th century, conceit became a standard poetic device of 16th-century English poets. It employs analogy, hyperbole, or oxymoron to describe one lover (or both lovers) in an unequal relationship. When used as a figure of speech in literature, conceit refers to an elaborate metaphor.

Question 38

dialect

Answer 38

A style of speaking used by people in a particular social group or geographic region at a particular point in time.

Question 39

diction

Answer 39

An author’s diction, or word choice, forms and empowers his or her literary works, both poetry and prose. A writer’s diction is a matter of choice; poets carefully select words based on both sound and meaning.

Question 40

abstract diction

Answer 40

A type of diction that contains qualities that are theoretical and rare.

Question 41

concrete diction

Answer 41

A type of diction that refers to exact conditions. In practice, poems using concrete words tend to be visual and compelling.

Question 42

high/formal diction

Answer 42

A type of diction that follows formal, evaluated, and elaborate rules. Avoiding colloquialism is one such rule. It uses longer words such as those derived from Latin, Greek, or French.

Question 43

low/informal diction

Answer 43

A type of diction that emulates everyday speech.

Question 44

middle/neutral diction

Answer 44

A type of diction that maintains the proper language of formal diction but avoids the long words.

Question 45

idiom

Answer 45

An expression that can’t be accurately translated. Poets employ idiomatic expressions to achieve ordinary and colloquial diction.

Question 46

jargon

Answer 46

A specialized language used and readily understood only by a particular group or audience. While jargon tends to confuse rather than clarify, it can be used by poets to create realistic images.

Question 47

slang

Answer 47

An informal language of common speech.

Question 48

invested symbol

Answer 48

A type of symbol that is given meaning by the way an author uses it in a literary work.