Week 8 Terms

Question 1

Oxymoron

Answer 1

From the Greek for “pointedly foolish,” an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox
-Ex: “jumbo shrimp” + “cruel kindness”

Question 2

Pacing

Answer 2

Movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another

Question 3

Parable

Answer 3

Short story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson

Question 4

Paradox

Answer 4

Statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity
-Ex: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Question 5

Paralepsis

Answer 5

Giving emphasis by professing to say little or nothing about a subject (kind of irony), but still (somehow) reveals it

Question 6

Parallelism

Answer 6

This term comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another”

• Refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs to give structural similarity
• Ex: repeating grammatical element (preposition, verb phrase, etc.)
• Organizing force to attract reader’s attention, add emphasis or organization, or provide a pleasing musical rhythm
• Also referred to as parallel construction/parallel structure

Question 7

Parody

Answer 7

Work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule

Question 8

Pedantic

Answer 8

Adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as “show-offy”; using big words for the sake of using big words)

Question 9

Periodic sentence

Answer 9

Sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end

• Independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone
• Ex: “Ecstatic with my AP scores, I let out a loud shout of joy!”
• Effect of a periodic sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety

Question 10

Persona

Answer 10

Role or character adopted by an author; aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others

Question 11

Personification

Answer 11

Figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions
-Used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more vivid to the reader

Question 12

Persuasion

Answer 12

Type of argument that aims to change a person’s attitude or behavior toward some event, idea, object, etc. by using written or spoken words to convey information, feelings, or reasoning

Question 13

Plot

Answer 13

Sequence of events in a literary work

Question 14

Point of view

Answer 14

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told

-Two general divisions of point of view, and many subdivisions within those

Question 15

First person

Answer 15

Narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun (‘I”) and is a character in the story
-This narrator can be the protagonist, a secondary character, or an observing character

Question 16

Third person

Answer 16

Narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns (“he,” “she,” “it”)
-Two main subdivisions

Question 17

Third person omniscient

Answer 17

In which the narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters

Question 18

Third person limited

Answer 18

In which the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all remaining characters
-Be aware that the term point of view carries an additional meaning (when asked to analyze the author’s point of view, the appropriate point for you to address is the author’s attitude)

Question 19

Polysyndeton

Answer 19

Sentence that uses AND or other conjugations multiple times with NO commas to separate the items in a series; slows the flow of the sentence for effect