SOME LITERARY TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR ENGLISH 10 HONORS AND  AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION

 

ABSTRACT - (noun) - A brief summary of a written work = article, literature, etc.

ABSTRACT - (adj) - as in an ABSTRACT idea - language that refers to CONCEPTS rather than CONCRETE things - LOVE, HATE, WEALTH, HAPPINESS, etc.

AD HOMINEM - Latin for "against the man" - an argument that attacks someone's CHARACTER rather than reason or facts

ALLEGORY - A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (typically a moral or political one) - think AESOP'S FABLES...

ALLUSION - An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly - an indirect or passing reference....

AMBIGUITY - A type of uncertainty of meaning in which several interpretations are plausible... "I rode a black horse in red pajamas."

***Don't be ambiguous in your writing...***

ANALOGY - a comparison between two different things in order to explain or clarify - A metaphor and a simile are each an example of an ANALOGY

ANAPHORA - when one repeats a phrase or sequence of words (usually at the beginning of a sentence (Think of MLK Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" repetition

ANASTROPHE - Yoda Speak - when the usual order of words (conventional word order) are inversed...

Instead of "I am so tired", one might say, "So tired am I" 

ANECDOTE -  fancy word for a short, amusing story about something real (an incident, person etc.)

ANTAGONIST - a character who actively opposes someone or something (can be a main character)

ANTITHESIS - the direct opposite of someone or something else.

APHORISM - a saying or observation that contains a general truth.

ARCHETYPE - a typical example of a person or thing; a universal symbol.

ASYNDETON - phrasing wherein the conjunctions of a sentence are omitted, for emphasis.

• I came, I saw, I conquered.

CACOPHONY - harsh, discordant (unharmonious sounds)

CHARACTERIZATION - how a character is developed in literature; what they do, say, think; what other characters say or think to or about them, physical description, etc.

CHIASMUS - two (or more) clauses are related through a reversal of structure ("Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country..."

CLIMAX - a high point in a novel; the action that directly precedes the resolution to a conflict...

COLLOQUIAL - informal, conversational, ordinary language

CONCRETE - (opposite of abstract) objects or events that are available to the senses... meanings are pretty stable.

CONFLICT - any problem 

CONNOTATION - an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning - a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words may have positive or negative connotations that depend on social, cultural, or personal experiences of individuals... (the word childish has a negative connotation as it refers to immature behavior, whereas youthful implies that a person is lively and energetic) 

DENOTATION -  the literal or primary meaning of a word (dove - denotes a type of pigeon, but can have the connotation of a symbol of peace)

DENOUEMENT - the conclusion to a story

DIALECT - a style of speaking based on a specific location or time period

DICTION  -  word choice in relation to mood, tone, atmosphere, etc.

DIDACTIC -  with the intention of teaching

DIGRESSION - to go off topic 

DRAMATIC IRONY – when the audience knows something/understands events that the characters do not know or understand

ELLIPSIS- … when a particular thought or idea is omitted

EPIC- a long poem or story, usually legendary, heroic, history of something

EPIPHANY- a sudden realization

EUPHEMISM- a milder form of a word, usually when referring to something more vulgar

ETHOS- the spirit of a culture or community (in literature)

When you appeal to ethics (in persuasive writing)

FALLACY- a mistaken belief, usually based on an unsound argument

HYPERBOLE- an exaggeration

INVECTIVE- harsh, highly critical, insulting, abusive language

JUXTAPOSITION- when two or more ideas are placed side by side to contrast them (in literature)

INVECTIVE abusive, antagonistic, harsh HIGHLY CRITICAL LANGUAGE (fancy word for mean name calling)

JUXTAPOSITION – when two or more ideas are placed side by side in order to compare/contrast them

• Example: the juxtaposition of characters

LITOTES (Lih-TOE-tees)

An (ironical) understatement using negatives to express the opposite of the intended meaning –

• Not too bad…
• Not a bad day’s work
• Not as young as I used to be

LOGOS – an appeal to the logic/reason of an audience

METONOMY – replaces the name of a thing with the name of something that’s closely related to it – a figurative way to say something…

• Let me give you a hand (hand means help)
• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• The White House is concerned with terrorism. 

MOTIF –object or idea that repeats itself in literature

NON – SEQUITOR - “it doesn’t follow” Latin translation – statements that do not follow logic or reason

PACING – how quickly or slowly the writer takes a reader through a story

PARADOX – something that appears to be self-contradictory and not able to exist, (but may hold a latent truth)

EXAMPLE – “Everything I say is a lie.”

PARALLELISM the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same – adds to rhythm, flow of a story, poem etc. (often uses repetition )

• Alice ran into the room, into the garden, and into our hearts.
• Like father, like son.
• Like mother, like daughter

PATHOS – emotional appeal – inspire anger/emotion

PEDANTIC – concerned with precision of word choice, formal speech or writing, accuracy

POLYSYNDETON – several conjunctions used in succession for artistic effect

RHETORIC – using language effectively and persuasively

SYLLEPSIS – when one word (usually a verb) is understood differently in relation to two or more other words

(ALSO KNOWN as ZEUGMA … a really fun word to know and say)

• “He took his hat and his leave.”
• “You are free to execute your laws and your citizens as you see fit.”
• “It was the knife that, a moment later, cut off her scream. And her head.”

 

SYLLOGISM – a kind of logical argument that applies to deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are assumed to be true.

• “All men are mortal.
• Socrates is a man.
• Therefore, Socrates is mortal.”

 

SYNECDOCHE (SIN-ECK-DO-KEY) – a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole

• “New York won by six runs.” (New York meaning NY’s baseball team, or the NY Yankees or Mets)

SYNTAX – the arrangement of words to create a well formed sentence

TAUTOLOGY – the saying of the same thing twice in different words or the use of redundant words (kind of like saying the same thing twice

• They arrived one after another, in succession.
• A fatal murder.

(IN RHETORIC, IT IS A LOGICAL ARGUMENT CONSTRUCTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU REPEAT THE SAME CONCEPT OR ASSRERTION USING DIFFERENT PHRASING OR TERMINOLOGY)