Vocab 10-13

Abstract (style)

Abstract (style)

(in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points

Academic (style)

dry and theoretical writing. When a piece of writing seems to be sucking all the life out of its subject with analysis

Accent

in poetry, refers to the stressed portion of a word

Allegory

a literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation

Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Allusion

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Anecdote

a short narrative

Antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

Anthropomorphism

the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects

Apostrophe

address to an absent or imaginary person

Aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds

Atmosphere

the emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene

Black Humor

the use of disturbing themes in comedy

Bombast

speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning

Cacophony

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

Canto

a major division of a long poem

Caricature

drawing, imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects

Catharsis

an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal

Chorus

in Greek drama, the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it

Conceit

a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

Connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

Consonance

repetition of consonant sounds

Decorum

conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior

Diction

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

Dramatic Irony

(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

Dramatic Monologue

when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience

Elegy

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

Enjambment

the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause

Epitaph

a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone

Euphemism

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

Euphony

any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

Farce

a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose

Foil

a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another

Free Verse

unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern

Gothic Novel

a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

Hubris

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Interior Monologue

a narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought

Inversion

the reversal of the normal order of words

Irony

a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens

Lampoon

ridicule with satire

Lyric

of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way)

Metaphor

a figure of speech comparing to unlike things without using like or as

Nemesis

the protagonist's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty

Objectivity

an impersonal presentation of events and characters

Parable

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

Paradox

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

Pastoral

a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds)

Pathos

a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)

Persona

the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

Plaint

a poem or speech expressing sorrow

Protagonist

the main character in a literary work

Pun

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings

Rhapsody

an intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise

Rhetorical Question

a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered

Satire

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

Stanza

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

Stock Characters

standard or clichéd character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc

Subjectivity

a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions

Subjunctive Mood

a grammatical situation involving the words "if" and "were," setting up a hypothetical situation

Summary

a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

Symbolism

a device in literature where an object represents an idea

Thesis

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

Truism

an obvious truth

Zeugma

when a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them