American Lit Vocab

Diction

An author's choice of words

Personification

giving non human things human traits

synthesis

pulling together ideas from multiple sources in supports of a position

anastrophe

the reversal of conventional order of words in a sentence

coherence

when all ideas in a paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence to the next

synecdoche

a type of figurative language in which the part is used to suggest the whole or the whole suggests a part

slant rhyme

a forced rhyme; sounds are similar but not identical

metaphor

a direct comparison of 2 things

characterization

the method by which an author develops the personality of a character

simile

a comparison using like or as

foreshadowing

a hint or clue about something yet to come in a literary work

tone

the attitude a writer takes toward his or her characters or subject matter

novel

a long fictional prose narrative-complex plot

paradox

a self contradictory statement that is nevertheless true

symbol

something that stands for/represents something else

onomatopoeia

words whose sounds suggest their meaning

imagery

words or phrases that appeal to the 5 senses

irony

a contrast between what appears to be and what really is-can be verbal, dramatic, or situational

theme

a general truth / message about life in a piece of literature

stanza

a section of a poem

blank verse

poetry that is composed of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter

alliteration

repetition of beginning consonant sounds

unity

each idea in the paragraph develops the idea stated in the topic sentence

analogy

when a writer compares two similar situations, implying that the outcome of one will resemble the outcome of the other (life is like a box of chocolates)

consonance

repetition of consonant sounds (beginning or middle of words)

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words

apostrophe

a figure of speech in which an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object is addressed

allusion

a reference to a person, place, event, or literary work outside of the text

free verse

poetry that doesn't rhyme and which has no set pattern of rhythm

mood

the feeling/ atmosphere created for the reader

prose

writing in patterns of everyday speech, not verse

figurative language

figures of speech not intended to be taken literally

couplet

two consecutive lines that rhyme

allegory

a narrative in which characters, action, and sometimes setting represent abstract concepts apart from the literal meaning of the story

argument from authority

when a writer uses an argument from a trusted expert in a particular field

argument by analogy

poetry that is composed of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter

argument by generalization

Generalization is a very common form of reasoning. It assumes that what is true of a sample of people is likely to hold for a larger group or population, or that certain things consistent with the sample can be inferred of the group/population.