Vocab English S1

Satire

as a genre in film or literature is used to criticize, ridicule or poke fun at social behaviors, mindsets and ideas upheld by society. Some of the conventions of satire include irony, hyperbole (exaggeration) and humor.  This genre often exposes human behavior and its paradoxes.

hyperbole

A figure of speech where emphasis is achieved through exaggeration, independently or through comparison.

allusion

A reference to a person, place, event, or literary work, often used to convey deeper meaning or context.

Euphony

A pleasing or harmonious sound, often achieved through the use of soft consonants and vowels in poetry or prose.

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds, often used to create a jarring effect in poetry or prose.

figurative Language

Language that uses figures of speech, such as metaphors and similes, to convey meanings beyond the literal interpretation.

anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, often used for emphasis in rhetoric and poetry. “I have a dream”

justaposition

The placement of two or more ideas, characters, or concepts side by side to highlight their contrasts or similarities, often used in literature and art.

incidental music

Music composed to accompany a dramatic work, enhancing the emotional experience without being the main focus.

slow motion

A technique in film and video where motion is slowed down, creating a dramatic effect or emphasizing specific moments.

trope

A recurring theme or motif in literature and art, often used to convey a particular message or idea. Enemies to lovers

high culture

refers to cultural products and activities that are associated with the elite or upper classes, often including fine arts, classical music, and literature.

low culture

refers to cultural products and activities that are often associated with the masses, such as popular music, television, and mainstream entertainment, in contrast to high culture.

hand-held

Use of a camera without a tripod, which often causes a bit of shakiness. This technique can produce anxiety or suspense. It is also often used in documentary films and horror. 

allegory

a narrative that uses symbolic figures and actions to convey deeper meanings or moral lessons. animal farm

convention

a widely accepted practice or standard in literature, art, or society.

foil

In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot.

target audience

the specific group of consumers or readers that a work is intended to reach or appeal to.

weasel words

words or phrases that are intentionally ambiguous or misleading, often used to create an impression without committing to a specific meaning. “some say”

voice over

a production technique where a narrator's voice is heard off-screen, providing commentary or context to the visuals.

endorsements

public statements of support for a product or service, often by celebrities or influencers.

bandwagon technique

This type of technique involves convincing the customers to join the group of people who have bought this product and be on the winning side. For e.g. recent Pantene shampoo ad which says “15 women trusted Pantene, and you?”

emotional appeal

a persuasive technique that targets the audience's feelings and emotions to elicit a response or motivate action.

chiaroscuro

a technique used in visual arts that employs strong contrasts between light and dark

speech bubbles

graphic elements used in comic strips and cartoons to represent spoken dialogue or thoughts of characters.

panel

a distinct section of a comic or graphic novel that contains a single drawing or image, often enclosed by borders.

catharsis

 in Greek means "purification" or "cleansing" is the purification and purgation of emotions—especially pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration.

dichotomy

a division into two contrasting parts or categories.

binary oppositon

a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning, often used in literary analysis.

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms, such as "deafening silence" or "bittersweet."

perona/speaker

narratoror voice in a literary work, conveying the story or message from a particular perspective.

connotation

the implied or associated meaning of a word, beyond its literal definition.

ambiguity

the quality of being open to multiple interpretations or meanings, often resulting in uncertainty.

dialect

a particular form of a language that is specific to a region or social group, often characterized by distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

semantic field

Also known as a “lexical field” this is a group of words or that are related in meaning. For example, if an author uses several biblical words in a passage, one could say it establishes a biblical semantic field.

imagery/sensory language

descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental pictures and evoking emotions.

alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words

analogy

a comparison between two things that are alike in some way, often used to explain a concept or idea by showing how it is similar to something more familiar.

mood

the emotional atmosphere created by a literary work, influencing how the reader feels.

dynamic character

a character who undergoes significant internal change throughout a story, often in response to experiences or events.

epiphany

a moment of sudden revelation or insight that leads to a new understanding.

chorus

 A single characters or group of characters (mainly in Greek tragedy and in later forms of drama), who comment on the action of a play without participation in it. The chorus functions like a narrator to comment on the characters, to inform the reader about themes, and to give us additional information about the plot without participating in it.

paradox

a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection, contains some degree of truth or validity.

theme

an overarching idea, or universal message in a work of literature. A theme is not a one-word topic/subject like “love.” Instead it is a more complex idea that the author demonstrates about a subject. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader that may be deep, difficult to understand, or even moralistic. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a work. The author utilizes the characters, plot, and other literary devices to assist the reader in this endeavor

pun

 a play on words. A word or phrase with two meanings, the use of which is intentional

euphemism

 An innocuous, inoffensive or circumlocutory term or phrase for something unpleasant or obscene. E.g., in advertising for female hygiene products any liquid shown is never red, it's usually blue.

iambic pentameter

 a line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable, for example: Two households, both alike in dignity (Romeo and Juliet Prologue).

soliloquy

an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself (usually on stage), regardless of any other listeners

hubris

Excessive pride. A common type of tragic flaw

aerial shot

a shot that is taken from an elevated vantage point, looking down on a scene

color palette

 the collection of colors addressed in a piece of visual media.

point of view shot

 a film scene—usually a short one—that is shot as if through the eyes of a character (the subject).

breaking the fourth wall

 any instance in which the convention of performance, having been adopted more generally in the drama or film, is violated. This can be done through either directly referencing the audience, the play as a play, or the characters' fictionality.

hamartia

 a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine. The Greek word for Tragic flaw is hamaratia or hamartanein that means “to err”. It was Aristotle who introduced this term first in his book the Poetics and his idea was that it is an “error of judgment” on the part of a hero that brings his downfall. A tragic flaw is also called a fatal flaw in literature and films. This is taken as a defective trait in the character of the hero.

high contrast “contrasty”

This effect showcases the interplay between darks and lights/highlights and shadows. These photographs will have bright whites and black shadows, as opposed to lots of gray tones.