English Lit-Lang Terms: Metonymy-Understatement

Metonymy

A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," this is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as "buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur."

Oxymoron

From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," this is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness."

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.

Parallelism

creating a balance of grammatical and stylistic elements

Parody

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

pedantic

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

Periodic Sentence

The opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. (Example: After a long, bumpy flight and multiple delays, I arrived at the San Diego airport.)

Personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

Point of View

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are three general divisions: First person (I), second person (you), and third person (he, she, them, it)

Third Person Omniscient

Point of view in which the narrator possesses godlike knowledge and presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters.

Third Person Limited Omniscient

Point of view in which the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all the remaining characters.

Third Person Dramatic

Point of view with descriptions only, no inner thoughts (fly on the wall)

Rhetorical Modes

describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of major kinds of writing. (exposition, argumentation, description, narration)

Sarcasm

From the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," this involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. (style of writing)

Semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

Semantic Ambiguity

words in sentence have more than one possible meaning

Subordinate Clause

Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, it cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, it depends on a main clause (or independent clause) to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses. For example: although, because, unless, if, even though, since, as soon as, while, who, when, where, how and that. Example: Yellowstone is a national park in the West that is known for its geysers.

Syllogism

From the Greek for "reckoning together," this is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second called "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. A frequently cited example proceeds as follows: major premise: All men are mortal. minor premise: Socrates is a man. conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is a mortal.

Symbol/Symbolism

Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually, it is something more concrete that represents something more abstract.

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part of something (literally) is used to represent a whole, or occasionally the whole is used to represent the part.

Synesthesia

when one kinds of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another (ex: the taste of pain, the cool blue feeling, red hot)

Syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. It's similar to diction, but this word is more about a group of words and their order in a sentence

Understatement

the ironic minimalizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. It is the opposite of hyperbole.