Quarter 1 vocab APLang

aesthetic

a reference to artistic elements or expressions within a textual work

allegory

the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence

alliteration

the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of successive words

allusion

a reference, explicit, or implicit, to something in previous literature of history

analogy

an extended comparison between two things\instances\people\etc. that share some similarity to make a point

abhor

v. to hate very much

abstruse

adj. hard to understand

abyss

n. bottomless pit

accolade

n. award, honor, praise, approval

affidavit

n. a sworn written statement

Alienate

v. to make hostile; to cause to feel unwelcome or estranged

Alleviate

v. to make less severe; to relieve, to lessen

Allure

v. to entice with something desirable; to tempt

Aloof

adj. distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved

Altercation

n. a heated quarrel

Anaphora

the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of sentences

Anecdote

a (typically short) narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds (not consonant sounds)

Colloquial

a communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

Connotation

the set of connection implied (emotional association) by a word in addition to its literal meaning

Ambiance

n. mood, feeling; general atmosphere

Amenable

adj. agreeable, responsible to authority, pleasant, willing to in to the wishes of another

Antecedent

n. going before; event prior to another

Archaic

adj. belonging to an earlier time; ancient; outdated

Arduous

adj. hard, difficult, tiresome

Consonance

repetition of consonant sounds (not vowels)

deductive reasoning

reasoning that works from general to specific. Theory becomes hypothesis, and using observations to confirm the original theory (top-down approach)

denotation

literal meaning of a work; dictionary definition

diction

word choice

didactic

instructional tone designed to teach an ethical, moral, or religious lesson

elegiac

a tone, sad and mournful about something gone forever

epistrophe

ending a series of lines or sentences with the same word (s)

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line or stanza

ethos

appealing to credibility

euphemism

a polite or mild way of saying something that might otherwise sound harsh or unpleasant

Aspire

v. to seek or achieve a goal

Assuage

v. to soothe; to make less severe, to satisfy, ease, lessen

Astute

adj. quick in discernment; clever, keen

Atrophy

v. to wither away

Austere

adj. without excess; severely simple and plain

Balm

adj/n. something that heals or comforts; ointment

Beget

v. to give birth to; to create

Beleaguer

v. to surround, harass

Blather

v. to talk nonsensically

Bucolic

adj. rustic in nature; country like

extended metaphor

suggests non-literal similarities without using “like” or “as”

foreshadowing

providing vague advance indications

hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration for the sake of emphasis

imagery

provide descriptive pictures

inductive reasoning

reasoning that goes from specific to broader generalizations (bottom up approach)

Irony

stating the opposite of what is said or meant

Juxtaposition

placing two or more things side by side for comparison or contrast

Logos

Appealing to logic

Metaphor

a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity without using “like” or “as”

mood

a reader’s emotional response to an author’s writing

Cajole

v. to persuade someone to do something they don’t want to do

callous

adj. unfeeling, insensitive, emotionally hardened

Candor

n. sincere honesty

Capacious

adj. roomy, able to hold so much

Castigate

v. to criticize harshly, usually with the intention of correcting wrongdoing

Catharsis

n. an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal

Cerebral

adj. relating to the brain or intellect

Chasm

n. a deep opening in the earth’s surface; a gorge; differences of opinion, interests, loyalties

Chide

v. to scold

Circa

prep. at an estimated historical time period

Onomatopoeia

using words that imitate the sound they denote

pacing

the speed at which a piece of writing flows

paradox

forces the audience to pause, think critically, and explore conflicting ideas to uncover the underlying message

parallel structure

a repetition of words, phrases, or sentences using the same grammatical structure emphasizing all aspects of the sentence equally

Pathos

appealing to emotion

Personification

attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas

Repetition

purposeful reuse of words, phrases, or ideas

Rhetorical Question

a question not meant to be answered

Rhyme

correspondence of sound between or ending of words; especially when used at ends of lines of poetry

Satire

technique used to ridicule various aspects of popular culture in order to draw attention to social or cultural criticism and bring about change and improvement

Simile

expressing a resemblance between things using “like” or “as”

Stanza

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

Stream of Consciousness

Shows a character’s thoughts and feelings in a random, unfiltered way, revealing everything affecting their mind at that moment

Symbol

something visible that represents something invisible

Syntax

Sentence structure

Thesis

a statement of purpose, intent, or main idea in a literary work

Tone

The attitude a writer takes toward the reader, subject, or a character