LANGUAGE ARTS TERMINOLOGY

acronym

abbreviation

allusion

reference to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work

analogy

comparison of things that are different but similar

anecdote

short, brief revealing story used to illustrate a point or engage audience

antecedent

grammatical device in which pronoun, noun or other word refers to an earlier noun or phrase

atmosphere

type of feeling the reader gets from narrative ( mood too )

character foil

character who highlights traits of another character through comparison

character motivation

reasons why character does certain things

character plausibility

ability of a character to be believable / relatable

chronology

author presents sequence of happenings with no story

cliche

expression / phrase that has been overused to the point where its lacking originality

colloquial language

use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech

connotation

transmit meaning without explicitly telling a reader what to think

denotation

exact, objective feeling

denouement

final section of a storys plot

diction

writers choice of words and style of expression

euphemism

replaces harsh words into more softer ones ( ex . died into passed )

genre

kind of content form or style

idioms

phrase/expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its individual words. ( aka raining dogs and cats » doesnt actually mean that just is raining heavily )

jargon

use of specific phrases and words in a particular situation. serves to convey meanings that are understood by a specific context/audience

dramatic irony

audience knows more about a situation than the characters do ( ex. romeo and juliet )

situational irony

where outcome is different than expected

verbal irony

involves using words to convey a meaning that is opposite or different from their ltieral interprettion

motif

recurring element / idea that appears throughout a text

persona

specific perspective an author takes when writing

plot

events that make up the story

resolution

unfolding, main conflict resolved

setting

place and time the story unfolds

theme

universal idea, lesson or message explored throughout a work sentrence structure and imagery

syntax

sentence structure

empathy

ability to understand and share the feelings of others » allows readers to experience characters emotions and perspectives making stories feel personal and relatable

extended metaphor

detailed comparision between 2 unlike things over a portion of text

overstatement

deliberate exhaggeration of ideas beyond the literal truth

paradox

maybe true but seems impossible / difficult to understand

understatement

make a situation less important than it really is

verisimilitude

appearence of being true or real

wit

ability to express clever / humorous ideas in a way that amuses / entertains

alliteration

occurence of the same letter or sound at thebeginning of words

cacophony

harsh, loud sounds, unharmonious effect

hyberbole

exhaggeration to emphasize a point or evoke strong feelings « not meant to be taken literally.

juxtaposition

placing 2 contrasting or dissimilar things to create particular effect that highlights their differences etc

metaphor

compares 2 unrelated things » dont use like or as

oxymoron

2 opposing words together to create a phrase. EX defeaning silence , old news

personification

assigns items human qualities

similie

uses like or as, involves comparing one thing with another