APEL All Vocab

Audience

The person(s) reached by a piece of writing

Attitude

A writer’s intellectual position or emotion regarding the subject of the writing.

Tone

The attitude a literary work/author takes toward its subject, audience, and/or theme.

Diction

An author’s choice of words to convey a tone or effect

Ethos

The ethical appeal; to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character

Logos

The appeal to logic; to convince an audience by use of logic or reason

Pathos

The emotional appeal; to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions

Fallacy

A mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument

Ad Hominem Argument

From the Latin meaning “to or against the man,” this is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect; falls under the umbrella of a fallacy.

Infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented

Connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning, which may involve ideas, emotion, or attitudes.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word; the direct and specific meaning.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a person, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present.

Imagery

Sensory details in a work; the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, call to mind an idea, or describe an object.

Deductive

Reasoning from the general to the specific.

Inductive

Reasoning from the specific to the general.

Structure

The framework or organization of a literary selection

Synthesis

The joining of two or more ideas or arguments to produce a new idea or argument

Warrant

Connection, often unstated and assumed, between the claim and the supporting reason(s). The assumption makes the claim seem plausible. Audience needs to share the writers'/speakers' assumptions or the argument will not be effective.

Syntax

The way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences

Symbol/Symbolism:

Generally, anything that represents, stands for, something else. Usually, this is concrete (an object, character, or scene) and represents something much more abstract.

Mood

The feeling or ambiance resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator’s attitude and point of view. The effect is created through description of feelings or object that establishes a particular feeling such as gloom, fear, or hope.

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described.

Abstract

Not related to the concrete properties of an object; pertaining to ideas, concepts, or qualities, as opposed to physical attributes.

Ambiguity

Use of language in which multiple meanings are possible; the quality of being open to more than one interpretation

Persona

The voice or figure of the author who tells the story and who may or may not share the values of the actual author.

Rhetoric

The art of persuasion, using language purposefully, in order to get something done; the use of spoken or written word (or a visual medium) to convey ideas and convince an audience

Rhetorical Situation

The context or set of circumstances out of which a text arises. It can be described in five parts: audience, author (rhetor), purpose, context, content/topic

Rhetorical Analysis:

This considers all elements of the rhetorical situation in which a text was generated and delivered in order to make an argument about the text; including the evaluation of the text and its effectiveness

Rhetorical mode

These are ways of using language with a specific focus. Some examples are narration, description, definition, division/classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, etc.

Prose

The ordinary of form of written language without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

Colloquial

Informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing.

Sarcasm

A sharp, caustic remark. A form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitterly or harshly critical.

Satire

A literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness

Motif

Recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event.

Metaphor

A comparison of two unlike things that have something in common but not using “like” or “as”

Simile

A comparison of two different things or ideas through the use of the words “like” or “as.” It is a definitely stated comparison which says one thing is like another:

Catharsis

Purification or cleansing of the spirit through the emotions of pity and terror as a witness to a tragedy

Cliché

An expression or idea that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty.

Irony

Verbal, dramatic, and situational – A situation or statement characterized by significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant. Irony is frequently humorous, and can be sarcastic when using words to imply the opposite of what they normally mean.

Paradox

Occurs when the elements of a statement contradict each other. Although the statement may appear illogical, impossible, or absurd, it turns out to have a coherent meaning that reveals a hidden truth.

Juxtaposition

Placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory terms into a single unusual expression

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something that is presumable commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

Epigraph

Quote set at the beginning of a literary work or at its divisions to set the tone or suggest a theme

Elegiac

Expressing sorrow often for something past; sorrowful

Contradiction

A direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency

Understatement

The opposite of hyperbole. It is a kind of irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is.

Hyperbole

An overstatement characterized by exaggerated language.

Metonymy

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

Antithesis

The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses.

Epiphany

A sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience

Anecdote

A brief story or tale

Pun

A play on words that are either identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings.

Wit

In modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. This usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement.

Didactic

Intended for teaching or to teach a moral lesson

Syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning; an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument; a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion

Invective

The use of angry or insulting language in satirical writing

Euphemism

Substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt.

Anachronism

Use of historically inaccurate details in a text; for example, depicting a 19th-century character using a computer. 

Parallelism

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning, or meter.

Parody

A writing which imitates another serious piece and pokes fun at the original

Propaganda

Information or rumor deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, or institution

Analogy

A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar.

Aphorism

An original concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief.

Genre

Term used to describe literary forms, such as tragedy, comedy, novel, or essay

Eulogy

A speech or writing in praise of a deceased person or thing

Repetition

A device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and create emphasis:

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds within a formal grouping, such as a poetic line or stanza, or in close proximity in prose.

Integrity (n)

Holding firmly to values such as honesty; completeness; moral uprightness

Daft (adj)

Silly, foolish

Imprudent (adj)

Careless; rash; not attentive to consequence

Impudent (adj)

Rude; disrespectful

Prodigal (adj)

Wasteful; lavish

Acclaim (v)

To express strong approval or praise; hail

Denunciation (n)

A proclamation or expression of strong disapproval made openly or publicly

Circumspect (adj)

Careful, thought through; considerate of all that is pertinent

Squalid (adj)

Dirty or wretched in appearance

Compunction (n)

A feeling of remorse for doing something wrong; regret; shame

Implausible (adj)

Not having the appearance of truth or reason

Titillate (v)

To excite or intrigue

Precocious (adj)

Having or showing much more ability or knowledge than is usual at such a young age

Satiate (v)

To satisfy an appetite fully

Enigma (n)

Something or someone puzzling, mysterious, inexplicable, a baffling situation, something obscure

Diatribe (n)

A denunciation, a abusive, bitter, or biting speech

Conciliatory (adj)

Eager to make peace

Decorum (n)

Propriety; whatever is proper

Bombastic (adj)

Using language in a pompous, showy way; speaking to impress others

Archaic (adj)

Old; from a much earlier time

Insatiable (adj)

Incapable of being satisfied or fulfilled, extremely greedy

Raucous (adj)

Boisterous, harsh sounding, noisy and disorderly

Ingratiate (v)

Bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them

Condescending (adj)

Voluntarily having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority

Rancorous (adj)

Deeply hateful or spiteful; malicious; sealed resentment

Astute (adj)

Sharp-minded; very cleaver; shrewd with regards to one’s own interests

Atrophy (v)

To waste away

Loquacious (adj)

Very talkative; liking to talk; garrulous (can have both positive and negative connotations)

Blasphemous (adj)

Profane; irreverent

Lechery (n)

Sexual sin; lust