ib literature metalanguage

1. Active voice

When the subject performs an action directly

2. Ad Hominem

Involves commenting on or against an opponent to undermine him instead of his arguments

3. Adage

A short, pointed and memorable saying that is based on facts and is considered a veritable truth by the majority of people

4. Adynaton

A hyperbole that is magnified to such an extent that it is completely unfeasible and impossible

5. Akoustikon

Sound effects

6. Alexandrine

Iambic line of poetry with 12 syllables - suggests traditional/classical

7. Allegory

An allegory suggests a hidden meaning via the use of metaphoric examples

Alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds, particularly at the beginnings of words.

Allusion

Passing reference or indirect mention - a reference to a person, event, or literary work outside the poem

Ambiguity

An idea or situation that can be understood in more than one way.

Ambivalence

The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

Anachronism

Anachronisms are things, people, or phrases that just don't belong in a specific time period - eg placing something modern like a mobile phone in the wrong time period.

Anacoluthon

Syntactic deviation and interruption within a sentence done to attract the attention of the reader. Here, the syntax does not correlate to what is expected (eg. stream of consciousness)

Anadiplosis

The repetition of a word at the end of one clause and the beginning of the following clause

Anagnorisis

A moment where a character shifts from ignorance to awareness. This may be a realisation or revelation and is often used as a turning point in a story.

Analepsis

Flashback

Analogy

A literary device that helps to establish a relationship based on similarities between two concepts or ideas

Anaphora

Repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighbouring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis.

Anastrophe

inversion of the typical word order of a sentence

Anecdote

A short verbal accounting of a funny, amusing, interesting event or incident.

Antagonist

Someone who offers opposition

Antanaclasis

Where a phrase or word is repeatedly used, but the meaning of the word changes in each case (eg. to live by one's faith, to live by a supermarket)

Anthimeria

Using a word in a new grammatical shape eg. 'bestest' or 'truthing' where a noun is used as a verb

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of human or animal characteristics to an animal, object, or non-human figure

Antiphrasis

Figurative speech in which a phrase or word is employed in a way that is opposite to its literal meaning in order to create an ironic effect (eg. describing murder as pretty)

Antithesis

When the writer employs two sentences of contrasting meanings in close proximity to one another, which is used to create a balance between two opposing ideas.

Antonomasia

Proper name used as a noun e.g. madonna

Apocryphal

Of doubtful authenticity, but widely circulated as being true

29. Aposiopesis

A figure of speech in which the speaker or writer breaks off abruptly, and leaves the statement incomplete - as If the speaker is not willing to state what is present in mind, and leaving a sentence unfinished so that the reader can determine his own meanings.

30. Apostrophe

A direct address of an inanimate object, abstract qualities, a god, or a person not living or present.

31. Archaism

An old word or expression that is no longer used with its original meaning or is only used in specific studies or areas.

32. Archetype

A character that symbolically embodies universal meanings and basic human experiences independent of time.

33. Assonance

The repetition of similar vowel sounds

34. Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions

35. Bacchanalian

Wild and

36. Ballad

A plot-driven song with one or more characters and often constructed in quatrain stanzas

37. Bathos

The act of a writer falling into inconsequential and absurd metaphors or descriptions in effort to become increasingly emotional or passionate

38. Bias

An inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

39. Bilabial consonants

A type of sound made with both lips (m,p,b)

40. Bildungsroman

A form of storytelling whereby the author bases the plot on the overall growth of the central character throughout the timeline of the story. As the story progresses, the subject undergoes noticeable mental, physical, social, emotional, moral, and often spiritual advancement and strengthening before the readers' eyes.

41. Bipartite

Two-part structure

42. Bookending

A device used in magazine writing, screenwriting and novels to create a satisfying narrative structure by placing the setup of an anecdote or short scene at the beginning of a piece and the resolution to that anecdote or short scene at the very end of the larger piece.

43. Cacophony

The use of words and phrases that imply strong, harsh sounds within the phrase. Unmelodious sound.

44. Cadence

The modulation or inflection of the voice (rise and fall of pitch)

45. Caesura

A pause for a beat in the rhythm of a verse, often indicated by a line break or by punctuation. Eg. punctuation in the middle of a line

46. Catharsis

Emotional release through artistic effects

47. Chiasmus

The taking of two parallel clauses and inverting the word order of one to create a greater meaning eg. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

48. Circumlocution

When the writer deliberately uses excessive words and overcomplicated sentence structures to intentionally convolute their meaning (to write lengthily and confusingly on purpose)

49. Cliché

An overused word, phrase or expression

50. Climax

A powerful ending

51. Colloquialism

Not formal or literary and used in familiar conversation (slang)

52. Connotation

Association/ inference -when something connotates something else it suggests it, rather than states it

53. Consonance

The repetition of similar consonant sounds

54. Contrast

The description of a difference between two entities.

55. Couplet

2 lines

56. Cynosure

A person or thing that is the centre of attention or admiration

57. Denotation

Showing or naming something directly

58. Denouement

the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

59. Diatribe

A violent or bitter criticism of something or someone

60. Diction

A writer's or speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story

61. Diegetic/ diegesis

Telling you the story (as opposed to mimesis)

62. Dirge

A funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in commemoration of the dead. any composition resembling such a song or tune in character, as a poem of lament for the dead or solemn, mournful music

63. Dramatic irony

When the audience knows something about a character that the character does not

64. Dysphemism

The opposite of euphemism - a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one

65. Echo

an echo is a "repetition of the same sound, or combination of sounds, fairly close together, so that they 'echo' each other, [and is a] common device in verse to strengthen meaning and structure, and also to provide tune and melody"

66. Ekphrastic

A form of writing, mostly poetry, wherein the author describes another work of art, usually visual.

67. Elegy

A form of poetry in which the poet or speaker expresses grief, sadness, or loss

68. Elision

The omission of a sound or syllable when speaking (I'm, let's)

69. Ellipsis

'...' , or commonly known as "dot-dot-dot"

70. Enjambment

When a clause runs from one line to the next without punctuation (usually in poetry) - eg. A "run-on line" (no punctuation at the end of a line)

71. Enumeration

A rhetorical device to break a topic or argument down into component parts, or to list details of the subject one by one.

72. Epiphany

A moment of sudden or great realisation

73. Epistolary

A poem of direct address that reads as a letter

74. Epistrophe

Where a word or phrase (affirmation) is repeated at the end of successive clauses

75. Epithet

Addition of a word that describes someone's qualities - a characteristic attribute

76. Epizeuxis

Incremental repetition (eg never, never, never)

77. Eristic

Where the writers and speakers engage in a heated argument without reaching a conclusion

78. Euphemism

Making something negative sound better, more positive (eg he "passed away")

79. Euphony

Refers to the beautiful sounds of words when they are read aloud.

80. Exposition

The insertion of background information within a story or narrative - 'setting the scene', and commonly used to refer to the beginning of a text

81. Figurative language

Not literal language

82. Foregrounding

The process of singling out a character or incident for special interest

83. Foreshadowing

The act of providing vague advance indication

84. Free Indirect discourse

A special type of third-person narration that slips in and out of characters' consciousness. In other words, characters' thoughts, feelings, and words are filtered through the third-person narrator in free indirect discourse.

85. Free verse

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

86. Fricative consonants

Consonants that escape through a small passage (f,v,z,sh,th)

87. Gothic

Genre where the settings are wild, remote, gloomy, eerie, supernatural

88. Hackneyed

Having been overused - unoriginal

89. Hamartia

A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

90. Hedonism

The pursuit of solely happiness

91. Homeric Simile

An extended simile often running several lines (stems from Homer's the Illiad)

92. Homographs

Words that are spelt the same but have different meanings/ pronunciations

93. Homophones

Words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings or spelling

94. Hubris

A character trait that features excessive pride or inflated self-confidence, leading a character to disregard a divine warning or important moral law