English 11 - The Language of Composition Chapter 2

definitions of important terms related to close reading and the art and craft of analysis, taken from notes and glossary

Diction

the speaker’s choice of words

Syntax

sentence structure

alliteration

repetition of the same sound beginning several words or syllables in sequence

allusion

an indirect reference to another text or historical event

anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive phrases/clauses/lines

antimetabole

repetition of words in reverse order

antithesis

parallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas

archaic diction

old-fashioned or outdated words

asyndeton

leaving out conjunctions between words/phrases/clauses

cumulative sentence

main idea at the start of the sentence then builds and adds on

hortative sentence

sentence that urges a call of action to the audience

imperative sentence

sentence used to command or enjoin

inversion

a sentence in which the verb is before the subject

juxtaposition

placement of two things side by side to emphasize similarities or differences

metaphor

figure of speech comparing two things without like or as

oxymoron

paradoxical juxtaposition of words that contradict one another

parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

periodic sentence

main clause is withheld until the end

rhetorical question

question asked for rhetorical effect rather than for an answer

synedoche

figure of speech that uses a part to represent the whole

zeugma

one verb or adjective having multiple and incongruous meanings

complex sentence

includes an independent clause and a least one dependent clause

tone

the speaker’s attitude towards the subject revealed by his or her language

mood

the feeling created/established by the text