pleasing in appearance

to make worse

Allegory

a symbolic representation--a complete narrative whose meaning can be applied to a parallel set of situations that may be political, moral, religious, or philosophical

Alliteration

having contradictory feelings

Anachronism

a person or thing in a literary work which is chronologically out of place

Analogy

an explanation of the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar.  Like a simile, an analogy compares things not normally associated; but unlike a simile, an analogy does not use like or as in making the comparison.  Analogy is a rhetorical strategy for developing paragraphs.

Anaphora

repetition or the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses; reserved for passages where the author wants strong emotional effect.  "We cannot dedicate/ we cannot consecrate/ we cannot hallow this ground." A. Lincoln

inversion of natural or usual word order--can be an effective device for gaining attention, but its chief function is to secure emphasis.

Ancillary

subordinate

Androgynous

having characteristics of both male and female

Anecdote

a short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident--often confused with Antidote which is a medication to offset an illness

Angst

anxiety

Annotated Bibliography

a listing with a summary of each work cited

Annotation

a note added to comment or explain

Antagonist

the person or force which opposes the main character         

(protagonist) in a fictional work—not necessarily the villain

Antecedent

that which comes before—the noun to which a pronoun refers.  Mrs. Ramdial told her class to study for their vocab test. Mrs. Ramdial is the antecedent of her and class is the antecedent of their.

ANTHOLOGY

a collection of selected literary works

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

gives body parts to that which is not human

ANTITHESIS

contrast of ideas; juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure.

APATHY

lack of feeling

APOCALYPTIC

forecasting the destiny of the world

APOCRYPHAL

having doubtful authenticity

APPEALS TO IGNORANCE

an argument that preys on people’s superstitions or lack of knowledge

APPOSITION

placing side by side two coordinate elements-- the second of which serves as an explanation or modification of the first

APTRONYM

a name that is especially suited to the profession of its   owner. Examples: Dan Druff for a barber

ARCHETYPE

the original pattern—a recurring symbol or image which appears frequently enough in literature to be considered representative of an element of literary, cultural, or racial past and experience

ASCETIC

practicing self denial

ASIDE

a short speech that is inaudible to the other characters made by a dramatic character directly to another character or the audience.   Like the soliloquy, it is a convention allowing direct disclosure of inner thoughts.

ASKANCE

disapproval

ASSONANCE

repetition of identical vowel sounds in different words in       close proximity, as in “the deep green sea.”

to ease

The deliberate omission of conjunctions in elements normally joined by them.  The effect is a hurried rhythm. Aristotle likes asyndeton for conclusion of discourse because the rhythm could produce an emotional reaction.

ATROPHY

a narrative poem meant to be sung; composed of quatrains

going along with the crowd or ad populum—implies that something is right because everyone is doing it

juxtaposition of contrasting elements

triteness; sentimentalism; sudden appearance of the common

 reasoning that goes around in a

circle

to misrepresent

warlike or hostile temperament

highly absorbent; fond of alcohol

two pronged

a novel of initiation

lower part of a ship; worthless remarks

v—to hit with heavy object;

n—short stick

short and abrupt

“bad sound,” refers to words combining sharp or harsh sounds

lacking adult sophistication

free from bias

special pleading that ignores evidence on the other side of the question

moment in a drama, particularly a tragedy, that ends the major conflict in the plot.  The “turning downward” of the dramatic plot; the 4^th stage in the structure after the climax.

purification of emotions; Aristotle’s concept that tragedy, by arousing pity (eleos) and fear (phobos), regulalates and shapes the emotions; therefore tragedy is essential in civilized     society.

closed meeting for selection; group united to promote a cause

let the buyer beware

rapidity of swiftness; motion

vexed; unsettled; embarrassed

methods used by the author to make creations live for the reader by what the character says, thinks, or does; others say about him or her, physical description.  Figures in a chorus or mob are not regarded as characters.

to correct by punishment

reversal of grammatical structure in successive phrases or clauses.  A rhetorical pattern in which words and ideas are repeated in the sequence a b a b, as in "I lead the life I love; I love the life I lead.”

The sponsor or financial backer of a classical Greek dramatic production. Often he was honored by serving as the leader of the chorus—In ancient

In Athenian drama, the CHORUS was composed of fifteen young men who chanted in unison and performed dance movements to a flute accompaniment.

a continuous, detailed account in chronological order and without analysis or interpretation.

supreme self confidence; gall, nerve

arrangement of words, phrases or clauses in order of increasing importance.  Greek for “ladder.”  The high point of conflict and tension preceding the resolution or denouement of a drama or story; the point of decision, of inevitability and no return.

comic dialogue or scenes that provide distraction or offer respite from the serious events of a tragedy, but which often contribute to the action.  Many of Shakespeare’s tragedies employ this device.  See Othello III, iii, 491-495.

(Contrast is implied in comparison)—a technique of analyzing two or more works in order to determine similarities and differences in topic, treatment, and quality.

 a sentence consisting of an independent clause with a subordinate or dependent clause.

consists of compound sentence also integrating one or more dependent or subordinate clauses—may be quite long and involved as more independent and subordinate clauses are added.

poetry depicting visual shapes in addition to ideas and emotions.

the opposition between two characters, between large groups of people or between protagonists and larger forces such as natural objects, ideas, modes of behavior, public opinion, and the like.  A conflict may be internal and psychological, involving choices facing a protagonist.  It is the essence of plot. Paul of “Paul’s Case” exhibits an internal conflict when he refuses to accept reality.  Jane Eyre is exposed to an external conflict when dealing with her aunt, cousins, and Mr. Brocklehurst

having the same nature as another; friendly, pleasant to   be around; social, agreeable

present at birth; inherited

two successive rhyming lines

The point of uncertainty and tension—the turning point—that        results from the conflicts and difficulties brought about through the   complications of the plot. 

having a hidden meaning

 inordinate desire for wealth

 miser

wasted or weakened as if by old age

throw a person or object out a window

final outcome of main complication—“untying” or    resolution—The final stage of plot development in which mysteries are    explained, characters find their destinies, and the work is completed.  Usually the denouement is done as speedily as possible, for it occurs after    all conflicts are ended. 

 DESECRATE

to destroy something considered holy

 DEUS EX MACHINA

(“A god out of the machine”; theos apo mechanes in Greek)

an arbitrary way of concluding a play—characters are saved at the last minute.  In ancient Greek drama, the entrance of a god to unravel the problems in a play.  In some plays, the “god” was hoisted through the air and placed on the stage just at the right time.  Today, the phrase refers to the artificial and illogical solution of problems.

a word choice, type of words and level

of language intended to

convey a certain effect.  

proper, elevated, elaborate, and often

polysyllabic language

relaxed, conversational, and familiar language, utilizing contractions and elisions, and sometimes employing slang and grammatical mistakes.

Correct language characterized by directness and simplicity

refers to a group of recently coined words often used in informal situations. Slang words often come and go quickly, passing in and out of usage within months or years.

expressions nonstandard, often regional, ways of using language appropriate to informal or conversational speech and writing.

consists of words and expressions characteristic of a specific trade or profession.

a nonstandard subgroup of a language with its own vocabulary    and grammatical features.  Writers often use regional dialects or dialects that reveal a person’s economic or social class.

diction consists of specific words that describe physical qualities    or conditions.

diction refers to language that denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible.

Denotation

standard dictionary meaning of a word

definition derived from experience and/or implication

a difficult situation where one must choose between two or more choices that seem unfavorable; any problem or predicament

 steady, earnest

 a song of grief

to understand the difference

feeling of contempt

to belittle, say uncomplimentary

things; to put down

gloomy, foreboding

DYNAMIC

OR DEVELOPING CHARACTER

one who undergoes an important change or learns a significant lesson as a result of his/her experiences and behaves differently at the end of the story than at the beginning.  Henry from The Red Badge of Courage is an example.

peculiar; odd; deviating from established or conventional practices

words echoing the actions they describe, such as buzz, bump, and slay; important in the device of onomatopoeia

selection from various sources

 to rub away

 enthusiasm

a mournful or melancholy poem lamenting death or another     solemn them. 

ELEVATED STYLE

figure of speech meaning flowery language

deliberate omission of a word or words which are implied by the context creates an economy of expression, but the words must be grammatically compatible.

to attempt to equal or surpass; especially through imitation

 a line marked by rhetorical pause at the end—usually a   period  or semicolon (;)

 a 14 line poem made up of 3    quatrains and a couplet in iambic pentameter of distinct form

   ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

a puzzle; mystery

 or run-on line—a line having no end punctuation but running over to the next line

existing for a short period of time; short-lived

 meaning word or song—a long, narrative poem written in elevated style, character, speech, and action.  World epics:  Iliad and Odyssey; Son of Roland; Aeneid; El Cid.  Characteristics of an epic:

·        centers around hero

·        features deeds of great valor

·        glorifies past of a culture or race

·        supernatural forces

·        vast setting or scope

sensitive and fastidious taste in

food and wine

short and witty poem usually in couplets, that makes a humorous or satiric point

the concluding segment of a literary work; particularly the final speech of a drama.

sudden revelation or enlightenment; a moment of insight or awareness that changes a character’s outlook; a Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.

repetition of the same word or groups of words at the ends of successive clauses.

lines composed to make someone’s death

summary or perfect example

 repetition of the same word with no other words in between    for emphasis. EXAMPLE:  “Words, words, words . . .” Shakespeare (source:  AP POWERPACK SPARKNOTES)

open to two or more interpretations often intended to mislead

knowledge limited to a certain group

Appealing to an accepted professional standard of       conduct or audience

the ethics of the speaker; usually appearing in the introduction and the conclusion.  The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution

the ethics of the speaker; usually appearing in the introduction and the conclusion. The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution

a commendatory formal statement or set oration; high praise

an agreeable or inoffensive expression substituted for one      which might be harsh or offensive (passed away instead of died)

Meaning “good sound,” euphony refers to word groups containing consonants that permit an easy and pleasant flow of spoken sound; opposite of cacophony.

a complete and detailed analysis of a work of literature, often word by word and line by line.

the stage of dramatic or narrative structure that introduces all thing necessary for the development of the plot.

 to remove; to delete; to erase

a brief story illustrating a moral truth, most often associated with the ancient Greek writer Aesop.

to make easier, to help bring about

the creation of events that are dreamlike or fantastic, departing from ordinary understanding or reality because of apparently illogical location, movement, causation, and chronology

a word derived from the Latin word farsus, meaning “stuffed,” farce is an outlandish physical comedy overflowing with silly characters, improbable happenings, wild clowning, extravagant language, and bawdy jokes.

lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective

 full of nervous energy

an object of unreasonable obsessive reverence of attention

changing mind for no apparent reason; not loyal or consistent

narratives based in the imagination of the author, not in literal, reportorial facts; one of the three major genres of literature

words or phrases that describe one thing in terms of something else.  They always involve some sort of imaginative comparison between seemingly unlike things.  Not meant to be taken literally, figurative language, or figures of speech, used in both prose and poetry, are simile, metaphor, and personification.  Organized patterns of comparison, figures of speech deepen, broaden, extend, illuminate, and emphasize meaning.

scene(s) inserted to show events that happened before the action of the main plot; this knowledge is essential to the reader’s understanding of the story line.

a character, usually minor, who is not individual but rather useful and structural, static and unchanging; distinguished from round character

 v. to laugh in a derisive manner; n. a look of ridicule or mockery

characters usually minor, designed to highlight qualities of a major character (i.e. hero and villain) who serve as contrasts in personality and motivation

significant hints given by an author which help the reader predict the outcome of the action.

 occurring by chance or accident

poetry based on the natural rhythms of phrases and normal pauses, not metrical feet

useless, hopeless

lacking social graces due to little experience in social settings

opinions used to form a general conclusion

words referring to broad classes of persons, objects or phenomena; distinguished from SPECIFIC LANGUAGE which is words referring to objects or conditions that may be perceived or imagined.

a type or category of literature such as fiction and poetry; also a type of work, such as detective fiction, epic poetry, tragedy, etc. reflecting form, technique or content.

 directly related, relevant

craft, cunning, deceitfulness; artfulness

 easily duped, deceived, cheated