245 Vocab Terms
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245 Vocab Terms Active Voice- One of the two “voices” of verbs. When the verb of a sentence is in the active voice, the subject is doing the acting, as in the sentence “Kevin hit the ball.” Kevin (the subject of the sentence) acts in relation to the ball. Aesthetic- pertaining to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality. Beauty. Allegory- a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another. Alliteration- the commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group (consonantal alliteration), as in from stem to stern, or with a vowel sound that may differ from syllable to syllable (vocalic alliteration), as in each to all. Allusion- a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication: an allusion to Shakespeare. Ambiguity- doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention: to speak with ambiguity; an ambiguity of manner. Existence of 2 or more meanings in literature. Ambivalence- uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. Coexistence of 2 or more emotions. Anachronism- something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare. Analogy- a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump. Analyze- to examine critically, so as to bring out the essential elements or give the essence of: to analyze a poem. Anecdote- a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature. Antagonist- the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work. Antecedent- a preceding circumstance, event, object, style, phenomenon, etc. Anti-climax- an event, conclusion, statement, etc., that is far less important, powerful, or striking than expected. Anti-hero- a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like. Antithesis- opposition; contrast: the antithesis of right and wrong. Antonym- word opposite in meaning to another. Fast is an antonym of slow. Apostrophe- a digression in the form of an address to someone not present, or to a personified object or idea, as “O Death, where is thy sting?” Archetype- the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype. Argumentation- discussion; debate; disputation: The lengthy argumentation tired many listeners. Artistic Fault- A stylistic problem distinct from the quality of the poem/prosody Aside- a part of an actor's lines supposedly not heard by others on the stage and intended only for the audience. Assonance- rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the rhyming words, as in penitent and reticence. Atmosphere- the prevailing tone or mood of a novel, symphony, painting, or other work of art Authorial Aside- A comment from the author separate from the knowledge of the characters Autobiography- a history of a person's life written or told by that person. Ballad- a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing. Bard- a person who composed and recited epic or heroic poems, often while playing the harp, lyre, or the like. Bathos- a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax. Black Humor- a form of humor that regards human suffering as absurd rather than pitiable, or that considers human existence as ironic and pointless but somehow comic. Blank Verse- unrhymed verse, especially the unrhymed iambic pentameter most frequently used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse. Cacophony- a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds: the cacophony produced by city traffic at midday. Caesura- a break, especially a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse, and marked in scansion by a double vertical line, as in know then thyself ‖ presume not God to scan. Caricature- a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn. Carpe Diem- enjoy the pleasures of the moment, without concern for the future Catharsis- the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music. Catalyst- a person or thing that precipitates an event or change: His imprisonment by the government served as the catalyst that helped transform social unrest into revolution. Character Foil- character that represents the opposite of another character Characterization- the creation and convincing representation of fictitious characters Chorus (Greek)- a lyric poem, believed to have been in dithyrambic form, that was sung and danced to, originally as a religious rite, by a company of persons. Chronological- arranged in the order of time: a chronological list of events. Chronological Sequence- a following of one thing after another in time Circumlocution- a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. Classicism- the principles or styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome Cliché- a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox. OR (in art, literature, drama, etc.) a trite or hackneyed plot, character development, use of color, musical expression, etc. Climax- the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something; culmination: His career reached its climax when he was elected president. Colloquial- characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal. Comic Relief- relief from tension caused by the introduction or occurrence of a comic element, as by an amusing human foible. Comparison- a likening; illustration by similitude; comparative estimate or statement. Connotation- the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning:A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort,and affection.” Consonance- the correspondence of consonants, especially those at the end of a word, in a passage of prose or verse. Context- the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect Contrast- to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of Couplet- a pair of successive lines of verse, especially a pair that rhyme and are of the same length. Denotation- the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience. Denouement- the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel. Deus Ex Machina- any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot. Dialect- a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard. Dialogue- the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc. Dichotomy- division into two parts or classifications, esp. when they are sharply distinguished or opposed. Diction- style of speaking or writing as dependent upon choice of words Didactic- inclined to teach or lecture others too much Digression- a passage or section that deviates from the central theme in speech or writing. Dimeter- a verse or line of two measures or feet, Dogma- an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church Dramatic Monologue- a poetic form in which a single character, addressing a silent auditor at a critical moment, reveals himself or herself and the dramatic situation. Dramatis Personne- actors in a play Dumb Show- a shortened, silent rendition of a play before the actual performance Dynamic Character- a character who changes or grows throughout a story Editorial- an article in a newspaper or other periodical presenting the opinion of the publisher Effect- something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence Elegy- a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead Ellipsis- the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction End Rhyme- rhyme of the terminal syllables of lines of poetry. End Stopped- ending at the end of a syntactic unit that is usually followed by a pause in speaking and a punctuation mark in writing. Enjambment- the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a syntactical break. Epic- noting or pertaining to a long poetic