Sunday, January 12, 2014

Lit Terms #1

Allegory- A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. Typically a moral or political one

Plato's "Allegory Of The Cave" is a good example of an allegory

Alliteration- The repetition of a letter or sound in a phrase

"Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August"

Allusion- An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it specifically

"With all the lies he said, I'm surprised his nose didn't grow"

Ambiguity- Uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language

"Each person saw her duck"

Anachronism- A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists

From Julius Caesar:

"Brutus: Peace! Count the clock

Cassius: The clock has stricken three"

Analogy- A comparison of two different things

"He felt like a fish out of water"

Analysis- Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something

Anaphora- Repetition of a word \or phrase

"I needed a drink. I needed a break. I needed to get out of there"

Anecdote- A short and interesting story about a real person or event

People who give speeches might use an anecdote in their speech

Antagonist- The "bad guy" in a story that the reader is supposed to be against

Claudius can be considered the antagonist in "Hamlet".

Antithesis- A parallel sentence in which two opposite idea are put together to make a sentance

"Speech is silver, silence is gold"

Aphorism- A statement of truth or opinion used in a witty matter

"The simplest questions are the hardest to answer"

Apologia- A formal, written defense of one's opinion or conduct

An example would be Bill Clinton's 1998 apologia about The Monica Lewinsky affair

Apostrophe- A figure of speech represented by exclamation

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is an example of an apostrophe

Argument- A work in where an author brings up a topic and convinces the reader to agree

Assumption- Assuming that something has or will happen

Audience- Intended group of readers

Characterization- The explanation of a character that progresses throughout the story

Chiasmus- When two or more clauses are balanced against each other by reversal of their structures

"Love as if one day you would hate, and hate as if one day you would love"








No comments:

Post a Comment