Unit 1 Short Story
abstract art
a genre of art where an artist portrays emotions or ideas, rather than realistic depictions of the scene. It does not try to show the subject as it appears in real life, rather it uses color, texture, shapes or space to represent an artist’s feelings or thoughts
alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sentence, phrase, or even a single word with multiple syllables”
antagonist
the character who opposes the protagonist
character
a person, place, or thing performing actions in a literary work
characterization
the revealing of a character through the use of description, dialogue, actions, and interactions with other characters
chronological
arranged in a logical fashion according to time
clause
a group of words containing a subject and a predicate; may form a complete simple sentence, or serve as a part of a complex sentence
comparative essay
an essay that compares two or more objects, theories, or ideas. It considers both similarities and differences
conflict
any opposition between characters or forces
connotation
what is suggested by a word beyond its dictionary definition; its overtones of meaning.
context
the words and phrases that surround a word and help to explain its full meaning
context clue
hints at word meaning found in the text
coordinating conjunction
words used to connect phrases or clauses
denotation
the literal meaning of a word
direct characterization
an author’s direct statements about a character's personality and tells what the character is like
drawing conclusions
using reasoning, inferences, and other evidence to understand a story better or to determine an author’s meaning
environment
naturally or unnaturally generated external conditions
epiphany
a major realization that leads to a change in attitude or belief
external
located outside
figurative language
a set of literary devices that use language in a way that goes beyond the ordinary meaning of the words
foreshadowing
the use of clues or hints to let the reader know something, possibly ominous, will occur
historical context
the real-life setting and surrounding circumstances of a story
hyperbole
an exaggeration or overstatement that is used to create emphasis or evoke strong feelings.
idiom
a phrase or expression that means something other than the literal meanings of the individual words.
implied
suggested, but not directly stated
indirect characterization
information about a character and his or her personality revealed through that character's thoughts, words, and actions
infer
to conclude based on evidence
inference
an educated guess made by using context clues to fill in missing information in a story
inferential meaning
the underlying truth that can be derived through an analysis of a literary work
interior monologue
the thoughts, impressions, and emotions flowing through a character’s mind as they occur
internal
located inside
irony
inconsistency between what is expected and what actually occurs
landscape
a work of art whose subject is scenes of nature, such as lakes, gardens, and mountains. Landscape, as an art genre, can also include cityscapes – featuring urban settings; seascapes – featuring views of the ocean; and waterscapes – featuring fresh water scenes
metaphor
a figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else
mood
the impression or emotion evoked by the author’s choice of words, imagery, and dialogue
narration
the part of a story in which the action and information about the characters and setting are explained
narrator reliability
the degree to which a reader can trust a narrator to tell a story accurately
nonrestrictive clause
a clause that is set off by commas; it does not aid in the identification of the noun it is referencing, but only provides information about it.
omniscient point of view
literally means “all-knowing;” refers to a narrator’s knowledge of each of the characters’ thoughts and actions, and even of their pasts and futures
onomatopoeia
the use of words that imitate sounds
parallel structure
the repetition of the same pattern of words within a sentence
personification
a type of figurative language where an animal or object is given human characteristics.
physical setting
the places where the action in a story takes place, including geography, the climate, and the physical objects; can change throughout the story
plot
an account of the action and the motivations lying behind the action in a literary work
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told, which depends on the person narrating the story
portrait
a work of art where the subject is a person who is represented in a realistic manner
protagonist
the character who drives the action of the story
reciprocal pronoun
a pronoun which is used to indicate that two or more people are carrying out or have carried out an action of some type, with both receiving the benefits or consequences of that action simultaneously.
restrictive clauses
identifying clauses that are not set off with commas; provide information that identifies the noun they modify.
sensory detail
details used by the author to convey experiences, events, setting, and/or characters
setting
the time and place of action in a story
simile
a figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to point out similar qualities between two unlike things”
social/psychological setting
the beliefs or behavior that govern the society in which the characters live
stream-of-consciousness
a form of interior monologue that is spontaneous and free-flowing, often switching topics without the use of transitions
suspense
the feeling of anxiety in a reader as the plot develops
symbolism
the author’s use of an object, person, or circumstance to represent something more than its literal meaning
synopsis
a brief summary of events
temporal setting
part of the background of a story, including the time of day, the time of year, and a specific time in history
tone
the author’s attitude toward the topic
Unit 2 Literary Nonfiction
ad hominem
logical fallacy directed personally at one’s opponent
adverb
a word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb
alliteration
the repetition of consonants at the beginning of words in a sentence or throughout a paragraph
allusion
an indirect reference in a literary work to something else
analogy
a comparison of two things in order to better understand another concept
antithesis
the opposition of ideas to emphasize their similarities
characterization
techniques, such as description or action, that bring a person or character to life in writing
commentary
an explanation or illustration of an event or issue
conjunctive adverb
an adverb that connects equal ideas in words, phrases, or clauses
contradiction
an assertion that directly opposes the previous statement
correlatives
words or phrases used in pairs to show a relationship between ideas in different parts of a sentence
counter-argument
the logical response to an argument, arguing the opposite
cultural context
all social meanings, ideas and beliefs shared by individuals within a group of people
cultural point of view
the cultural perspective people develop, alluding to a way of life defined by their behavior, values, thoughts, and beliefs
deduce
to reach a conclusion or make an educated guess based on clues
deductive
a kind of reasoning from the general to the specific
despair
the complete loss of hope
diction
choice and arrangement of words for clarity and effectiveness
discriminate
to treat an individual differently from others based on their membership in a group (such as sex, race, or sexual orientation)
emigrant
one who leaves one’s country to live elsewhere permanently
enfranchisement
the legal right to vote
ethos
a mode of rhetoric appealing to authority or reputation
evocative
calling forth or producing emotions
existentialism
a twentieth-century philosophy emphasizing the importance of an individual’s responsibility for making authentic choices for him- or herself; the philosopy of an existentialist
explicit meaning
meanings conveyed directly in a text
extended metaphor
a metaphor or comparison of two dissimilar things that is carried throughout a text rather than contained to just one line
fallacious reasoning
reasoning that shows an error or errors in logic
fallacy
a rhetorical error or falsehood
figurative language
a set of literary devices that use language in a way that goes beyond the ordinary meaning of the words
figure of speech
expression using words in a non-literal or unusual way to create an effect, such as metaphor, simile, alliteration
first person narrative point of view
the point of view in which the plot and sequence of events are revealed using "I" or "we"
foreshadowing
the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come
historical context
social and political environment of a particular time period or event
humor
literary device that makes characters and/or events seem funny or ridiculous
imagery
use of vivid or evocative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas
immediacy
the quality of being in the here and now
immigrant
one who comes to a country to live permanently
implicit meaning
meaning inferred through word choice, actions, setting, emotions, and thoughts, but not explicitly stated
inductive
a kind of reasoning from the specific to the general
integrating
uniting or blending into equal membership in a society
Jim Crow
a system of legalized racial segregation prevalent across the South in the first half of the twentieth century
literary
having the characteristics of literature
loaded language
words with strong positive or negative connotations which are used to persuade or create an emotional response
logos
a mode of rhetoric appealing to logic
metaphor
the direct comparison of one thing to another without using "like" or "as"
narrative
an account of something that happened told as a story with a beginning, action, and an end
narrative point of view
the position chosen by the writer regarding how he or she tells the story
parable
a short allegorical, instructive story
paradox
a statement that contradicts itself or seems otherwise impossible
parallel construction
the statement of ideas in sentences that are similar in content and usage in the same way grammatically
parallelism
repeated words, phrases, or clauses for emphasis or other effect
pathos
a mode of rhetoric appealing to sympathy
point of view
the perspective from which a piece of text is written
reminiscence
the process of thinking or telling about past experiences
repetition
the reiteration of the same word(s) in certain parts of a sentence for emphasis
rhetorical devices
language used to persuade or create an emotional response in the reader/audience
satire
humor that makes fun of human weaknesses, often with the intent of changing society
segregation
the legal separation of groups (e.g. by race or sex)
sensory details
specific description using the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell)
simile
the comparison of one thing to another using "like" or "as"
story sequencing
creating a sense of order and smooth flow, helping the author make connections between event and characters and the reader to better understand the plot and main idea
style
the choice and variety of words an author puts together in a sentence, to communicate most effectively to the intended audience
subordinating adverb
an adverb that connects ideas in such a way that one is dependent on another
theme
a fundamental, meaningful idea explored in a literary work
tone
the general feeling or attitude conveyed in a text towards its subject matter
Unit 3 Epic Poetry
Achaea
a name used by Homer to refer to Greece
Achaeans
a name used by Homer to refer to the Greeks
admonish
to reprimand firmly; to scold
alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds
antagonist
a character in a literary work who works against the main character, or protagonist, in some way
bard
an oral poet of antiquity, also called a rhapsode
counter argument
an argument that opposes a stated viewpoint, which arguments are addressed in order to prove them wrong
divine intervention
an act whereby the gods and goddesses intervene in human affairs
dramatic irony
a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows to be true
epic
a long narrative poem that tells the life of a heroic or mythological person
epithet
a descriptive adjective or phrase that is used to characterize the nature of someone or something
evidence
information gathered from research and used to support an argument
fate
a power beyond one's control that is believed to decide what happens; destiny
fidelity
an unwavering devotion and faithfulness to one’s partner or spouse
figurative language
a set of literary devices that use language in a way that goes beyond the ordinary meaning of the words
flashback
a scene in a literary work that interrupts the action to show an event that happened at an earlier time
foil
a literary device where a character’s primary purpose is to provide a contrast to a main character by having traits (whether physical or emotional) that are the opposite of that character
foreshadowing
the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come
formal language
writing in a way that creates a more formal or serious tone using academic and technical terms, as well as following traditional rules of grammar; not slang
genealogist
a person who studies the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors
hero
a mythological or legendary figure who has great strength or ability; an outstanding warrior or soldier; one who shows great courage; a person admired for achievements and qualities
heroism
making choices that are courageous and brave in the face of great obstacles
hospitality
the friendly reception or treatment of guests or strangers
hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence; defiance of the gods
in medias res
“in the middle of things,” this term is used to describe a narrative that begins, not at the beginning, but in the middle of a story
informational text
non-fiction text that is written to share information about a topic, including newspaper and magazine articles, web sites, how-to manuals, directions, etc
irony
a contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen
journey
the act of traveling from one place to another; something suggesting passage from one place to another
main idea
the main point an author is trying to make; the central theme of the text
media
forms of artistic communication, such as print, radio, television, film and song
metaphor
a figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else
muse
a goddess who inspires a creative artist, such as a poet
narrative pace
the speed at which an author tells a story; the movement from one point or section to another
narrative structure
the traditional parts of a story and the order in which the reader encounters them; a framework for the unfolding of the story
narrative techniques
the tools a writer uses to craft a story, such as plot, characterization, and figurative language
nostos
homeward voyage
omen
an occurrence of a phenomenon believed to be a sign or warning of some future event
objective language
writing in a way that presents the facts of an argument without getting personal or emotional about the topic; informative
personification
the technique of giving a non-human thing human qualities such as hearing, feeling, talking, or making decisions
persuasion
a type of speaking or writing that is intended to make the audience adopt a certain opinion or pursue an action or do both
point of view
the perspective, or character lens, through which a story is told
portent
a sign or warning that is used to foreshadow a coming event
protagonist
the main character or lead figure in a work of literature
reasoning
drawing conclusions based on factual evidence, observations, and assumptions
relevant evidence
evidence related to a research topic which can be used to prove or disprove an argument
research question
a question that guides a research investigation
rhetoric
the art of using language effectively in order to persuade
rite of passage
an incident that marks a person’s transition from adolescence to adulthood, also known as “coming of age”
sensory detail
descriptions in writing using the five senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind
shade
in literature, a disembodied spirit or ghost
simile
a figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to point out similar qualities between two unlike things
supporting idea
information that is used to support the main idea: eyewitness accounts, statistical information, details, etc
surreptitious
sneaky, stealthy; trying to avoid being noticed
symbol
an object that represents something else and has meaning beyond itself
theme
an idea or message about human life and the real world in a literary work
verbal irony
an expression in which words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meaning
xenia
the Greek custom of hospitality