COMPLETE SEMESTER REVIEW English II-P

platonic ideal

A woman who is a source of inspiration to the hero, who has an intellectual rather than physical attraction to her

the shadow

A worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle in a fight to the end. Must be destroyed or neutralized. Psychologically can represent the darker side of the hero's own psyche.

ASYNDETON

Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose. I came, I saw, I conquered. But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.

ADDITION

Effective writers can add words or phrases to a sentence to vary the style and draw emphasis to certain parts of the sentence

incredulously

with doubt or disbelief

ANASTROPHE

word order is reversed or rearranged. Anastrophe in Greek means a "turning back." And in this figure the usual word order is reversed. "Unseen in the jungle, but present are tapirs, jaguars, many species of snake and lizard, ocelots, armadillos, marmosets, howler monkeys, toucans and macaws and a hundred other birds, deer bats, peccaries, capybaras, agoutis, and sloths. Also present in this jungle, but variously distant, are Texaco derricks and pipelines, and some of the wildest Indians in the world, blowgun-using Indians, who killed missionaries in 1956 and ate them."

CONSONANCE

words at the ends of verses in which the final consonants in the stressed syllables agree but the words that precede them differ, sometimes called "half rime." ". . .while the rain descends so, must I lay my head on the cold, drenched ground?" from Jane Eyre She wishes to die at this point, and the "d" sound suggests a dull, thudding finality.

CLIMAX

writer arranges ideas in order of importance from the least to the most important I spend the day cleaning the house, reading poetry, and putting my life in order. He sacrificed his home, his honor, and his family for money. Men gone, homes gone, honest hearts corrupted!

POLYSYNDETON

The use of many conjunctions has the opposite effect; it slows the pace of the writing. [He] pursues his way, / And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies. --John Milton They read and studied and wrote and drilled. I laughed and played and talked and flunked

ZEUGMA

The writer uses one word to govern or modify two or more words although its use is grammatically or logically correct with only one. Her hair is red; her eyes blue. The silly girl has her head filled with straw and her face with paint. Did you drink all the milk and the sandwiches? No amount of money or people can influence me.

What are the 3 types of irony?

VERBAL, SITUATIONAL, DRAMATIC

garret

an attic

SIMILE

an explicit comparison between two unlike things signaled by the use of LIKE or AS (or similar words) "Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through." Jonathan Swift, "A Critical Essay Upon the Faculties of the Mind"

METAPHOR

an implied comparison between two unlike things. The metaphor has two parts: the tenor (the subject being compared) and the vehicle (the image or images used to convey the idea of the comparison). Some metaphors will only imply the tenor while stating the vehicle, especially in poetry.

the mentor

an older, wiser teacher to the initiates. He often serves as a father or mother figure. He gives the hero gifts (weapons, food, magic, information), serves as a role model or as hero's conscience.

formidable

arousing fear or awe

haughtily

arrogantly proud

ANIMISM

attributing animal qualities that are not uniquely human to an inanimate object The waves hissed and struck at his feet. The forest snorted in relief.

PATHETIC FALLACY

attributing human qualities to a force of nature Ex:The tornado tiptoed across the plains. In contrast to the roaring of the hurricane, the breezes in the eye barely whispered to the frightened trailer court residents huddled beneath the jammed storm cellar door.

PERSONIFICATION

attributing human qualities to an inanimate object The grass is green and neatly cut, and the buildings cast a watchful eye over the clean, quiet campus. High blood pressure is very real and dangerous, snatching the lives of many people.

exiled

banished

insolent

boldly rude or disrespectful

discreet

careful about what one says or does

RHETORICAL QUESTION

commonly defined as those questions that do not require an answer. What would you have done under the same circumstances? Was this really what I wanted?

PARALLELISM

expresses similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structures ". . .for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine protection, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." from The Declaration of Independence He tried to make the law clear, precise, and equitable

eloquence

expressiveness; persuasive speech

intrepid

fearless

coquettish

flirtatious

affable

friendly

abdicating

giving up

gluttonous

greedy

nebulous

hazy; vague; uncertain

gallantry

heroic courage

haphazard

marked by lack of plan, order, or direction

delirium

mental disorder marked by confusion

frivolous

not having any serious purpose or value

perceptibly

noticeably

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

LITOTES:

opposite of hyperbole, litotes (lit-o-tees) intensifies an idea by an understatement. It wasn't his best moment. Jim is not the best student in the Western world. We regard Hitler as a man of not high character

SARCASM

personal, jeering ridicule that is intended to hurt individuals You are really smart, making a statement like that! That was my lunch you just brilliantly threw away!

ONOMATOPOEIA

refers to the use of words whose sound reinforces their meaning drip, cackle, bang, snarl, pop

SYNECDOCHE:

related to classification and division. Translated from the Greek, synecdoche means "understanding of thing for another," thus a part is substituted for the whole, or the species for the genus. Quintilian tells us that one word makes us think of all the things in the class, so "bread" stands for food, "hands" refer to helpers, and the slang expression "wheels" means car. Part of the whole or whole for the part substitution: His shoes were untied, so he tripped over them. (rather than laces or shoe strings) The brasses use lip vibrations the way the strings use friction to produce their sounds. (horns, etc., made of brass and violins, etc., made with strings)

OMISSION

Not only can words be added in stylistically effective ways, they can also be omitted for emphasis

POLYPTOTON

The form of speech in which a word is repeated in different cases, numbers, genders, and the like. My own heart's heart, and ownest own, farewell.—Tennyson

EPISTROPHE

the repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses (it is the opposite of anaphora)

EUPHEMISM

the substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one, as in the use of "pass away" instead of "die." The basic psychology of euphemistic language is the desire to put something bad or embarrassing in a positive (or at least neutral light). Thus many terms referring to death, sex, crime, and excremental functions are euphemisms. Since the euphemism is often chosen to disguise something horrifying, it can be exploited.

Conventional Symbols

those a society or several societies have given a certain meaning that in itself is foreign to its composition (threeness may be given a symbol of 3 or III, for instance; America is symbolized by a combination of red, white, and blue patterns on a cloth—yet none of these colors or images within themselves contain the qualities for which they stand). All language is a form of conventional symbol. red=stop cross=Christianity white flag=surrender

Natural Symbols:

those items which naturally contain the quality for which they stand as a symbol are natural symbols. For instance, a symbol of pride or strength would be a lion rather than a rabbit because the lion possesses or exhibits those qualities better than the rabbit. An arch is a symbol of equilibrium because it naturally possesses such balance in order to stand. According to Carl Jung, archetypes are natural symbols whose meanings cross cultural or societal boundaries and seem inherent in human understanding. light=understanding, truth dark=ignorance, death water=life desert=death

Private Symbols

those which have particular meaning for an individual or a small group of people. A poet may use a wheelbarrow, for instance, to symbolize the experiences of life; but only those familiar with the poet or his poetry might understand this unique meaning

desecrated

treated as not sacred

diminutive

very small

PARODY

: a satiric imitation of a work or of an author with the idea of ridiculing the author, his ideas, or work. The parodist exploits the peculiarities of an author's expression--his propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, or whatever. The parody may also be focused on, say, an improbable plot with too many convenient events. Fielding's Shamela is, in large part, a parody of Richardson's Pamela.

APOSTROPHE

: addressing the absent as present or the inanimate or inhuman as if it could hear and understand Rain, Rain, go away. O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?----William Shakespeare

ASSONANCE:

: involves the repetition of vowel sounds within words From nose to toes, the body began

ANAPHORA

: the regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. The Lord sitteth about the water floods. The Lord remaineth a King forever. The Lord shall give strength unto his people. The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace

the outcast

A character banished from a social group for some real or imagined crime against his fellow man, usually destined to wander form place to place.

the evil figure with ultimately good heart

A devil figure with the potential to be good. This person is usually saved by the love of the hero.

damsel in distress

A vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by the hero. She is often used as a trap to ensnare the unsuspecting hero

scapegoat

An animal, or more usually a human, whose death in a public ceremony expiates some taint or sin of a community. They are often more powerful in death than in life.

SOUND

Another kind of repetition that is particularly effective in oratory is the repetition of certain sounds within a paragraph or a sentence. Such use of sounds reinforces meaning not only in orations, but in written prose as well. However, sounds must serve a purpose. Meaningless repetition of sounds would be monotonous, and to be effective sounds must reinforce the meaning in some way.

the temptress

Characterized by sensuous beauty, this woman is one to whom the protagonist is physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his downfall. May appear as a witch or vampire

white goddess

Good, beautiful maiden, usually blond, may make an ideal marriage partner; often has religious or intellectual overtones.

WORD ORDER (SYNTAX)

In English, standard word order usually follows the subject-verb-object pattern. Adjectives ordinarily precede nouns. Deviation from normal word order signals emphasis.

BALANCE

In the following schemes of balance, the syntactic structure of each sentence supports its meaning. Similar ideas are expressed in similar grammatical structure, contrasting ideas in contrasting grammatical structure, or a series of ideas in climactic order.

SCHEMES

Schemes are arrangements of ideas, words, or phrases that are stylistically effective. Often, as in parallelism, the pattern of the words effectively serves to reinforce the meaning. Cicero defined the schemes as the "gestures of language

earth mother

Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility, this character traditionally offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact. Often depicted in earth colors, has large breasts and hips symbolic of her childbearing capacities.

IRONY

The Greek word from which irony is derived meant "liar" or dissembler," and in using irony, the writer takes on another voice or role that states the opposite of what is expressed.

ANADIPLOSIS

The rhetorical repetition of the word or phrase that ends one phrase at the beginning of the next phrase. Spare me your words; words are not what I need.

TROPES

Tropes involve alterations in the usual or expected meanings of words or phrases.

the devil figure

This character is evil incarnate.

DRAMATIC IRONY

When the audience knows something that the characters do not. This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true. Sometimes as we read we are placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows. Because we know something the character does not, we read to discover how the character will react when he or she learns the truth of the situation.

SITUATIONAL IRONY

When you expect one thing but another happens. It results from recognizing the oddness or unfairness of a given situation, whether it is positive or negative. A guy names his cat, "Cerberus" (a three-headed dog). In a word-count of obituaries, the word "life" is usually the most common. A restaurant called "Hard Times Cafe" has closed down because of the recession?

VERBAL IRONY

When you say one thing, but mean another. When it is done to hurt, it is called sarcasm. Nice going, Einstein.

SATIRE

a manner of writing that mixes a critical attitude with wit and humor in an effort to improve mankind and human institutions. Ridicule, irony, exaggeration, and several other techniques are almost always present. The satirist may insert serious statements of value or desired behavior, but most often he relies on an implicit moral code, understood by his audience and paid lip service by them. The satirist's goal is to point out the hypocrisy of his target in the hope that either the target or the audience will return to a real following of the code. Satire usually targets groups or larger concepts rather than individuals; its purpose is customarily to inspire change.

EPIGRAM

a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way. Man cannot live by bread alone. I can resist everything but temptation. - Oscar Wilde

pun

a play on the meaning of words; repetition of a single word in two different senses; use of a single word with two different meanings within the context of the sentence

JUXTAPOSITION:

a poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to another, often creating an effect of surprise and wit. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness. —Charles Dickens

the hero

a protagonist whose life is a series of well-marked adventures. The circumstances of his birth are unusual, and he is raised by a guardian. He will have to leave his kingdom, only to return to it upon reaching manhood. Characterized by courage, strength, and honor, the hero will endure hardship, even risk his life for the good of all. Leaves the familiar to enter an unfamiliar and challenging world.

ALLUSION

a reference to some familiar event in history or to some familiar expression or character in literature, the Bible, or mythology. an Achilles heel a Job an Adonis a Jezabel

ANALOGY

a similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.

PARADOX

a statement that appears to be contradictory but, in fact, has some truth He worked hard at being lazy. Youth is wasted on the young.—George Bernard Shaw

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

EPITHET

a term used to characterize a person or thing, such as rosy-fingered in rosy-fingered dawn or the Great in Catherine the Great. Also a term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person, such as The Great Emancipator for Abraham Lincoln.

SYMBOL

a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. The walls of life must be broken. (restrictions) The road ahead is difficult and full of chug-holes. (life) (problems, obstacles)

OXYMORON

contradiction; two contradictory terms or ideas are used together Parting is such sweet sorrow. Extremes meet, and there is no better example than the haughtiness of humility. wise fool luxury economy car little big man wintry fever original copy cowardly hero living death eloquent silence studied carelessness

discourse

conversation

CACOPHONY

creating a harsh effect by combining words that emphasize guttural, coarse sounds The Sturbridge gristwheel ground the flour From grain ungorged with Time's own power

EUPHONY

creating a pleasing effect by combining words or phonetic elements in spoken words to produce harmonious sounds Degged with dew, dappled with dew, Are the braes of the hills that the brook treads through. The tintinnabulation of the silver bells.

UNDERSTATEMENT

deliberately representing something as much less than it really is "Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her appearance." Jonathan Swift

CHIASMUS:

derived from the Greek letter CHI (x); grammatical structure of the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." —John Kennedy Love me or not, love her I must or die; Leave me or not, follow her needs must I. —Thomas Champion Reversing the syntactic order emphasizes the reversal in meaning. Such a devise is useful in writing to emphasize differences in meaning.

METONYMY

designation of one thing with something closely associated with it. Thus we call the head of the committee the "chair," the king the "crown," and the newspaper the "press." In the common expression "man of the cloth," reference designates a priest because of the customary cloth collar associated with the position. He gave up his scepter rather than deny his love. (he gave up his rule or kingdom) Don't let that kettle boil over. (don't let the water in the kettle to boil out) Lend me your ears. (ears are associated with attention)

adversary

enemy

HYPERBOLE

exaggeration; deliberate exaggeration for emphasis "Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets." Attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte I won't last a day without you..—The Carpenters

ALLITERATION

the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of successive words Even though large tracts of Europe have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo, we shall not flag or fail.

ANTIMETABOLE

the arrangement of ideas in the second clause is a reversal of the first; it adds power through its inverse repetition "And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you."

ELLIPSIS

the deliberate omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context "This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire; it was silent, because [it was] remote from the nursery and kitchens; [it was] solemn, because it was known to be so seldom entered." "My couch had no thorns in it that night; my solitary room [had] no fears." The bracketed words indicate words that Bronte omitted. Bronte's use of ellipsis in these two sentences eliminates extraneous words and creates a strong rhythmical pattern.

PARENTHESIS

the insertion of words, phrases, or a sentence that is not syntactically related to the rest of the sentence. Such material is set off from the rest of the sentence in one of two ways. Either is acceptable. By dashes: He said it was going to rain—I could hardly disagree—before the game was over. By parentheses: He said that it was going to rain (I could hardly disagree) before the game was over

ANTITHESIS:

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas "Our knowledge separates as well as unites; our orders disintegrate as well as bind; our art brings us together and sets us apart." Art is long; life is short.

APPOSITION

the placing next to a noun another noun or phrase that explains it Pollution, the city's primary problem, is an issue. John, my brother, is coming home.