Literary Terms
Bildungsroman
Definition: Type of novel focusing on the psychological and moral growth of the main character from youth to adulthood. A coming-of-age story. When Used: Typically a novel (name literally translates to "building/formation" - bildungs and "a novel" - roman) What it Isn't: Children's book (picture book) Notable Examples (From Text): Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo: Joe matures from being a young boy dependent on his father during their fishing trips to receiving his father's prized rod in order to teach his friend (taking his father's place). Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: Goes through the life of Pip, a young orphan as he learns to act like a gentleman.
Pun
Definition: a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. When used: Literature, advertising. They're just neat. Funny. They drive home a point in a witty and playful way Notable Examples: - Names in Candide Original Example: Which country's capital has the fastest- growing population? Ireland. Every day it's Dublin. What it isn't: Irony. Just a joke
Catharsis
Definition: Releasing pent-up emotions through art/any experience of emotional release/cleansing caused by a work of art When Used: Typically occurs when reading/viewing a tragedy (will cause terror and pity) or Experiencing fear in a controlled situation What it Isn't: Comedy Notable Examples (From Text): Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare: Ending of the play when the titular characters both die, the reader feels a sense of loss and can release pent up emotions because their love was never fully realized. "A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." Macbeth by Shakespeare: The audience is carried through Macbeth's plummet into misfortune as he ends up losing everything due to his ambition.
Antagonist
Definition: The adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work Notable Examples: The bikers in "Where She Went" and Sonny in "Sonny's Blues" When/How Used: Often creates conflict in the story and aids in the evolution/development of the protagonist What It Isn't: Villain Original Example: The bully in school pushes Timmy into a locker, which inspires him to learn martial arts.
Aside
Definition: When a character expresses to the audience his or her thought or intention in a short speech which, by convention, is inaudible to the other characters on the stage. Notable Examples: From Shakespeare's Macbeth: "Time thou anticipat'st my dread exploits. The flighty purpose never is o'ertook Unless the deed go with it. From this moment The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand." When/How Used: Usually used in plays to provide the audience with details to progress the plot. What It Isn't: Soliloquy
Epic (poem)
Definition: long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds When used: Used to tell stories of those who have done heroic deeds and also to pass on traditions from one generation to another. Notable Examples The Odyssey (Ancient Greek) - The story of Odysseus' struggle to get home after the Trojan War. Odysseus battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the Gods on his journey home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Ancient Mesopotamia) - The adventures of the historical King of Uruk. What isn't it: A narrative. Instead, these specifically recount heroic deeds.
Syntax
Definition: the study of the way that sequences of words are ordered into phrases, clauses, and sentences When used: Used in all forms of writing. It is what helps writers form sentences: the selection of a word or a word's tense, the arrangement of the words and the selection of the punctuation. Notable Examples: "I seemed to hear with what burning he had made it his, with what burning we had yet to make it ours, how we could cease lamenting." - "Sonny's Blues" (Complex) "It's alive! It's alive!" - Frankenstein (Exclamatory) Original Example: Imperative→ Make the most of every day. What it isn't: Diction
Irony (3 types)
Definition: Verbal _____ occurs when a speaker implies a completely different meaning from the meaning that is explicitly said. This can be seen as satire or sarcasm. Situational _____ occurs when the actual event or sequence of events differs from the expectation. Dramatic ______ is any situation in which the audience or reader and the author share a knowledge that the character is otherwise ignorant to. Based off of this lack of knowledge, characters tend to act in ways inappropriate to the situation, which causes the audience or reader varying levels of amusement or anxiety based off of the situation. When used:______, especially of the dramatic kind, is most often used in plays (as it comes from Greek playwrights) and comedies, wherein verbal and situational _____ also play large roles. It has the effect of building suspense or, conversely, humor. Irony inverts our expectations. It can create the unexpected twist at the end of a joke or a story that gets us laughing — or crying. Verbal ____ tends to be funny; situational _____ can be funny or tragic; and dramatic ____ is often tragic. Notable Examples: On page 12 of The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien describes the mission that Lee Strunk went on, in which he needed to search an abandoned tunnel. Everyone believed that he had a good chance of dying in the tunnel, so when he emerged out alive, the soldiers were making jokes about rising from the dead. The situational _____ in this case is that as they were making jokes about death, Ted Lavender got shot in the head on his way back from peeing. In Romeo and Juliet, the audience already had the knowledge that Juliet faked her death. However, Romeo did not know this and believed that she was truly dead. Original Example: In horror movies, the character goes into the basement that we all know has the murderer in it and are desperately wishing we could scream at them to stop. (Dramatic) Alanis Morissette sings the lyrics "It's like rain on your wedding day," which isn't ironic so much as tragic. (Situational) What it isn't: Verbal is often confused with sarcasm and compliments Dramatic can be confused with foreshadowing, however, dramatic irony is more overt in its information of future events and is accompanied by inappropriate actions on the parts of characters.
Foil
Definition: A character who contrasts with another character (typically the protagonist) which serves as a way to highlight distinctive characteristics of the protagonist Notable Examples: Sonny and his brother in "Sonny's Blues"- Sonny is free spirited and carefree in planning his future while his brother is strict in his approach to escaping poverty and getting a better future. When used: Used to help highlight certain qualities between the protagonist and the antagonist. Readers easily pick up on and often associate characters with certain qualities whereas _____ bring out qualities in a more noticeable way due to the major contrast between characters. What it isn't: Antagonists
Simile
Definition: A comparison between two objects that are not similar, typically using like or as. Notable Examples: "Every face looks darkening, like the sky outside." (Sonny's Blues). In The Things They Carried, Kiowa describes the death of Ted Lavender to "like watching a rock fall." When it is Used: To amplify a simple action or thing and make it more important; to give simple things symbolic meanings. What it Isn't: Analogy Original Example: The olympic sprinter ran as fast as a cheetah chasing its prey. When the boy wore his fluorescent pink suit to prom, he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Stream of consciousness
Definition: A depiction of thoughts, perceptions, and feelings, that occur in the mind of an individual with no logical organization Notable Examples: "I couldn't believe it: but what I mean by that is that I couldn't find any room for it anywhere inside me. I had kept it outside me for a long time. I hadn't wanted to know. I had had suspicions, but I didn't name them, I kept putting them away. I told myself that Sonny was wild, but he wasn't crazy. And he'd always been a good boy, he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful, the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem. I didn't want to believe that I'd ever see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out, in the condition I'd already seen so many others. Yet it had happened and here I was, talking about algebra to a lot of boys who might, every one of them for all I knew, be popping off needles every time they went to the head. Maybe it did more for them than algebra could." (Sonny's Blues, Pages 17-18) When it is Used: Used to create the effect of a chaotic stream of thoughts that exists in the real world in literature. Shows the thoughts and feelings of a character at a specific time What it Isn't: Interior Monologue Original Example: I wonder why people become so angry and spiteful. Maybe it's because of something that provoked them to the brink of insanity. Maybe it's because they were always the victim or they feel powerless so they need to find power somewhere. I never could understand it. I just don't know. When people fight just to fight it's almost as if they're looking to get hurt. Maybe that's what they want. They want to get hurt. Anger is a funny thing. It's hard to comprehend. Sometimes it seems justified or unjustified, though you can never really tell unless your in the shoes of the person who is angry.
Metaphor
Definition: A figure of speech wherein a word or expression is used to suggest a likeness between the literal denotation of the word or phrase and another object. When used: Most commonly found in novels as a way to further elucidate on specific details, and enhance the narrative quality of the telling. Notable Examples: "The rain was the war and you had to fight it" (O'Brien 156). Original Example: The headlights were knives through the thick fog. What it isn't:Similes. While a simile is a type of metaphor, in that it compares two things that are not entirely related, it does so using comparative words such as "like" or "as".
Form
Definition: A genre or literary type; patterns of meter, lines and rhymes; the principle that determines how a work is organized and its structure. Also involves the ideas that shape the text. Notable Examples: The Things They Carried is a fictional autobiography written in fictional prose. When used: Used as a structural guide for their piece. It provides organization and structure to their writing. What it isn't: Can be confused with genre (a classified group of literature)
Inversion
Definition: A literary device, also called anastrophe, in which the normal order of words are rearranged for the sake of emphasis When used: Used in poetry, in which the phrase satisfies the demands of the metre and achieves emphasis. Notable Examples: The Things They Carried: "What it was doing there I don't know—no farms or paddies—but we chased it down and got a rope around it" (75). "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing." Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven" Original Example: At seven in the evening comes dinner. What it isn't: Hysteron Proteron -- A figure of speech where the logical order of words is reversed (i.e. then came thunder and lightning, the logical reverse of the order lightning and then thunder)
Antihero
Definition: The chief person in a modern novel or play whose character is petty, ignominious, passive, ineffectual, or dishonest. When/How Is It Used: Used to provide a different perspective on the the hero/villain relationship which makes it more complex and interesting. The author typically shows how the character struggles to maintain balance between good and evil. Notable Examples: Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye What It Isn't: Antagonist
Juxtaposition
Definition: A literary technique in which the writer describes two things together by means of contrasting, whether they're objects, images, ideas, or people, in order to emphasize a point/create an effect. When used: Used in poetry and prose writing in order to develop comparisons and contrasts. Notable Examples: In "The Man I Killed" of The Things They Carried, O'Brien compares the young man with a butterfly in order to emphasize the boy's innocent appearance and frailty. "The butterfly was making its way along the young man's forehead, which was spotted with small dark freckles. The nose was undamaged. The skin on the right cheek was smooth and fine-grained and hairless. Frail-looking, delicately boned, the young man would not have wanted to be a soldier and in his heart would have feared performing badly in battle" (120-121). Charles Dickens compares/contrasts the positive and negative aspects before the French Revolution in his novel A Tale of Two Cities. "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" (3). Original Example: a baby with a military assault rifle. What it isn't: Often confused with oxymorons and paradoxes.
In media res
Definition: A narrative that begins at the climax, which is relatively in the middle of the story. It refers to earlier events in the past through flashbacks, but it primarily continues the plot sequentially after the "climax" has happened. When used: Used in prose writing. Notable Examples: Sonny's Blues. The short story begins in the middle of its action, wherein Sonny is already addicted and the narrator has just found out his brother is in jail. The path to these events is then told to readers via flashback, specifically to when Sonny was healthy. At the same time, the storyline continues to the part where Sonny exposes his true passion to his brother. It is considered to be the classical style of storytelling, used by the Greek poets, such as Homer. It is often used to skip straight to the heart of the story without requiring a lengthy buildup. The Latin poet Horace pointed out that this was effective, as it drew immediate interest to the story. What it isn't: A story that begins at the end of a storyline and then starts from the beginning
Allusion
Definition: A passing reference, without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage. Notable Examples: From "Sonny's Blues": "For me, then, as they began to play again, it glowed and shook above my brother's head like the very cup of trembling" (Baldwin, 48). From The Things they Carried: "Or some dumb jingo in his hard hat and Bomb Hanoi button or one of LBJ's pretty daughters, or Westmoreland's whole handsome family- nephews and nieces and baby grandson" (O'Brien, 40) When/How Used: Used with the knowledge that the audience may understand the reference. Used to associate other works/people/events with the story. What it isn't: Metaphor Original Example: There are so many cameras in here I feel like Big Brother is watching over me.
Allegory
Definition: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Notable Examples: Animal Farm By, George Orwell and Allegory of the Cave by Plato When/How Used: Can be employed in any literary form. Often used to personify/represent political occurrences or abstract ideas. What it isn't: Symbolism
Interior monologue
Definition: A technique that authors use to describe the rational, logical thoughts passing through the narrator's mind. It gives readers a glimpse into the way that a character's mind is working, while maintaining coherency for ease of reading. When used: Generally used in novels in order to get inside a character's head and look from a different perspective. Notable Examples: In the chapter, "How to Tell a True War Story," from The Things They Carried, O'Brien writes, "A true war story is never moral... Send guys to war, they come home talking dirty" (65-66). "How much better is silence; the coffee cup, the table. How much better to sit by myself like the solitary sea-bird that opens its wings on the stake. Let me sit here for ever with bare things, this coffee cup, this knife, this fork, things in themselves, myself being myself. Do not come and worry me with your hints that it is time to shut the shop and be gone. I would willingly give all my money that you should not disturb me but let me sit on and on, silent, alone." (Virginia Woolf, The Waves, 1931) Original Example: Michelle goes to the grocery store to buy ice cream. I hate chocolate, she thinks, so I'll buy the vanilla flavor. What it isn't: Stream of consciousness
Shift
Definition: An author's decision to change from one structure/tone/style to another in the midst of their writing; a significant change. Notable Examples: In "Sonny's Blues" the structure changes from the brothers' constant conflict resulting from their inability to see eye to eye and a focus on darkness, to a single description of Sonny playing jazz and a focus on light. This shows the development in the boys' relationship, as there was always confusion (darkness), though once they finally saw eye to eye, the two saw the light, figuratively of course. Throughout, The Things They Carried, the narrator remains Tim O'Brien. However, O'Brien's When Used: To indicate where the most important meaning (TQM) is located within the story. What it Isn't: Consistent Writing
Symbol
Definition: Anything that represents or stands for something else, often summing up a lot of ideas that can mean different things depending on the circumstance. Notable Examples: "How Far She Went": An older figure taking a young girl's innocence is a _____ of a vampire. At the end of "Sonny's Blues," the glass sitting on top of the piano that Sonny is playing is described as a "cup of trembling." This trembling cup represents the difficult and uneasy position that Sonny finds himself in. It is a reminder of the suffering that Sonny has endured. The author James Baldwin references this from the Bible, where the "cup of trembling" represents the suffering and fear of the people. In The Things They Carried, O'Brien's fourth grade girlfriend Linda represents memory, love, and death that O'Brien will later face in Vietnam. Linda stands for the loss of innocence. When Used: In most, if not every work of literature. Often to further support and drive home the author's intended TQM. What it Isn't: Allusion Original Example: A dove can represent peace, while rainy and clouds can signify that something bad has happened. A red rose can represent love, while the American flag can represent patriotism.
Oxymoron
Definition: a figure of speech in which two contradictory ideas are joined together to create some sort of effect. When used: Used to create a certain contrast in the reader's mind in order to explain a complex idea. It can also be used for dramatic effect, or adding some flair or "pizzazz" to a work of literature. Notable examples: Page 215 Kiowa said "same difference," Original example: bittersweet. What it isn't: paradox.
Tone
Definition: Attitude of writer towards a subject or audience When used: In all kinds of literature to portray a certain attitude or mood. For example the author may want the reader to feel his/her joy, contempt, anger, irritation, or any other mood that comes to mind. Notable Examples: "Sonny's fingers filled the air with life, his life/ But that life contained so many others... It was very beautiful because it wasn't hurried and it was no longer a lament. I seemed to hear with what burning he had made it his, with what burning we had yet to make it ours, how we could cease lamenting. Freedom lurked around us and I understood, at last, that he could help us to be free if we would listen, that he would never be free until we did." " Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin(joy/Freedom/awe) Hamlet→ don't let power or paranoia go to your head What it isn't: Mood
Round character
Definition: Character that is well developed with a variety of traits and capable of surprising the reader, though not in a way that is off character; is realistic. Notable Examples: The Things They Carried: Tim O'Brien. As the book jumps between time periods, Tim is present in three different stages of his life. Some parts of the book show O'Brien as an American soldier in Vietnam, while other parts show O'Brien in his life after the war as a writer. Some stories even show him as a child. The reader learns about his wide range of character traits and comes to know. "Sonny's Blues": Sonny. Throughout the short story we learn about Sonny's various idiosyncrasies and tendencies. We learn about his life decisions and the path that he has taken. When used: Used to make stories more relatable and believable to the audience as when they have emotional or intellectual breakthroughs based on a gradual development, the reader can relate to times in their own lives. What it Isn't: Flat Character
Flat character
Definition: Characters who do not change or develop throughout the story. They are often comprised of a one idea or quality. In addition, a flat character lacks individuality and/or a lot of detail and can be easily described in one sentence. Notable Examples: To Kill a Mockingbird- Bob Ewell: a bigoted, racist, abusive man who has been abusing his daughter from the start of the book and dies trying to harm children (clearly no lesson was learned) When used: Used to move the plot along, and occasionally provide exposition. These characters fill in readers and allow the story to proceed without taking the spotlight away from the main characters and plot. What it isn't: Often confused with "round character," the opposite term. A round character is complex and experience development throughout the story.
Diction
Definition: Choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. It can be defined as the style of speaking of writing by the author's choice of words. When used: Used all the time since writers rely on it to establish the general mood and tone throughout their piece. Its unique use of figures of speech in poetry as well as rhyming separate it from prose. Notable Examples: See this excerpt from the poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats: "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on ..." He says "ye" instead of "you" to show the respect Keats has toward the urn by using the more formal version of the word. "Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu." Later on in the poem he says "adieu" instead of "goodbye" to once again show the formality. See this passage from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: "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, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." The repetition of "it was" makes the reader see how important it is since the reader will be reading it over and over. The contradictory phrases next to one another demonstrate the differences going on in the world by, for example, saying that this time was the best for some while also being the worst for others. What it isn't: Syntax. There is a focus on the tone and voice of the literature whereas syntax focuses on the structure of sentences (short, complex, etc.).
Genre
Definition: Classifies the different types of literature Notable Examples: "Sonny's Blues" and HFSW are both short stories. When used: Used to help map out the content of a piece. Can be used as guidelines when writing a story as they tell the writer what specific items, topics, and/or themes are required of it. The effect is that audiences easily identify and understand the general theme(s) of the piece. What it isn't: Form. A ______ is the classified group of the piece of literature and form is shape or structure of the text.
Convention
Definition: Defining characteristics of something. Conventions of literature are widely accepted manners of approach, form, content, etc. They can also be customary features to specific genres of literature. When used: In a standard approach to literature Notable Examples: Novels: divided into chapters, a protagonist, Gothic Conventions: Murder, death, doom, spirits, ghosts, terror, castles
Protagonist
Definition: Leading Character in story ( usually the hero) When used: Literature, movies. Every story needs a main character Notable Examples: - Sonny in "Sonny's Blues" -Harry Potter Original Example: You're the ______ of your own life. What it isn't: Antagonist
Theme
Definition: Main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work made in a complete sentence or a question When used: In the majority of literary works to portray a message or meaning to the reader that isn't obviously stated but woven into the passage as a whole Notable Examples: To Kill A Mockingbird→ we cannot be afraid of the unknown, or only believe what others tell us (Boo Radley) Hamlet→ don't let power or paranoia go to your head What it isn't: Mood
Archetype
Definition: Recurrent narrative designs, patterns of action, character-types, themes, and images which are identifiable in a wide variety of works of literature, as well as in myths, dreams, and even social rituals Notable Examples: The forest in The Things they Carried is an example. Forests commonly represent danger as well as a connection to nature. Romeo and Juliet were a pair of star-crossed lovers who eventually met their demise in this Shakespearean tragedy. When/How Used: Writers hope to imbue a sense of realism to the story as they are drawn from experiences in the world. What It Isn't: Stereotype Original Example: The damsel in distress was rescued by the brave and handsome soldier.
Denotation
Definition: The literal meaning of a word; separating it from its connotative meaning. (Can be thought of as the dictionary definition) When used: To be the most neutral in describing something. Notable Examples: When a dove is put into literature, the usual symbolism behind it is peace, but it's denotative meaning is that it is "a type of pigeon, a wild and domesticated bird having a heavy body and short legs." Describing someone as skinny in contrast to describing them as slender. The words are synonyms and mean almost the same denotatively, but connotatively, someone described as skinny could be understood to be a little sickly and unhealthy and someone who is slender is understood to be more fit and healthy. What it isn't: Connotation is the assumed meaning and is the bigger message behind a word, but denotation is a word's dictionary definition.
Mood
Definition: The literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in the reader through word choice, atmosphere and description. When Used: Most, if not all stories, whether it be a poem or a novel. The author will usually put it in the beginning of a story to set the stage for the rest of the story. It can be added bluntly, with description, or it could be created subtly with small details and atmosphere. Notable examples: In Sonny's blues, the opening and the way Baldwin set the stage of the story when the brother was walking with Sonny's old friend with added details about the environment. "The Juke box was blasting away with something black and bouncy and I half watched the barmaid as she danced her way from the jukebox to her place behind the bar". (Baldwin 20) Original example: It was a dark and stormy night in the middle of the small ghost town of Glasscove. The winds howled and the trees rustled in the distance. The rain pounded on the side of the abandoned buildings so hard that it looked as though the broken down walls would cave in on themselves at any moment. At the very edge of this town stood a monsterous mansion....(and so on and so forth). What it isn't: Tone, setting.
Characterization
Definition: The step by step process used to provide details about a character either directly by the author (uses another character, narrator, or protagonist to tell the readers/audience about the subject) or indirectly through the actions, thoughts, speech of the character, physical appearance, and relationships with others. When Used: Used in character-driven narratives, Is used on stage/in film but there isn't much time for this so they can become underdeveloped, To help the reader understand and relate to the thought processes of a character. What it Isn't: Ambiguity Notable Examples (From Text): Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Through his speech (the language he uses) and his descriptions of himself (says "Boy", acts quite young for his age, he gets bored, sometimes acts older than he is etc.) "Boy!" I said. I also say "Boy!" quite a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I act quite young for my age sometimes. I was sixteen then, and I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm about thirteen. It's really ironical, because I'm six foot two and a half and I have gray hair. I really do. The one side of my head - the right side - is full of millions of gray hairs. I've had them ever since I was a kid. And yet I still act sometimes like I was only about twelve. Everybody says that, especially my father. It's partly true, too, but it isn't all true. People always think something's all true. I don't give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot older than I am - I really do - but people never notice it. People never notice anything." The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: "Among the men in Alpha Company, Rat had a reputation for exaggeration and overstatement, a compulsion to rev up the facts, and for most of us it was normal procedure to discount sixty or seventy percent of anything he had to say" (O'Brien 85). Original Example: Someone who is unorganized (implicit) Balancing the coffee and pastry in one hand she hurriedly shuffled through her purse, trying to come up with the change as the barista held out his hand.
Satire
Definition: To sophisticatedly poke fun at something, someone, an idea, or an institution to degrade it in the mind of the reader. The intentions can either be malicious or innocent (Juvenalian or Horatian). Notable Examples: Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger and the main character Holden Caulfield repeatedly uses it and wittiness to mock the world in which Caulfield is living. For instance, when Caulfield tries to talk with a woman at the bar, and the woman is not very talkative, Caulfield notes, "You're a very good conversationalist." When Used: Used to criticize politics, global affairs, or decisions. What it Isn't: Comedy
Foreshadowing
Definition: When a writer gives a hint in advance of what is going to happen later in the story Notable Examples: Of Mice and Men- The killing of Candy's dog foreshadows the killing of Lennie because the manner of death and the nature of the victim (innocent) were identical between Lennie and the dog. When used: Used when the author wants to tease the plot or plot twists in a story. It is also used to help readers develop expectations of what is to come. This results in the reader anticipating and expecting a future event and occasionally builds tension. What it isn't: Possibly confused with a flashback but otherwise straightforward. Original Example: Rachel took off into the woods, frantically glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. Rain started to pour and at the crack of a whip made of lightning, a murder of crows ascended into the dark stormy sky.
Imagery
Definition: When an author uses descriptive language to help readers generate a mental image in poetry Notable Examples: Romeo and Juliet- Romeo describing Juliet's beauty "It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!" (2.2) and "Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear," (1.5) When used: Used to make a poem concrete and realistic instead of abstract and imaginary; it is also used when the writer wants to appeal to a reader's 5 traditional senses. Usually results in the reader getting a mental image of the object and envisioning it as if it were real and not a concept made from words. What it isn't: Figurative language. ______ often uses figurative language to produce a mental picture. Original example: The rising sun tiptoed over the abandoned harbor, its rays engulfing Lily while the breeze carefully brushed her hair back as she sat alone.
Tragic flaw
Definition: a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine When used: Used to make a hero fallible and lead to their death and often the death of other people around them Notable Examples: Achilles Heel→ greek story about the hero Achilles who was virtually indestructible except for his heel Romeo→ impulsivity of Romeo leads him to kill himself too quickly before he is able to see that Juliet is still alive What it isn't: Antihero
Synecdoche
Definition: a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa When used: Used in both poetry and prose literary works to show the significance of a part or the significance of a whole. Notable Examples: "How Far She Went" By Mary Hood → "It was after six when she tied on her rough oxfords and walked down the drive and dropped the gate chain and headed back to the creosoted shed where she kept her tools." Oxfords refer to the type of shoe the girl is wearing. Notice how it doesn't say shoes, it just says the name of the shoe. Beloved By Toni Morrison → "This is flesh I'm talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved." Flesh, a part, refers to a person's body, a whole. Original Example: Do you like my new wheels? → Do you like my new car? What it isn't: Metonymy
Epiphany
Definition: a moment of sudden revelation or insight When used: Became the standard term for the description of a sudden flare into revelation of an ordinary object or scene. Especially, in modern poetry and prose fiction. Notable Examples Animal Farm by George Orwell - The story uses the animals within the story to illustrate the overthrow of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Communist Revolution of Russia before WWI. "All animals are equal but a few are more equal than others." Hamlet by William Shakespeare - When Hamlet is trying to get revenge on his father's murderer, Claudius. Hamlet comes to the realization that there is no need for an act of revenge and just move on from the moment. "There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will." Original Example: Like Hamlet, you want to get revenge on someone and are thinking of the perfect revenge, but then come to your senses and realize this is not the best way to go about your problem. You came to the realization that revenge is not the best answer to solving your problem. What isn't it: A sudden thought.________ has meaning to it with a story behind it.
Motif
Definition: a recurring subject, theme, or idea When used: It is often used to portray items with symbolic significance in a story. It can help produce other literary aspects such as theme and mood. It is created through the use of imagery, structural components, language, and other narrative elements. Notable Example: In "The Things They Carried," there are recurring themes of love, war, and storytelling. What it isn't: theme
Pathos
Definition: an appeal to the emotions of the audience—elicits feelings that already reside in them. When used: in literature, film and other narrative art. Advertisements Notable Examples: - "How Far She Went" has an emotional effect when the grandmother must sacrifice her dog - Sonny from "Sonny's Blues" Original Example: This student is extremely stressed. Look how sad they are! Why would you give more homework? What it isn't: Ethos or logos
Conceit
Definition: an elaborate comparison between two highly dissimilar things in a surprising or clever way; an extended metaphor that usually is apparent in the entirety of the work When used: in all literature works to interest the readers What it isn't: Simile (comparing two things that are similar with "like" or "as") Notable Examples (from text): Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: "Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a wind; For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea, Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is, Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs; Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them, Without a sudden calm, will overset Thy tempest-tossed body." In this, Juliet's father compares Juliet to a piece of bark tossed out to sea, because she is crying. He also compares her eyes to the sea and her sighs to the wind. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: "Imagination was a killer." This is an interesting metaphor as it compares imagination to a killer. It means that if you spend too much time in imagining, it could kill your work ethic or your hope. Original Example: After living such a life of misery, the idea of his death was his only joy.
Parody
Definition: an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect When used:Literature, artwork, music—This is a good way to point out a humorous flaw. Used mostly through allusion. Notable Examples: -The Office imitates a workplace drama - Austin Powers What it isn't: Drama and Satire (But it can be ironic)
Rhetoric
Definition: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques—the concern is with the type of discourse whose chief aim is to persuade an audience to think and feel or act in a particular way When used: Literature, speeches (Ethos/Pathos/Logos/Kairos/Diction) Notable Examples: -MLK I Have A Dream speech - Gettysburg Address What it isn't: It's not to entertain or inform. It isn't morality: Aristotle made that very clear
Personification
Definition: the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. When used: Used during imagery to better show the feeling or mood of a certain scene Notable Examples: - Tim O'Brien often describes Vietnam as "getting to people" and "not letting go" - In ancient Greek Mythology love is described as Eros Original Example: The trees whispered to us as the wind blew What it isn't: Simile
Point of view (first, second, and third)
Definition: the narrator's position in relation to the story being told; the mode (or modes) established by an author by means of which the reader is presented with the characters, dialogue, actions, setting, and events which constitute the narrative in a work of fiction. When used: There are three different types: first person, second person, and third person. First person is used to portray what the first person narrator, thinks, feels, and experiences. It is usually told from the perspective of a character in the story. Second person addresses someone that the narrator addresses with the second person pronoun, "you." Third person is the omniscient point of view, where there is an outside narrator that does not have anything to do with any characters from the story. Notable example: "How Far She Went" is told from third person to show the perspectives of both the girl and her grandmother. What it isn't: Theme, mood
Metonymy
Definition: the substitute of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of what the thing meant When used: Often used in literature as well as everyday speech. It is the use of a linked term to stand for another related concept or object. Sometimes metonymy is chosen because it's a well-known characteristic of the concept. Notable Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword" from Edward Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu Original Example: "The crown" referring to the leaders of a monarchy What it isn't: synecdoche
Euphemism
Definition: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant When used: Commonly used with reference to subjects such as religion. For example, "Gosh darn!" instead of "********!" Notable Examples: "Pass away" instead of "Die" "Correctional facility" instead of "Jail" Original Example: "C'mon man" instead of "What the hell" What isn't it: Synonym. A _______ is a word or phrase that has a similar meaning, but is less offensive, less harsh.
Connotation
Definition: the thoughts and feelings, usually positive or negative, associated with a word choice When used: used in all literary work What it isn't: Denotation (literal definition of the word that would be found in a dictionary) Notable Examples (from text): Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." Ears connotes listening. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: "He held out the conch to Piggy, who flushed, this time with pride. 'You must carry it' 'When we're ready I'll carry -' Piggy sought in his mind for words to convey his passionate willingness to carry the conch against all odds." The conch connotes leadership and later in the story connotes power. Original Example: I work two jobs, because I really want that green. Green means money.
Parallel structure (parallelism)
Definition: the use of a certain components in sentence that are grammatically the same or similar in their form, length, construction, sound and meaning. When used: Used everywhere, and is used to help the flow and rhythm of a sentence. Most of the time, it simply makes sense in the context of a sentence. For example, if a person says "today, I'm running, sleeping and eating." It wouldn't make sense to say something such as "today, I am going to run, eating, and going to sleep,". Notable examples: In Martin Luther King, Jr., the phrase "I have a dream" was used for clarity and emphasis. "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia...I have a dream that my four little children..." Original example: Tina likes to run, jog, and swim. What it isn't: Anaphora, alliteration.
Colloquial
Definition: the use of informal words and phrases that are in everyday conversation When used: used in works of fiction to make the writing seem more real What it isn't: Formal writing Notable Example (from text) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: "'Sure I will, George. I won't say a word.' 'Don't let him pull you in—but—if the son-of-a-bitch socks you—let 'im have it.' 'Never mind, never mind. I'll tell you when. I hate that kind of guy. Look, Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you remember what I told you to do?' Lennie raised up on his elbow. His face contorted with thought. Then his eyes moved sadly to George's face. 'If I get in any trouble, you ain't gonna let me tend the rabbits.'" Lennie always uses colloquialism throughout this novel, as he is disabled so it is difficult for him to talk sometimes. In this example, he uses "ain't" and shortens his sentences. The Catcher in the Rye: "When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down the goddam corridor. I was sort of crying. I don't know why. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, "Sleep tight, ya morons!" I'll bet I woke up every bastard on the whole floor. Then I got the hell out." For instance in this example, he says "morons" which would not be used in formal writing. Original Example: I ain't ever going to get there.
