Literary Analysis Terms and Definitions

Term /

Definition

/ Example
allegory / a story with two (or more) levels of meaning--one literal and the other(s) symbolic
alliteration / the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words
allusion / a brief reference to literature, geographical locations, historical events, legends, traditions and elements of popular culture
amplification / dramatic ordering of words to show a sort of expansion or progression: conceptual, valuative, poetic
analogy / a comparison of two things, which are alike in several aspects, for clarification and explanation; sometimes analogies establish a pattern of reasoning by using a less abstract and more familiar argument
antithesis / two ideas are directly opposed; true antithesis presents opposing ideas in grammatically parallel ways, creating perfect rhetorical balance.
aphorism / concise, pointed statement that reveals a truth or principle
apostrophe / a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or thing or a personified abstraction, such as love or liberty; the effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity
assonance / repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in stressed syllables followed by different consonant sounds in proximate words.
asyndeton / deliberate omission of conjunctions to create a concise, terse and often memorable statement
colloquial / (also colloquialism) the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing
cliché / an expression used so often that it has become hackneyed and has lost its original impact
connotation / the implied or suggested meaning of a word; association
consonance / repetition of final consonant sounds following different vowel sounds in proximate words
denotation / the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word; impartial, no emotion
diacope / the repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase. The effect helps develop emphasis, or to restart a thought after a parenthetical interruption.
dialect / the use of words, phrases, grammatical constructions and sounds that capture everyday (or colloquial) language; dialect shows the actual way people speak, which often differs markedly from standard English
diction / word choice; Diction must be “named.” An author’s choice of diction contributes to the tone and mood of the piece.
dysphemism / a degenerative or less agreeable substitute for words or concepts.
Consider the following dysphemistic terms and phrases for death:
From

ethos / an appeal related to the English word ethics and refers to the trustworthiness of the speaker/writer. When we believe that the speaker does not intend to do us harm, we are more willing to listen to what s/he has to say. For example, when a trusted doctor gives you advice, you may not understand all of the medical reasoning behind the advice, but you nonetheless follow the directions because you believe that the doctor knows what s/he is talking about. Likewise, when a judge comments on legal precedent audiences tend to listen because it is the job of a judge to know the nature of past legal cases.
euphemism / a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for an unpleasant word or concept
From

extended metaphor / A metaphor which is drawn-out beyond the usual word or phrase to extend throughout a stanza, an entire poem, through or across paragraphs, usually by using multiple comparisons between the unlike objects or ideas.
facetious language / joking or jesting often inappropriately; meant to be humorous or funny : not serious
homily / a sermon or serious talk, speech or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
From:
Consider MLK’s—“I Have a Dream” speech.
Consider parental and religious homilies.
hyperbole / exaggeration for emphasis or humor
imagery / the use of language to represent objects, actions, feelings, thoughts, ideas, states of mind and any sensory experience; Imagery must be named. Pay attention to a writer’s diction choice for hints to name the imagery.
irony / (also ironic) the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant
logos / the basis for the English word logic. Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the intellect, the general meaning of "logical argument." Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos and pathos, but academic arguments rely more on logos. Yes, these arguments will call upon the writers' credibility and try to touch the audience's emotions, but there will more often than not be logical chains of reasoning supporting all claims.
metaphor / one thing is spoken of as though it were something else; through this identification of dissimilar things, a comparison is suggested or implied
metonomy / a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another object closely associated with it
mood / the general feeling created in the reader by the work at a given point, which may be entirely different from the tone—although the two inevitably affect one another. A synonym for mood is “atmosphere.” One could say that an author creates a somber mood (thereby using it as a synonym for atmosphere), and one could also say that an author’s mood is somber (thereby using it as a synonym for tone to describe the author’s attitude toward the audience or subject matter).
onomatopoeia / words imitate the natural sounds they name
oxymoron / a combination of contradictory words and meanings
paradox / a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer examination contains some degree of truth or validity
parallelism / recurrent syntactical similarity. Several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed similarly to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences are equal in importance. Parallelism also adds balance and rhythm and, most importantly, clarity to the sentence. Any sentence elements can be paralleled, any number of times (though, of course, excess quickly becomes ridiculous).
parody / a work (literature, music, film) that closely imitates the style or content of another work with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule
pathetic fallacy / Personification of just the natural world has its own name, fictio. And when this natural-world personification is limited to emotion, John Ruskin called it the pathetic fallacy. Ruskin considered this latter to be a vice because it was so often overdone (and let this be a caution to you). We do not receive much pleasure from an overwrought vision like this:
The angry clouds in the hateful sky cruelly spat down on the poor man who had forgotten his umbrella.
Nevertheless, humanizing a cold abstraction or even some natural phenomenon gives us a way to understand it, one more way to arrange the world in our own terms, so that we can further comprehend it. And even the so-called pathetic fallacy can sometimes be turned to advantage, when the writer sees his own feelings in the inanimate world around him:
After two hours of political platitudes, everyone grew bored. The delegates were bored; the guests were bored; the speaker himself was bored. Even the chairs were bored.
Term / Definition / Example
pathos / Greek for “emotion,” “passion,” or “suffering,” a quality in a work or a portion that makes the reader experience pity, sorrow, or tenderness. With this appeal, characters are generally helpless, innocent victims suffering through no fault of their own. Pathos relies on understatement, making the appeal more subtle and more moving to readers. Pathos typically contributes to tone and mood.
personification / presenting or describing concepts, animals or inanimate objects by giving them human qualities
point of view / the perspective from which a story is told (or an essay is written): first person voice (I, we) or third person voice (he, she, it, they). Also, the author’s position about the subject
(first person) This point of view has the advantages of immediacy and directness, inviting readers to engage with a speaker who seems to be relating a first-hand experience, yet imposes limitations on the teller because he or she can only relate what he or she might have witnessed, and then only with the degree of understanding and objectivity appropriate to his or her circumstances and character
(third person limited)
presents a narrator with a point of view that is restricted in the objective understanding and experiences of one or, in some cases, of a few characters
(third person omniscient)
presents a narrator that has a much broader view and, usually, an objective perspective on characters and events; this form of narration can enter the consciousness of any character, evaluate motives and explain feelings, and recount the background and predict the outcome of situations
Term / Definition / Example
polysyndeton / the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite of asyndeton.
pun / a play on words that are either identical in sound (homonyms) or similar in sound, but that are sharply different in meaning
repetition / words, phrases, actions, and ideas that appear over and over again; usually, repetition in good literature highlights a pattern or makes a point
rhetoric / the art of writing and speaking effectively and persuasively
rhetorical question / questions that the writer does not answer because the answer is self-evident. Rhetorical questions are used to allow readers to think and conclude along with the writer.
sarcasm / biting, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something
satire / a work (literature, music, film) that uses irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement and sarcasm to target human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule
shift / a change in verb tense, location, speaker, narrative method, setting or tone
Term / Definition / Example
simile / a comparison between two things which are not alike, but which share at least one common element; similes explain an unfamiliar thing by comparing it to something familiar; similes use like or as to make the comparison
style / the sum of choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary and rhetorical devices
symbolism / objects and actions that stand for or represent something beyond their literal meaning
synecdoche / The term for part of something is used to represent the whole.
syntax / sentence construction. Some authors heavily use prepositional phrases, for example. Hemmingway uses prepositional phrases liberally in order to describe. Perhaps some sentences are written with a short and choppy cadence to parallel an intense action in the text. The sentence structure in this case would contribute to the text’s intensity.
text / something written or spoken considered as an object to be examined: movies, books, poetry, etc.
theme / the central idea or message of a text; the insight it offers; Theme is not typically stated directly.
thesis / (also thesis statement) the sentence or group of sentences that directly express a writer’s opinion, purpose, idea or meaning
Term / Definition / Example
tone / the author’s attitude toward his or her subject and toward the audience; the way the author’s personality is reflected in the work
understatement / the minimalization of fact or presentation of something as less significant than it is; the opposite of hyperbole

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McFaul courtesy of Nelson H:\AP_ME\Summer\Analysis Terms Chart_Summer.doc 10/5/2018