Literary Terminology- AICE Literature
in English Exam-Graded A
Abstract Language - ANSWER-Language describing ideas and qualities rather than
observable or specific things, people or places (The observable or 'physical' is usually
described with concrete language. Ex: love, honor, integrity, evil.)
Antagonist - ANSWER-a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or
something; an adversary.
Allegory - ANSWER-the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to
represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning (In some allegories, for
example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or
freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization
about human existence.)
Alliteration - ANSWER-The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in
two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not
frequently in the multiple choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay
passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound,
and/or echo the sense of the passage.
Allusion - ANSWER-A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably
commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be
historical, literary, religious topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a
work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.
Ambiguity - ANSWER-The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a
word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Anachronism - ANSWER-Anything that is incongruous in the time period it has been
placed in. It appears in a temporal context in which it seems sufficiently out of place as
to be peculiar, incomprehensible or impossible. The item is often an object, but may be
a verbal expression, a technology, a philosophical idea, a musical style, a material, a
custom, or anything else closely enough bound to a particular period as to seem odd
outside it. For example: an actor in a Shakespearean play wearing a digital watch.
Iambic Pentameter - ANSWER-a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed
line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an
accented syllable
,Idiom - ANSWER-Common expression that has acquired a meaning different from its
literal meaning. Ex: window shopping
Imagery - ANSWER-The sensory details or figurative language used to describe,
arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms
related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. On a broader
and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing. For example,
a rose may present visual imagery while also representing the color in a woman's
cheeks and/or symbolizing some degree of perfection. An author may use complex
imagery while simultaneously employing other figures of speech, especially metaphor
and simile. In addition, this term can apply to the total of all the images in a work.
Imperative sentence - ANSWER-Sentence making a call to action or command where
the understood "you" is the subject. Ex. Go forth and multiply
Implication - ANSWER-Hint given but not stated explicitly.
Incongruity - ANSWER-Juxtaposition of ideas or images that seem inconsistent,
incompatible, or out of place.
Induction - ANSWER-The opposite of deduction, induction moves from specific to
general. Inductive reasoning takes the available information to derive a general
conclusion that connects it.
Inference/infer - ANSWER-To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information
presented. When a multiple choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a
passage, the most direct, most reasonable inference is the safest answer choice. If an
inference is implausible, it's unlikely to be the correct answer. Note that if the answer
choice is directly stated, it is not inferred and it is wrong. You must be careful to note the
connotation --negative or positive-- of the choices.
In media res - ANSWER-Latin meaning "in the middle of things". The narrative practice
of starting a story in the middle of the action to involve the reader and then using one or
more flashbacks to fill in what led up to that point. Although the practice is common in
modern works the term is most often applied to epic poetry, for which it is a convention.
Innuendo - ANSWER-An insinuation; the implication or hint of something derogatory; a
device of satire.
Invective - ANSWER-an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong,
abusive language. (For example, in Henry IV, Part I, Prince Hal calls the large character
of Falstaff "this sanguine coward, this bedpresser, this horseback breaker, this huge hill
of flesh.")
, Inversion - ANSWER-Variation of the normal word order (subject first, then verb, then
complement) which puts a modifier or the verb first in the sentence. The element that
appears first is emphasized more than the subject.
Irony/ironic - ANSWER-The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really
meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. Irony is
often used to create poignancy or humor. In general, there are three major types of
irony used in language: (1) Verbal Irony-- when the words literally state the opposite of
the writer's (or speaker's) meaning (2) Situational Irony-- when events turn out the
opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to
happen is not what does happen (3) Dramatic Irony-- when facts or events are unknown
to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience or other
characters in the work. (4) Irony of Fate-- The view that fate, destiny or God, seeking
diversion or amusement, manipulates human beings like puppets and thwarts their
plans. (Also referred to as Cosmic Irony).
Jargon - ANSWER-Technical language of a profession or skill, not typically understood
or used by other people not belonging to the professional or skill group. Ex. Military
jargon
Juxtaposition - ANSWER-Purposeful placement of ideas, images, or language (often
incongruous) to heighten their effect.
Kenning - ANSWER-A much-compressed form of metaphor, originally used in Anglo-
Saxon and Norse poetry. It is a compound expression, often hyphenated, representing
a single noun. In a kenning, an object is described in a two-word phrase, such as
'whale-road' for 'sea'. Some kennings can be more obscure than others, and then grow
close to being a riddle.
Line - ANSWER-a subdivision of a poem, specifically a group of words arranged into a
row that ends for a reason other than the right-hand margin. This reason could be that
the lines are arranged to have a certain number of syllables, a certain number of
stresses, or of metrical feet; it could be that they are arranged so that they rhyme,
whether they be of equal length or not. But it is important to remember that the poet has
chosen to make the line a certain length, or to make the line-break at a certain point.
The words that fall at the end of a line seem more important to a reader (an effect that
rhyme can intensify); other strong points are the start of a line, and either side of a
caesura.
Litotes - ANSWER-(pronounce almost like "little tee")-- a form of understatement that
involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. Litotes is the opposite of
hyperbole. Examples: "Not a bad idea," "Not many," "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny
little tumor on the brain" (Salinger, Catcher in the Rye).
Local Color - ANSWER-Literature with local color is tied in location, topic, attitudes and
beliefs (and even in dialect) to a particular region of a country
in English Exam-Graded A
Abstract Language - ANSWER-Language describing ideas and qualities rather than
observable or specific things, people or places (The observable or 'physical' is usually
described with concrete language. Ex: love, honor, integrity, evil.)
Antagonist - ANSWER-a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or
something; an adversary.
Allegory - ANSWER-the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to
represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning (In some allegories, for
example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or
freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization
about human existence.)
Alliteration - ANSWER-The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in
two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not
frequently in the multiple choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay
passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound,
and/or echo the sense of the passage.
Allusion - ANSWER-A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably
commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be
historical, literary, religious topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a
work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.
Ambiguity - ANSWER-The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a
word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Anachronism - ANSWER-Anything that is incongruous in the time period it has been
placed in. It appears in a temporal context in which it seems sufficiently out of place as
to be peculiar, incomprehensible or impossible. The item is often an object, but may be
a verbal expression, a technology, a philosophical idea, a musical style, a material, a
custom, or anything else closely enough bound to a particular period as to seem odd
outside it. For example: an actor in a Shakespearean play wearing a digital watch.
Iambic Pentameter - ANSWER-a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed
line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an
accented syllable
,Idiom - ANSWER-Common expression that has acquired a meaning different from its
literal meaning. Ex: window shopping
Imagery - ANSWER-The sensory details or figurative language used to describe,
arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms
related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. On a broader
and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing. For example,
a rose may present visual imagery while also representing the color in a woman's
cheeks and/or symbolizing some degree of perfection. An author may use complex
imagery while simultaneously employing other figures of speech, especially metaphor
and simile. In addition, this term can apply to the total of all the images in a work.
Imperative sentence - ANSWER-Sentence making a call to action or command where
the understood "you" is the subject. Ex. Go forth and multiply
Implication - ANSWER-Hint given but not stated explicitly.
Incongruity - ANSWER-Juxtaposition of ideas or images that seem inconsistent,
incompatible, or out of place.
Induction - ANSWER-The opposite of deduction, induction moves from specific to
general. Inductive reasoning takes the available information to derive a general
conclusion that connects it.
Inference/infer - ANSWER-To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information
presented. When a multiple choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a
passage, the most direct, most reasonable inference is the safest answer choice. If an
inference is implausible, it's unlikely to be the correct answer. Note that if the answer
choice is directly stated, it is not inferred and it is wrong. You must be careful to note the
connotation --negative or positive-- of the choices.
In media res - ANSWER-Latin meaning "in the middle of things". The narrative practice
of starting a story in the middle of the action to involve the reader and then using one or
more flashbacks to fill in what led up to that point. Although the practice is common in
modern works the term is most often applied to epic poetry, for which it is a convention.
Innuendo - ANSWER-An insinuation; the implication or hint of something derogatory; a
device of satire.
Invective - ANSWER-an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong,
abusive language. (For example, in Henry IV, Part I, Prince Hal calls the large character
of Falstaff "this sanguine coward, this bedpresser, this horseback breaker, this huge hill
of flesh.")
, Inversion - ANSWER-Variation of the normal word order (subject first, then verb, then
complement) which puts a modifier or the verb first in the sentence. The element that
appears first is emphasized more than the subject.
Irony/ironic - ANSWER-The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really
meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. Irony is
often used to create poignancy or humor. In general, there are three major types of
irony used in language: (1) Verbal Irony-- when the words literally state the opposite of
the writer's (or speaker's) meaning (2) Situational Irony-- when events turn out the
opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to
happen is not what does happen (3) Dramatic Irony-- when facts or events are unknown
to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience or other
characters in the work. (4) Irony of Fate-- The view that fate, destiny or God, seeking
diversion or amusement, manipulates human beings like puppets and thwarts their
plans. (Also referred to as Cosmic Irony).
Jargon - ANSWER-Technical language of a profession or skill, not typically understood
or used by other people not belonging to the professional or skill group. Ex. Military
jargon
Juxtaposition - ANSWER-Purposeful placement of ideas, images, or language (often
incongruous) to heighten their effect.
Kenning - ANSWER-A much-compressed form of metaphor, originally used in Anglo-
Saxon and Norse poetry. It is a compound expression, often hyphenated, representing
a single noun. In a kenning, an object is described in a two-word phrase, such as
'whale-road' for 'sea'. Some kennings can be more obscure than others, and then grow
close to being a riddle.
Line - ANSWER-a subdivision of a poem, specifically a group of words arranged into a
row that ends for a reason other than the right-hand margin. This reason could be that
the lines are arranged to have a certain number of syllables, a certain number of
stresses, or of metrical feet; it could be that they are arranged so that they rhyme,
whether they be of equal length or not. But it is important to remember that the poet has
chosen to make the line a certain length, or to make the line-break at a certain point.
The words that fall at the end of a line seem more important to a reader (an effect that
rhyme can intensify); other strong points are the start of a line, and either side of a
caesura.
Litotes - ANSWER-(pronounce almost like "little tee")-- a form of understatement that
involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. Litotes is the opposite of
hyperbole. Examples: "Not a bad idea," "Not many," "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny
little tumor on the brain" (Salinger, Catcher in the Rye).
Local Color - ANSWER-Literature with local color is tied in location, topic, attitudes and
beliefs (and even in dialect) to a particular region of a country
