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Literary Word Challenge
For Hogan’s IB “Killas” vs. Spachman’s
“A.P. Annihilators”
The Challenge Has Been
Thrown Down
The Battle of the Literary Geniuses Will
Happen Before Break!
- Allegory
is a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea or a
generalization about life; allegories often have a strong moral or
lesson.
Ex: Plato’s allegory of the cave
- Allusion
is a literary reference to a familiar person, place, thing, or event.
Ex: He is a strong as Hercules.
- Analogy
is a comparison of two or more similar objects, suggesting that if they
are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways
as well.
Ex: The first trip to space was
like the birth of a new baby.
- Anecdote
is a short summary of a humorous event used to make a point.
Ex: I missed my alarm clock and
got to school late. On the way to class I tripped down the stairs because I
was in such a hurry. Ms. Spachman saw me and laughed…cruelly.
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Antagonist is the
person or thing working against the protagonist, or hero, of the work.
Ex: Wicked Witch in The Wizard
of Oz, Darth Vader in Star Wars, death in “The Death of the
Moth,” the “cruel hand” in “Old Mrs. Grey.”
-
Caricature is a
picture or an imitation of a person’s features or mannerisms exaggerated
in a comic or absurd way.
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Characterization is
the method an author used to reveal characters and their personalities.
- Climax
is usually the most intense point in a story.
- Comedy
is literature in which human errors or problems appear funny. Comedies
end on a happy note.
Ex: Ms. Hogan’s real life.
- Conflict
is the problem or struggle in the story that triggers the action
a)
Person vs
person:
One character in a story has a problem with one or more of the other
characters.
b)
Person vs.
society:
A character has a problem with some element of society: the school, the law,
the accepted way of doing things.
c)
Person vs. self:
A character has a problem deciding what to do in a certain situation.
d)
Person vs.
nature:
A character has a problem with nature: heat, cold, a tornado, an avalanche,
or any other element of nature.
e)
Person vs. fate
(God):
A character must battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem.
Whenever the conflict is an unbelievable or strange coincidence, it can be
attributed to fate or an act of God.
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Denouement is the
final resolution or outcome of a play or story.
- Diction
is an author’s choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or
effectiveness
- Archaic
diction: words are
those that are old-fashioned and no longer sound natural when used, as “I
believe thee not” for “I don’t believe you.”
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Colloquial diction: an
expression that is usually accepted in informal situations and certain
locations, as in “He really grinds my beans.”
- Jargon
diction: is the
specialized language used by a specific group, such as those who use
computers: override, interface, download.
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Profanity diction: is
language that shows disrespect for someone or something regarded as holy
or sacred.
- Slang
diction: is the
informal language used by a particular group of people among themselves,
it is also language that is used in fiction to lend color and feeling:
awesome, G-Unit, yous.
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Vulgarity or Vulgar diction:
is language that is generally considered crude, gross, and, at times,
offensive. It is sometimes used in fiction to add realism.
- Didactic
literature instructs or presents a moral or religious statement.
- Drama
is the form of literature known as plays; but drama also refers to the
type of serious play that is often concerned with the leading character’s
relationship to society.
- Dramatic
monologue is a
literary work (or part of a literary work) in which a character is
speaking about themselves as if another person were present. The words
the speaker reveals something important about their character.
- Empathy
is putting yourself in someone else’s place and imagining how that person
must feel.
- Epic
is a long narrative poem that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero.
- Epigram
is a brief, witty saying or poem often dealing with its subject in a
satirical manner:
Ex: “There never was a good war or
a bad peace.” –Ben Franklin
- Epiphany
is a sudden perception (the ah-ha Oprah moment) or understanding that
causes a character to change or act in a certain way.
- Epitaph
is a short poem or verse written in memory of someone.
- Epithet
is a word or phrase used in place of a person’s name, it is characteristic
of that person: Alexander the Great, Material Girl, Ms. Know-It-All.
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Exaggeration is
overstating or sketching the truth for special effect.
Ex: My shoes are killing me!
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Exposition is writing
that is intended to explain something that might otherwise be difficult to
understand. In a play or novel, it would be the portion that gives the
background or situation surrounding the story.
- Fable
is a short fictional narrative that teaches a lesson.
- Falling
action is the part of
a play or story that works out the decision arrived at during the climax.
- Farce
is literature based on a humorous and improbable plot.
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Figurative language is
language used to create a special effect or feeling.
- Figure
of speech is a
literary device used to create a special effect or feeling by making some
type of interesting or creative comparison.
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Antithesis is an
opposition, or contrast, of ideas
Ex: “It was the best of times, it
was the worst of times.”
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Hyperbole is an
exaggeration or overstatement:
Ex: I have seen this river so wide
it had only one bank
- Metaphor
is a comparison of two unlike things in which no word of comparison (like
or as) is used.
Ex: A great plant is a machine that
runs on solar energy.
- Metonymy
is the substituting of one world for another related word:
Ex: The White House has decided to
create more public service jobs. (White House is substituted for president).
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Personification is a
literary device in which the author speaks of or describes an animal,
object, or idea as if it were a person
Ex: The rock stubbornly refused to
move.
- Simile
is a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as:
Ex: “She stood in front of the
alter, shaking like a freshly caught trout.”
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