Glossary Of Literary Terms

NickMorris

Period 6 AP Literature

Diction

Denotation – The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Example 1: In “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, the wall is literally a collection of stones that forms a barrier between the two properties. It is important to the work as a whole because that wall is what keeps the neighbors distant from one another.

Example 2: In “Going Out” by Natasha Haigh, the small pile of ash is literally the remnants of a fire. It is important to the poem as a whole because the pile of ash is created from literally burning the things someone gave to the author and represents the end of something.

Connotation – The suggested deeper meaning beyond the definition of a word.

Example 1: In “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, the wall is literally a barrier, but the wall also represents something more. It represents the distant relationship the neighbors have and how something from the past continues to be between them.

Example 2: In “Going Out” by Natasha Haigh, the small pile of ash is literally a pile of ashes, but it also represents the end of a relationship. The fire that had burned inside each of their hearts was extinguished and all that was left was a small pile of ashes.

Cacophony – Words that sound off, disjointed, or out of tune when placed together.

Example 1: In “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath, the line “A man in black with a Meinkampf look” sounds disjointed when read. The device is important to the work as a whole because it is symbolic of the rough relationship between the speaker and her father. Just as the sentence sounds disjointed, so is the relationship of the characters in the poem.

Example 2: In “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, the line “Beware the jubjub bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch” is very difficult to articulate and sounds off. It is important to the work as a whole because the disjunction of the words characterizes the odd Jabberwocky, because it is an offbeat creature.

Euphony – Words that create harmony and are pleasing to the ear when placed together.

Example 1: In “The Ball” by John Berryman, the line “I suffer and move, my mind and my heart move me, under the water or whistling, I am not a little boy” is pleasing to the ears. It is important to the work as a whole because as the author is trying to prove he has grown up and is no longer a

little boy, he constructs harmonious lines to back his claim. He does not speak with cacophony like a child, but rather with sophistication of an adult.

Example 2: In “To Autumn” by John Keats, the line “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom-friend of the maturing sun” is very smooth and harmonious. It is important to the work as a whole because the euphony of the lines accentuates and exemplifies the beauty of nature and the seasons.

Onomatopoeia – Use of words that sound like what they mean.

Example 1: In “The Book Of Yolek” by Anthony Hecht, the line “The dowsed coals fume and hiss” uses onomatopoeia. The hissing of the coals is both an action as well as a sound. It is important to the poem as a whole because even after the fire is out, the remains still hiss. This is similar to the way Yolek’s memory is still around even after his death.

Example 2: In “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes, the line “Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot!” utilizes onomatopoeia. The words sound like the hooves of a horse. This device is important to the work as a whole because the sound is accompanied by the highwayman. In every stanza where the tlot-tlot is found, the highwayman appears and everyone feels a sense of terror at his arrival.

Juxtaposition – Putting two unlike things together to create tension, contrast, and surprise.

Example 1: In “Southern Man” by Neil Young, the line “Tall white mansions and little shacks” uses juxtaposition to show contrast. It is important to the work as a whole because Young is criticizing the South and their people by illustrating the difference in social classes.

Example 2: In “What Are Years” by Marianne Moore, the line “Dumbly calling, deafly listening” is used to create tension. It is important to the meaning as a whole because deafly listening has no purpose, and shows how men are affected by the actions of others without thinking about the true consequences.

Imagery

Visual – Images experienced through sight.

Example 1: In “The Book Of Yolek” by Anthony Hecht, images like loudspeakers, smoke, tattoos, and a camp are things that the reader can picture. The dark images are vital to the work as a whole because they convey a sense of despair and morbidity. Seeing all of those horrible images reinforces the fact that Yolek’s memory will always be there.

Example 2: In the poem “Flower-Gathering” by Robert Frost, happy images like morning glow change to sad images like faded flowers. These images are important to the work as a whole because the images go from positive to negative, just like the plot events in the poem.

Auditory – Images experienced through sound.

Example 1: In “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen, auditory images like the gas, flares, and five-nines are things that the audience and the soldiers can hear. The images are important to the work as a whole because it shows the constant danger the soldiers felt as bombs kept going off. Even in the distance they could hear the violence and it showed the longevity of the war.

Example 2: In “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe, the sounds of the bells are auditory images. They are important to the poem as a whole because the sounds are described through the words and their changes show the shift in tone as the poem goes. Merry sounds turn morbid as the tone of the poem changes.

Tactile – Images experienced through touch.

Example 1: In “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath, the line “It stuck in a barb wire snare” is tactile imagery. It can be felt by the reader, though it does not literally happen in the poem. It is important to the work as a whole because the reader feels the pain of being stuck in barbed wire. The feeling is associated with the speakers inability to talk to her father and tell him he his wrong. Being in pain and unable to do anything because you are stuck is painful and reminiscent of the pain the speaker feels.

Example 2: In “After Apple Picking” by Robert Frost, the line “the fruit to cherish in hand” is tactile imagery. It is important to the work as a whole because the image conveys to the reader that they must enjoy life to the fullest and cherish the good things that they have.

Olfactory – Images experienced through smell.

Example 1: In “A Break From The Bush” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the burning steaks on the wire grill is an olfactory image because the soldiers can smell the cooking meat. This image is important to the meaning as a whole because all of the things the speaker mentions in the poem, like smelling cooking steaks, are just a distraction from the war. No matter what they see or smell at a given time, that comfort can be broken in an instant.

Example 2: In “To A Wretch” by Robert Frost, the reader can “smell the green” of the tree that was cut down. It is important to the meaning as a whole because the smell of green is representative of life. The main character cuts down the tree without really considering the effect of losing that tree or what it means to the area around where that tree was.

Gustatory – Images experienced through taste.

Example 1: In “The Book Of Yolek” by Anthony Hecht, the images of a corn roast and grilled salmon conjure are things the reader can taste. The images are important to the meaning of the poem as a whole because these tastes are comforting and reminiscent of summer camp. These images are later contrasted by the camp that Yolek is sent to, where there is nothing good to eat.

Example 2: In the song “Lollipop” by The Chordettes, lollipops and apple pie are images that the listener can taste. They are important to the meaning as a whole because they are sweet and good to eat and everyone likes them. The author compares another person to these images to show their affection.

Synesthesia – Images experienced through multiple senses.

Example 1: In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, the blueblack cold is experienced through multiple senses. The reader could feel the cold as well as seeing it. That image is important to the meaning as a whole because the author feels cold in a few ways. There is the actual cold in the house that his father takes care of by making a fire, but there is the feeling of coldness between the father and the son that cannot be fixed.

Example 2: In “Isabella” by John Keats, the line “taste the music of that vision pale” has a combination of three senses. It has taste, sound, and sight all in one sentence. It is important to the meaning as a whole because it shows all of the mixed feelings that Isabella had about her brothers. They left her all alone, so she had mixed feelings of love and hate to them.

Kinesthetic – Images experienced through movement or action.

Example 1: In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the waltz is an example of kinesthetic imagery because the reader can feel waltzing with someone. It is important to the meaning as a whole because the syntax of the poem is set up rhythmically like a waltz. The clumsy waltz is also a symbol of how the father interacts with his son, doing good things but missing a step every once in a while.

Example 2: In “Ghost House” by Robert Frost, “the black bats tumble and dart”. This is an example of kinesthetic imagery because the bats are moving around. It is important to the meaning as a whole because the bats, which are scary creatures, are dangerously moving around, creating a sense of fear about the ghost house.

Organic – Images experienced through internal feelings.

Example 1: In “Fear” by Stephyn Dobyns, the line “It is his own face he finds there, hopeless and afraid”. This line shows the feelings that the main character feels as he realizes that fear has taken his life over. It is important to the meaning as a whole because when the main character looks at the dog that represents fear, he sees his own face and realizes that he is no longer in control. Fear has taken over his life and he is hopeless and afraid.

Example 2: In “After Apple Picking” by Robert Frost, the line “my instep arch not only keeps the ache, it keeps the pressure of a ladder round” has organic imagery because the reader can feel the ache of a foot. It is important to the meaning as a whole because the narrator presents the good and the bad of apple picking, which are symbols of the good and bad in life. We must deal with the bad to get to the good, and the aching foot is a symbol of this.

Syntax

Declarative – A sentence that makes a statement.

Example 1: In “Fear” by Stephyn Dobyns, the first line “His life frightened him” is declarative because it just makes a statement. It is important to the meaning as a whole because the declaration gives the poem a detached tone. It shows very little emotion, it just states facts and this tone is kept throughout.

Example 2: In “The World Doesn’t End” by Charles Simic, the line “We were so poor I had to take the place of the bait in the mousetrap” makes a statement. It is important to the work as a whole because it moves the poem in quick bursts, like staccato in music. The brief sentences show how the author uses a detached tone to make his claim.

Rhetorical – A sentence that asks a question that is already answered or has no answer.

Example 1: In “Hitler’s First Photograph” by Wislawa Szymborska, the line “Will he grow up to an L.L.D?” is rhetorical because the reader knows that the boy will not become this when he grows up. It is important to the poem as a whole because the poem has dramatic irony throughout that asks what Hitler will become. The rhetorical questions show that when Hitler was first born, people did not know what he would become, he was just another little baby boy.

Example 2: In “Who Can It Be Now” by Men At Work, the chorus is a rhetorical question. The singer asks who is at the door, but the verses show that he knows who it is. This is important to the work as a whole because it shows that the person at the door is unimportant because the singer is asking who can it be now showing that the person is an irritation. The verses are a lecture telling the person at the door to leave.

Imperitive – A sentence that gives a command.

Example 1: In “The Book Of Yolek” by Anthony Hecht, the line “prepare to receive him” commands the reader to prepare for Yolek. It is important to the poem as a whole because the memory of Yolek will always be there and those guilty for his death must prepare for the fact that they will never be ridden of his guilt. It is also a biblical reference to communion because Yolek was shown as a Jesus-like figure.

Example 2: The song “Beat It” by Michael Jackson has imperatives throughout. Beat it is a command in itself, telling someone to go away. This is important to the meaning as a whole because the song is about standing up for what is right and telling groups of people that do bad things, like bullies, to leave the situation.

Word Order – Placement of the words in a sentence to achieve a certain affect.

Example 1: In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, the line “Sundays too my father got up early” utilizes word order to add emphasis. The fact that the word too is placed in the sentence after Sunday shows that one would not ordinarily expect someone to get up early on a Sunday. This is important to the meaning as a whole because it shows the true sacrifice the father made to keep his family warm by waking up early every day, Sundays too, and making a fire.

Example 2: In “Kubla Kahn” by Samuel Coleridge, the line “Where Alph, the sacred river, ran” uses an inverted word order to give the poem a unique tone. It is important to the work as a whole because the entire poem utilizes inverted sentences. It gives the poem a noble and old sound because everything is spoken atypical of how we speak it.

Figurative Language

Allusion – A reference to something outside of the work.

Example 1: In “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the “black granite” references the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. It is important to the work as a whole because the black granite is a reference to the memorial, but also to the war itself and how it changes people. The war hardened people and made them cold and black, so facing that once again was significant.

Example 2: In “Grass” by Carl Sandburg, there are many allusions to famous battle grounds. Asuterlitz, Waterloo, Gettysburg, and many more are all mentioned, but it does not say that they are battle grounds. The reference is to battles that happened at these places. This is significant to the meaning of the poem because where these bodies are being piled up (and the grass is growing) are famous places in history. It is telling people not to forget the battles at these places because for all anybody knows in the future, it could just be a bunch of grass on some dirt.

Apostrophe – Reference to someone or something that is not physically present.

Example 1: In Springsteen’s “The River”, Springsteen references a person who is not present when he says, “Come from down in the valley where mister when you’re young.” This is apostrophe because the “mister” is not present in the song but he is being spoken to. It is significant to the meaning of the song because it identifies the song as a lecture from an old wise man to a younger person. He is telling him about the experiences of life and how life is like a river and things in life always go on.

Example 2: In “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman, the captain is referred to many times despite not being present. His reference is important to the work as a whole because it shows that the poem is an elegy to a dead person. The continued reference shows the speaker’s connection with the “captain”.

Dramatic Irony – The meaning of a situation is understood by the audience, but not the characters in the literary work.

Example 1: In “Hitler’s First Photograph” by Wislawa Szymborska, there is dramatic irony through the use of rhetorical questions. The speaker does not know what Hitler will grow up to be, nor do the characters in the poem. This is important to the work as a whole because the readers know Hitler’s future. They know that he will not become a singer or an L.L.D. but rather something far different than the cute little boy portrayed in the poem.

Example 2: In Shakespeare’s “Romeo And Juliet”, Juliet fakes her own death so that she and Romeo can be together (and she won’t marry Paris). This is dramatic irony because the Romeo and some other characters in the play do not know that she is not really dead, but the audience does. This is important to the piece as a whole because Romeo kills himself out of love for Juliet. If he had known that her death was faked, they would have lived happily ever after. Instead, the dispute between the Capulets and Montagues raged on.

Simile – Comparison between two things using the words like or as.

Example 1: In “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath, the line “black shoe, in which I have lived like a foot” uses a simile to compare the life of the girl to living in a shoe. It is important to the work as a whole because the girl was very restricted in her life. She was too afraid to stand up to her father, so she lived an unhappy life and disapproved of her father’s actions (thus why the shoe is black). It was as if she was trapped inside of her father’s actions and could not get out.

Example 2: In “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns, the line “O my luve’s like a red,red rose” compares the affection of the speaker to a rose. It is significant to the meaning of the poem as a whole because the speaker is trying to show that his love is delicate and precious and will keep coming back year after year.

Metaphor – A comparison between two unlike things to show something in common.

Example 1: In “Fear” by Stephen Dobyns, fear is represented by a brown dog. It is significant to the poem as a whole because as time goes on and the character lives with the fear, it begins to take control of him. Before he knows it, he is being controlled by fear and when he sees the dog, he sees his own face.

Example 2: In “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, the global politicians of the day are represented by animals that share their tendencies. This is significant to the work as a whole because it allowed the author to criticize the politicians without getting into trouble. The animals could talk and they interacted with one another just like the politicians, and then slowly some of the animals began to take control. It was very closely related to the politics of the day.

Metonymy/Synecdoche – Part of an object or experience is used in reference to the entire thing.

Example 1: In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, the characters reference the golden round. This literally means a crown, but it also represents the position of king. It is important to the work as a whole because Macbeth’s goal is to obtain the actual crown, signifying that he is king.

Example 2: In the epic “Beowulf”, iron refers to swords. It literally means pieces of iron, but signifies the swords that people had. It is significant to the work as a whole because metonymy is used throughout the poem to reference things without saying their literal meaning. It gives the epic an archaic feel.

Personification – Attribution of human characteristics to an inanimate object.

Example 1: In “The Train” by Emily Dickinson, the train is given humanlike characteristics. It is significant to the poem as a whole because the author is awestruck by the train. It was a fairly new thing at the time the poem was written and was the fastest way to travel. The awe that the author feels is something that the reader feels through the description of the way the train moves.

Example 2: In “Two Sunflowers Move In The Yellow Room” the sunflowers talk to each other and move like humans. Their humanlike characteristics are important to the poem as a whole because it shows how plants have the tendency to move towards light. While they cannot do this humanly, they do like to be in the sunlight. The author is in awe of this movement that happens to inanimate objects.

Hyperbole – An exaggeration.

Example 1: In “Homework! Oh, Homework” by Jack Prelutsky, the author says that he would rather wrestle a lion, take a bath with a shark, or eat spinach and liver than do homework. This is obviously an exaggeration because a little boy would actually not do any of these things. It is important to the work as a whole because it shows the strong feelings the speaker has towards homework. If someone would pet porcupines over doing homework, they strongly dislike it.

Example 2: In “The Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “the shot heard around the world” was not literally heard throughout the world, it is an exaggeration. That is important to the work as a whole because it shows the significance of the shot. The story of the shot may reach around the world because of its importance, but the sound of the gunshot would not.

Understatement – Saying less than what is meant or what is needed in the situation.

Example 1: In “The Century’s Decline” by Symobroska, the line “A couple of problems weren’t going to come up anymore: hunger for example, and war, and so forth.” This is understatement because there are a lot more problems in the world then just those. It is important to the work as a whole because it establishes an almost emotionless tone. The speaker seems so casual about the problems of the world and how they won’t happen again.

Example 2: In the song “Sorry” by Buckcherry, the phrase “I’m sorry” is repeated over and over again. It’s obvious that the singer has done something wrong, and the verses talk about all the things that he has done wrong. I’m sorry is an understatement because what the singer feels is much more than just two words. It is important to the meaning of the poem because there is

nothing the singer can do other than apologize for his actions. He regrets them, but cannot say anything more than say he is sorry.