Prose Terms
The following terms will be important in our discussion of literature this year. In your final year of English,
you will be expected to add sophistication, creativity, and insight to your work. The correct use of these
terms will assist you in that growth.
Be sure that you can do the following for each term on the list:
1. Define it
2. Provide an example of it
3. Recognize it in a passage
Your test is on ________________________________________.
1. Allegory: is a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea or generalization about life;
allegories often have a strong moral or lesson. eg. Haroun and the Sea of Stories or Orwell’s Animal Farm
2. Alliteration: is the repetition of consonants or vowels of words placed close to each other. Eg. “sweet
smell of success,” “bigger and better,” “jump for joy;” and from Wordsworth: And sings a solitary song /
That whistles in the wind.
3. Allusion: is a brief, indirect reference to a person, place, object or event, assumed to be known to the
reader. The writer does not explain the background information, but assumes the knowledge on the
part of the reader. “The guy is a real Shakespeare” is an allusion because it is indirect, presumes the
reader knows who Shakespeare is, and implies an abstract thought, namely, that ‘the guy is a real
poet.’ But just referring to an author by name, e.g., “Thomas Aquinas wrote an average of forty pages a
day for thirty years,” while it presumes we know who Aquinas was, is a direct reference; as such, it is
not an allusion.
4. 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. eg. “Dressing for the senior prom is similar to
a knight preparing himself for battle: the make-up = blue battle wood, the industrial strength water push
up bra = the iron mesh and the actual dress itself = a suit of armour.
5. Anecdote: is a brief, simple narration of a real-life incident. eg. “The same thing happened to me when
I got my first waitressing job in university. While I was being trained, I had to turn over my tips to the guy
who was training me!”
6. Antithesis: is an opposition, or contrast, of ideas using parallel structure. “It was the best of times, it
was the worst of times.” A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens 1859.
7. Cliché: is a saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the
point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier
time it was considered meaningful or novel. eg. Time heals all wounds. The writing is on the wall.
8. Connotative Words: are words that have associations other than their literal meaning. For example,
the words “home” and “domicile” have the same dictionary (denotative) meaning. However, the first has
a positive connotation of warmth and security while the second does not. Wall Street = wealth, power.
9. Colloquialism: is the use of informal, conversational, language. In our day-to-day conversations we
might for example use as a synonym for “good” various terms such as “cool,” “right on,” or “sweet.”
Examples of colloquialisms unique to Canadians are: “poutine,” “looney,” and “toque;”
10. Coherence: techniques that “tie together” or connect the various parts of the writing. They include
transition words or the purposeful repetition of an idea throughout the piece of writing.
11. Denotative Language: refers to the literal meaning of words, used according to their dictionary
definition.
12. Diction: refers to the specific words chosen for their connotation (implied meaning) and their power to
reveal attitude or tone. They should be accurate and appropriate for the context of the writing and the
audience.
Writers try to place the right word in the right place to convey the meaning or the tone of their work.
When explaining how the “use of diction supports the author's view” select a word that is “loaded.” For
example, if a person rejected for construction work is described as “scrawny,” this conveys the view
that the person is unsuitably thin and appears too weak for the work; if the same person applies for a
modeling job and is described as “slender,” this conveys the view that the applicant is attractively slim
and graceful, suitable for the catwalk. Thus precise diction, or word choice, supports the author's
viewpoint in each case.
13. Epithet: is a word or phrase used in place of a person’s name; it is characteristic of that person. For
instance, Madonna is known as the “Material Girl.”
14. Euphemism: is a word or phrase that has an acceptable connotation and that in an indirect way
expresses what may be upsetting or unpleasant. For example, you’ll often hear people say “He’s passed
on,” or “He’s gone to a better place,” as opposed to the blunt “He died.” People create new, sanitized,
ways to discuss bodily functions, death, disability, sex, and social conditions.
15. Hyperbole or exaggeration is an extravagant overstatement, not intended to be taken literally. “Any kid
caught stealing from the mall deserves to have a sign hung around him” may be hyperbolic if the writer
does not intend the reader to take that literally. Obvious hyperbole may be literally impossible: “You
could hear her irritating voice a mile away.”
16. Imagery: is the words or phrases a writer selects to create a certain picture in the reader’s mind.
Imagery is usually based on one or more of the five sensory details. eg. “The bed linens might just as
well be ice and the clothes snow.” A recurring pattern of imagery can develop a theme. For instance, in
Hamlet the references to garbage and weeds suggest a theme that “something is rotten in the state,”
that “things rank and gross [like the murderous king and incestuous queen] possess it.”
17. Inference / Implication: An author implies; a reader infers. Ross Finley in "See Dick and Jane
Browse" implies that technology is contributing to the erosion of a book-centered culture. The reader
may infer that Finley would think that technology is, therefore, responsible for a decline in literacy.
18. Irony: An implied discrepancy between what is presented or said and what is meant. Note 3 types:
Verbal Irony occurs when an speaker says one thing and means something else: “Oh yeah, that’s nice.”
Dramatic Irony occurs when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not
know. Luke and Leia almost become romantically involved in episodes 4&5 of the Star Wars series.
Irony of Situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results. Luke, while searching
for his father, battles Darth Vader.
19. Juxtaposition: occurs when two images, ideas, places or characters that are otherwise not commonly
brought together appear side by side or structurally close together, thereby forcing the reader to stop
and reconsider the meaning of the text through the contrasting images, ideas, or motifs. eg. “There is a
popular ad campaign in which a fashion model’s photo is placed beside that of a refugee in Somalia. The
two bodies look similar in term of boniness.”
20. Jargon: Language and expressions specific to a profession or group that can sometimes be difficult for
others to understand. Law, medicine, sports, and high-tech offer the richest examples: injunction, stat,
CT-scan, give 110%, know the score, we came to play, WYSIWYG, bandwidth, darting.
21. Metaphor: a direct comparison between two seemingly unlike things in order to enhance our
understanding of one of them. It does not use like or as in the comparison. eg. “Life is but a walking
shadow”. Your room is a pigsty. He is the black sheep of the family.
22. Mood is the predominant emotional response evoked in the reader as a direct result of the established
atmosphere. Ask yourself: How does this work make me feel? Some words you might use to describe
mood: solemn, ominous, threatening, terrifying, joyful.
23. Motif: is a term for an often-repeated idea, image, sound or action in literature that helps to develop
the theme. eg. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses weed imagery to reinforce the theme of corruption.
24. Onomatopoeia: is a word that imitates the sound it represents. eg. splash, kerplunk, the gushing
stream, rustling leaves.
25. Oxymoron: is a combination of contradictory terms as in jumbo shrimp, clearly confused or only choice.
26. Parallel structure: refers to the use of the same pattern of words, phrases, or clauses that have equal
value and function. The similarity of structure may convey equality of ideas, or emphasize contrast, or
create balance and rhythm, or pile up evidence, or create a memorable beginning or end to a work—or
all of these. Parallel structure is one of the most powerful of devices. It is particularly effective for
emphasis. Example: In this restaurant I find the decor dreary, the service slothful, the food inedible. Great
literature is only possible when people are ripened by experience, stirred by curiosity, and alive to wonder.
27. Paradox: is a statement that seems contrary to common sense yet may, in fact, be true. I must be cruel
in order to be kind. It is a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.
28. Personification: gives human, or living, qualities to non-living objects or ideas. For example, “The
wind affectionately ruffled his hair and caressed his cheek,” “a smiling moon,” or “a jovial sun,” all
suggest human traits and aspects.
29. Point of View: is the vantage point from which the narrator views the situation and relates it to the
reader.
First person involves a narrator who is involved in the action of the situation and who relates it
to the reader from a personal perspective (I).
Second person involves the narrator addressing his/her comments to a specific reader or person
(You).
Third person describes the narration in which the narrator remains an objective recorder of
events but does not pretend to know a character’s private thoughts.
Omniscient describes a narrator telling about a situation when that narrator describes the inner
thoughts of one or more of the characters.
30. Reference to Authority: is the quoting of a text or person who is an authority or “expert” on the topic.
The authority is an expert by education or by experience. The quotation tends to make the writer's
position more believable.
31. Repetition: of a word, an idea, an image, etc. that writers use to create emphasis or clarify a point.
eg. “It is possible to be good again.” (The Kite Runner)
32. Rhetorical/Literary Devices: are methods or techniques that an author uses to persuade his reader
or to help his reader to enter the world of the literary work. They are any techniques that an author
uses to: inform the reader, persuade the reader or guide the reader's emotional response.
33. Rhetorical Question: is a question that is intended to emphasize a point and persuade or engage the
reader rather than to provoke an answer (although the writer may even pose and answer the question
for effect). The answer is self-evident. : eg. Did you hear me? It’s too hot today. Isn’t it?
34. Satire: is a literary tone used to expose ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the
intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack. Eg. “Rick Mercer used to have a
segment on his show called Talking With Americans. He would ask American citizens and even politicians
who should know better to support bogus Canadian causes such as endorsing building a protective glass
dome over our Parliamentary Igloo in Ottawa.”
35. Sensory detail: is description that appeals to the senses, especially the less used senses such as
smell, touch, and taste.
36. Sentence Structure The composition of a sentence has a significant impact on how a reader is
affected by the sentence.
Short sentences effectively present strong feelings, create dramatic effects, or emphasize a point. They
are often placed for emphasis at the beginning or end of paragraphs, or after a few long sentences.
Long sentences effectively develop suspense, show contrast, develop a proof, provide detailed
description, create mood, and express a complicated concept fully with suitable qualifications and
examples.
Rhetorical questions and exclamations or commands add variety and life to a passage. All involve the
reader personally, thereby adding intimacy and a personal connection.
Periodic sentences, until one reaches the end, cannot be fully understood. This structure holds the
reader in suspense until the last word and then impresses the point. In doing so it may vary the normal
word order. It is a useful device for emphasis. Example: “You cannot make great success in English
without good study habits.”
Balanced sentences are equal in length, importance and structure. They are aesthetically pleasing and
often memorable and emphatic. Example: Young men dream dreams; old men see visions. (If it makes a
contrast it is antithesis).
Parallel structures see above
37. Simile: a direct comparison between two seemingly unlike things in order to enhance our
understanding of one of them. It uses the words like or as in the comparison. eg. “My love is like a
red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June”
38. Style: is how the author uses words, phrases, and sentences to form his or her ideas. Style is also
thought of as the qualities and characteristics that distinguish one writer’s work from the work of
others. Style can be descriptive, persuasive, narrative, sparse…
39. Symbol: is a person, a place, a thing, or an event used to represent something else. eg. “On
Remembrance Day each November 11, we commemorate our surviving veterans and war dead by wearing
a red poppy”.
40. Theme: is the statement about life a particular work is trying to convey to the reader. eg. “The play
Romeo and Juliet teaches us that one should never trust fate to help love along”.
41. Thesis: is the point that a writer proves in an essay. Often there are one or two sentences that neatly
clarify the thesis; occasionally the reader must summarize the overall point the writer is making in their
own words, and use various parts of sentences as support. This is called an implied thesis.
42. Tone: refers to the writer's attitude towards his subject and towards his audience. Tone of writing is
like tone of voice when speaking of a subject or to others. How an author thinks determines how he
feels; how he feels may be reflected in the words he uses, that is, his diction.
Tone is conveyed effectively if the author finds the right word or expression to convey how he feels
about the subject or the situation. Students should not be too general in their description of tone. To
say an author's tone is “positive” or “negative” is to be too vague, too unspecific. Even to say that an
author's tone is “serious” is too general; one can be serious in many ways. For example, one may seem
serious because one is angry, accusatory, sad, solemn, worried, disgusted, thoughtful, indignant,
appreciative, formal, intimate, outspoken, reflective, condescending, didactic, argumentative, disgruntled,
sentimental, or derogatory.
Likewise, tone should not be described as “not serious”; if is not serious, is it whimsical, bemused,
cheerful, ironic, satiric, flippant, jocular, non- committal, or indifferent?
Finally, an author's tone should not be expressed in jargon such as “in-your-face” (assertive), “hard
core” (intense, committed), “nerdy”, “cool”, or “sweet”. Use appropriate, formal diction.
43. Understatement: is stating an idea with restraint to emphasize what is being talked about. eg. “It
was just a flesh wound.”
44. Unity: a sense of oneness that the writer creates in the writing by using one tone, having one
purpose, or having one theme or thesis.