Literary Terms Review:

• Rhetoric – • The art of using language for a

specific purpose• The art of analyzing all the choices

involving language that a writer, speaker, reader, or listener might make in a situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful and effective;

Literary Terms Review:

• The key to understanding rhetoric is understanding how a writer appeals to his audience.

• There are three kinds of appeals a writer uses to pull her reader in: – Logos: logical appeal to sense of reason

and logic – Ethos: ethical appeal based on writer’s

expertise– Pathos: emotional appeal aimed at the

reader’s hearts or sense of right and wrong

Tone

Tone: The writer’s (or narrator, speaker, etc.) attitude toward the subject matter or situation in the text (bitter, angry, jovial, etc.)

The writer creates tone by Word selection (diction) Arrangement of words (syntax) Purposeful use of details and

images

Tone, cont’d.

Tone sets the relationship between reader and writer

Understanding tone is key to understanding meaning. It helps you perceive the author’s mood It makes the connection between the

author’s thoughts and its expression.

Tone, cont’d.

Identifying and analyzing tone requires Careful reading Sensitivity to diction and syntax Understanding of detail selection and

imagery

Diction

Diction refers to the writer’s choice of words. Words create color and texture in written

work. Words shape the reader’s perceptions.

Diction reflects the writer’s vision for the work and steers the reader’s thought.

Diction

You must understand both connotations (the meaning suggested by a word) and denotation (the literal meaning of a word). When a writer calls a character slender,

the word evokes a different feeling from calling the character gaunt.

Diction—So Fresh!

Diction can bring freshness and originality to writing. Words used in surprising or unusual

ways make us rethink what is known and re-examine meaning of words.

Detail

Examples include facts, observations, and incidents used to develop a subject and impact voice.

Specific details create a precise mental picture They bring life and color to description They focus the reader’s attention They bring the reader into the scene

Detail

Details influence the reader’s view of the topic, the setting, the narrator, and the author.

Details shape attitude by focusing attention: The more focused the detail, the greater

the focus on the object described.

Imagery in Poetry

Imagery, or the use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the human senses to add depth to the work; helps us see poetic subjects afresh or anew. Poetry mostly draws upon the sense of

sight to help us form, in our minds, visual impressions

“The Red Wheelbarrow” and “This is Just to Say” are poems that rely heavily on imagery.

Imagery

A verbal representation of sensory experience. All five senses may be represented:▪ Sight (visual imagery)▪ Sound (auditory imagery)▪ Touch (tactile imagery)▪ Taste (gustatory imagery)▪ Smell (olfactory imagery)

Visual imagery is most common, but good writers experiment with a variety of images.

Imagery, cont’d.

Imagery depends on diction and detail. An image’s success in producing sensory

experience results from ▪ specificity of the author’s diction and ▪ choice of detail.

Imagery contributes to writing by evoking vivid experience, conveying specific emotion, and suggesting a particular idea.

Imagery, cont’d.

Figurative language: Imagery itself is not figurative, but it

may be used to impart a figurative or symbolic meaning.▪ Example: The parched earth▪ Could be a metaphor for a character’s despair

▪ Example: A bird’s flight▪ Could be a metaphor for hope

Traditional imagery

Traditional imagery typically has a history A river, for example, is usually

associated with life’s journey.▪ Examples for your own reading?

Figurative Language

Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language.

Examples include: Simile Metaphor Personification Alliteration Onomatopoeia Hyperbole Idioms Clichés

Figurative Language

Simile A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one

object or idea with another to suggest they are alike.Example: busy as a bee

Metaphor The metaphor states a fact or draws a verbal picture by

the use of comparison. A simile would say you are like something; a metaphor is more positive - it says you are something. Example: You are what you eat.

Personification A figure of speech in which human characteristics are

given to an animal or an object.Example: My teddy bear gave me a hug.

Figurative Language

Alliteration The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group

of sounds in a series of words. Alliteration includes tongue twisters.Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

Onomatopoeia The use of a word to describe or imitate a natural sound

or the sound made by an object or an action.Example: snap crackle pop

Hyperbole An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would

believe the statement is true. Tall tales are hyperboles.Example: He was so hungry, he ate that whole cornfield for lunch, stalks and all.

Figurative Language

Idioms According to Webster's Dictionary, an idiom is

defined as: peculiar to itself either grammatically (as no, it wasn't me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements.Example: “At the drop of a hat,” meaning without any hesitation or instantly

Clichés A cliché is an expression that has been used so

often that it has become trite and sometimes boring.Example: It is raining cats and dogs outside!

Syntax

Syntax refers to the way sentences are structured. Although basic structure is prescribed

(there must be a subject and a verb; word order cannot be random), there is some wiggle room for style.

Syntax, cont’d.

How writers control and manipulate the sentence imparts personality to the writing.

Syntax encompasses Word order Sentence length Sentence focus Punctuation

Syntax, cont’d.

Deviating from the expected word order can serve to startle the reader and draw attention to the sentence.

Most English sentences follow a subject/verb/object/complement pattern

This emphasizes an unusual sentence’s message

Syntax, cont’d.

There are several ways to change normal word order: Inverting the subject and verb▪ Am I ever sorry!

Placing a complement at the beginning of a sentence▪ Hungry, without a doubt, he is.▪ Don’t do this too often—you start to sound like Yoda!

Placing an object in front of a verb▪ Sara I like—not Susan.

Syntax, cont’d.

Good writers shift between conformity and nonconformity, preventing reader complacency without using unusual sentence structure to the point of distraction.

Syntax, cont’d.

Length: Writers vary sentence length to prevent reader boredom and to control emphasis. A short sentence following a much

longer sentence shifts the reader’s attention, which emphasizes the meaning and importance of the short sentence.▪ Learn to look for a relationship between

sentence length and emphasis

Syntax: Syntactic tension

Sentences that delay closure until the end are called periodic sentences.

Readers must wait until the end of the sentence to understand the meaning. Example: As long as we ignore our

children and refuse to dedicate the necessary time and money to their care, we will fail to solve the problem of school violence.

Syntax: Repetition

Writers use repetition to achieve sentence focus. Purposeful repetition of a word, phrase,

or clause emphasizes the repeated structure and focuses the reader’s attention on its meaning.

Syntax: Punctuation

Writers use punctuation to reinforce meaning.

In particular, semicolons, colons and dashes: The semicolon gives equal weight to

two or more independent clauses in a sentence. It balances parallel ideas and shows that both parts are equally important.

Syntax: Punctuation

Writer’s use punctuation to reinforce meaning.

In particular, semicolons, colons and dashes: The colon directs the readers attention

to the words that follow. ▪ It can also be used between two clauses if

the second one summarizes or explains the first.▪ It sets the expectation that important, closely

related information will follow, and words after the colon are emphasized

Syntax: Punctuation

Writer’s use punctuation to reinforce meaning.

In particular, semicolons, colons and dashes: The dash marks a sudden change in

thought or tone, sets off a brief summary, or sets off a parenthetical part of the sentence.▪ It often conveys a casual tone.▪ Used for emphasis