Literary Terms - 9th grade

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1. Allusion - A figure of speech that makes reference to a historical or literary figure, event or object

2. Asides - A dramatic convention by which an actor directly addresses the audience but is not supposed to be heard by other actors on the stage.

3. Character foil - Sets off or illuminates the major character - usually to create a contrast that is favorable to the major character.

4. Chorus - A characteristic device in ancient Greek drama, wherein a group of actors speaking or chanting in unison - often while dancing - convey                        information about the play, particularly an emotion about the action or characters.

5. Dramatic Poetry - Poetry that employs dramatic form or some element of dramatic technique (e.g., the dramatic monologue - the best example being                                  Robert Brownings "My Last Dutchess")

6. Extended Metaphor - Also known as a "conceit", it is a metaphor that is sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a                                       whole poem. 

7. Interior Monologue - One of the techniques for presenting the stream of consciousness of a character; an interior monologue can take two forms:

               Direct - the author seems not to exist and the interior self of the character is given directly, as though the reader were overhearing the                     thoughts running through a character's mind.

               Indirect - the author serves as selector, presenter, guide and commentator

8. Irony (verbal, situational and dramatic)- The recognition of a reality different from or opposite of the appearance; usually, irony is classified into three           types:

          Verbal Irony - a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant.

          Dramatic Irony - a discrepancey between what the character says or thinks and what the reader knows to be true.

          Situational Irony - a situation in which there is discrepancy between the actual situation and what is expected or what would seem                                            appropriate.

 9. Logical Fallacies- An error in reasoning that lead to wrong conclusions - often used in arguments; there are 9 different types:

          Non Sequitir - stating a conclusion that doesn't follow from the premise.

          Oversimplification - supplying neat and easy explanations for complex problems or phenomena

          Hasty Generalization - leaping to a generalization or conclusion from inadequate or faulty evidence

          Either/ or Reasoning - assuming that a reality may be divided into only two parts of extremes, or assuming a problem has only two solutions.

          Argument from Unidentified of Dubious Authority - stating that a fact or solution is valid because someone of doubtful authority said so.

          Argument Ad Hominem (to the man) - attacking a person's views by attacking his or her character

          Begging the Question - Taking for granted from the start what you set out to demonstrate or repeating that what is true is true.

          Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (after this, therefore because of this) - assuming that because B follows A, B was caused by A.

          False Analogy - the claim of persuasive likeness when no significant likeness exists.

10. Paradox - A statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements.

11. Persona - An authorial mask - or "second self" that an author creates through who a narrative is told (e.g., the narrator in Huckleberry Finn is a                                persona which allowed Mark Twain to speak about racial issues he would not have dared to discuss as himself)

12. Pun - A play on words based on the similarity of sound between the two words with different meanings ("son" and "sun", or "I" and "eye")

13. Soliloquy - A speech in which a character, alone on the stage, addresses himself or herself - in function, to let the audience know his/her inner                         thoughts/feelings.