F.I.D.D.L.e.S.



Figurative Language (F.)Figurative Language occurs when a speaker or writer makes a statement that is not PURELY factual, or literal. When an author uses figurative language, he/she is comparing UNLIKE or dissimilar things. Sometimes, as in symbolism, a textual element can be BOTH figurative AND literal. Figures of speech typically appeal to PATHOS.Allusion: A reference to a person, place, or event, either directly or indirectly, which allows readers to make inferences and connections within the text. Literary allusions refer specifically to the Bible, classic literature, or mythology. However, allusions can also be made to pop culture, history, or modern texts.Example: In the Harry Potter series, Minerva Mcgonagall is a Hogwarts professor and a key player in the fight against Voldemort. Her name, “Minerva”, is an allusion to the Roman Goddess of Wisdom & War Strategies. The allusion implies that she characterizes the traits of this goddess.Antithesis: A figure of speech in which refers to the juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideasExample: “It was the?best?of times, it was the?worst?of times, it was the age of?wisdom, it was the age of?foolishness…”Apostrophe: A form of personification in which a speaker addresses a dead person or an inanimate object.Example: “O Wild West Wind, thou breath of autumn’s being”Example: “Heart, we shall forget him!”Idiom: A figure of speech in which the meaning of the phrasing cannot be understood literally“Step up to the plate” – meaning “do what you need to do”Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things, either directly or indirectly (i.e. implied)Implied Example: “Samuel brayed his refusal to leave the party.” (Samuel is indirectly being compared to a donkeyDirect Example: “My love is a bulldozer” Metonymy: A form of symbolism in which an element associated with something stands in place of that objectExample: “I ate the whole plate.” (You didn’t; that would hurt. You associate the plate with what you really meant – the food)Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which contradictory (opposite or conflicting) terms are paired together.Example: a “definite maybe” or a “hideously serene” seaPersonification: The assigning of human traits to an inanimate object, a nonhuman entity, or a concept or ideaExample: The wind whispered through the grassPun: A play on words that sound alike, but have different meaningsExample: A duck walks into a bar and orders a drink. Bar tender asks, “Will that be cash or charge?” Duck says, “Put it on my bill.” (Get it? Duck’s mouth is called a….yeah, I know; it’s not that punny…buh dump bump)Simile: A comparison of two UNLIKE things using “like” or “as”.Example: “Oh, my love’s like a red, red rose” or “I wandered lonely as a cloud”NONEXAMPLE: “Tonya’s hair is like Jessica’s hair.” – this is SIMPLY a comparison. These two things ARE ALIKE.Epic/Homeric: An extended simile, developed over several lines or verses of poetrySynecdoche: A form of symbolism in which the part is made to represent the whole, or vice versa.Example: “A sail! A sail!” (meaning the WHOLE ship) or “I hear America singing” (meaning the PEOPLE of America)Synesthesia: A kind of metaphor in which one sensory experience (taste, sight, sound, smell, touch) is substituted for that of anotherExample: “To the bugle, every color is red” (The sound of a bugle, like the sight of red, is bold and noticeable)Syllepsis: A figure of speech in which a word is used simultaneously for two purposes (perhaps one literal, one figurative)Example: “I lost my keys and my mind on the same day”Symbol: Something concrete or literal (a character name, an object, etc.) that also represents or “stands for” some other concept, emotion, or ideaExample: An American flag stands for our patriotic idealsAllegory: A series of interconnected symbols which reveal a hidden meaningExample: The Lion King is an allegory of the Shakespearean play Hamlet, with a son whose father is killed by his uncle and later appears to the son as a ghost.Archetype: A recurring symbol or motif in a piece of literatureExamples:Colors – Black typically represents death Numbers – 3 (or the trinity) typically represents father, son, and holy spirit or body, mind, and soulSeasons – Spring typically represents renewal or rebirthCharacters – The sage typically guides the young hero, giving him wisdom, which the hero “inherits” upon the sage’s deathSettings: A wasteland typically represents a character’s loneliness and despairThemes/Conflicts: Good vs. evil is a typical conflict Contextual symbol: A contextual symbol ONLY works within the confines of a piece. You can only understand it because of what happens in the storyImagery (I.)Imagery refers to the use of descriptive details that appeal to the senses so vividly that one can almost experience them for him/herself. Note that authors can use imagery that simultaneously appeals to multiple senses at once. Imagery typically appeals to PATHOS. Below are the types of imagery:Visual : Also called sight imageryAuditory: Slso called sound imageryGustatory: Also called taste imageryOlfactory: Also called smell imagery Tactile: Also called touch imageryDiction (D.)The term “diction” simply refers to an author’s choice of words. We do not say an author “uses” diction. OF COURSE HE DOES!!! Anyone who writes must choose words. We discuss an author’s diction in terms of how it affects the reader: “The author’s diction in this passage reflects his anger. For example, his use of the word ‘x’…” Diction typically appeals to PATHOS, but may also contribute to ETHOS (An author’s use of academic language may make him seem more credible or more like “one of us”, for example). Below are some terms that will help you in discussing the diction in a selection:Formal vs. informalFormal diction: The diction seem proper, ceremonial, correct, educated, or poeticPoetic: Flowery language typically associated with poetryAcademic: High vocabulary, words associated with research, formal essays, papers intended for professional texts or magazinesInformal diction: The diction seems like slang or street language; it sounds conversational, casualColloquial/Vernacular: Informal diction that’s conversational, used in everyday speech Slang: Words that are VERY informal, taking on a playful and casual tone; these are typically short-lived (change with the times)Examples: “quit fronting”, “that’s straight thugging” Dialect: The regional, cultural, or social particulars of a languageExample: “Y’all gonna have some puh-kahn pie?” (Southern dialect) versus “Youse goin’ ta have some pee-kan pie?” (Northern dialect)Either/orJargon: The technical language associated with a particular field or hobbyExample: “mulligan”, “dog leg right”, “eagle” are all golf jargonConnotation vs. DenotationConnotation: Our emotional connections with a word or phrase; the ideas that the word or phrase conjures. A word can be considered: NeutralPositiveNegativeExample: Our connotation of the word “home” is MORE POSITIVE than that of the word “house”. For us, “home” conjures the idea of family, while “house” just seems like a buildingDenotation: Literally, the dictionary definition of a wordEuphemism: The substitution of a mild or indirect word or phrase in place of something more harshExample: “Passed away” is a euphemism for “died”Details (D.)Typically, in nonfiction, details are facts or opinions. In fiction or poetry, these can be plot elements or details. When we look at this category, we should consider the kinds of details the author presents, the way he/she presents them, and the ways in which he/she supports those details. Through these observations, we can draw conclusions and make inferences. While this category is typically LOGOS or ETHOS, details often contain elements of PATHOS as well. When we look for facts, we can look for these elements (and much more):Statistics – percentages, numbers, graphsComparisonsContrasting elementsCause & EffectTestimonials from people (quotes, for example)Citing expertsUsing deductive or inductive reasoningLiterary Elements other than figurative language (L.e.)These elements don’t fit neatly into any of the other categories and are sometimes GENRE SPECIFIC. Be careful to consider the genre to which each of these apply. Attitude/ToneMood Elements of characterElements of plotSettingRhythmRhymeSound Elements Syntax (S.) Syntax is the analysis of the arrangement of lines (in poetry) and sentences. If you are considering syntax, you may look for any of the following. Note that this list is by no means comprehensive. There are lots of other rhetorical devices that create syntax. Syntax typically creates appeals to logos or pathos. Hypophora: This occurs when the speaker or writer asks a question, then answers it for him/herself.Example: Why, then, do we study poetry? We study poetry to understand ourselves…Inversion: The arrangement of a sentence so that the standard order is reversed or scrambled.Example: Not until the seventeenth century did the fork appear in England.Normal order: The fork did not appear in England until the seventeenth century.Juxtaposition: The placement of two items, concepts, or characters side-by-side for the sake of comparisonAntithesis: The juxtaposition of CONTRASTING IDEAS.Example: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, IT WAS THE EPOCH OF BELIEF, IT WAS THE EPOCH OF INCREDULITY…Lengths of sentencesFragments: Incomplete sentencesTelegraphic: Less than five words long.ShortMedium LongOmissionAsyndeton: The omission of conjunctions where one would commonly be placed. Example: I could not stand it anymore! I needed to get away from the noise, the pollution, the traffic, the hordes of people everywhere.Ellipses: The omission of words, phrases, even whole sentences, as indicated by (…)Example: I couldn’t….I just couldn’t believe that he…Parallel structure: Two+ words, phrases, or clauses similar in length and grammatical structureExample: I came, I saw, I conquered. (Subj + verb x 3)Example: Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go. (Prepositional phrases x 3)Example: He was gracious and kind; she was rude and unpleasant. (verb + compound adjective x 2)Polysyndeton: The use of multiple UNNECESSARY conjunctions when ONE would do. Example: It’s not just that I binged. It’s that I ate chocolate and ice cream and cookies and potato chips all in one sitting.RepetitionAmplification: As a syntactical device, amplification occurs when a writer repeats a phrase, ADDING details to it for effectExample: Gazing at the ice cream, the glorious chocolate-covered mountains of creamy vanilla ice cream, I practically drooled. Anadiplosis: A pattern in which a writer repeats the final word or words of one phrase or clause at the beginning word or words in the next phrase or clause.Example: Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of each clause.Example: I wanted to go home. I wanted to cuddle up in bed. I wanted to pretend that this day had never happened. EpistropheExample: "Don't you ever talk about?my friends! You don't know any of?my friends. You don't look at any of?my friends. And you certainly wouldn't condescend to speak to any of?my friends."Epizeuxis: The repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis, with no pause in between (and usually no words between, either)Example: Why is it always Marsha, Marsha, Marsha?Polyptoton: The repetition of MULTIPLE FORMS of the same word.Example: Choosy moms choose Jiff.Kinds of Sentences, clauses, and phrasesNote: We will cover this aspect of syntax throughout the year. Sentence PurposeExclamatory: Expression of strong feelingExample: I can’t stand this anymore!Interrogative: QuestionExample: Why do I have to do this?Declarative: StatementExample: Practice makes perfect.Imperative: CommandExample: Turn your paper into the basket. (You is implied) Unusual Punctuation or formatting (bold, italics, caps)NOTES: ................
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