Glossary: Expository Writing

 

Antecedent: The preceding noun that a pronoun refers to.

Annotation: The act of marking up your text in an effort to read critically with the use of marginal comments, questions, and various forms of notes.

Audience: The intended readers of a piece of writing.

Cliché: An overused phrase or expression that, though once novel, has lost its uniqueness and freshness of expression. Avoid them.

Comma Splice: A form of run-on sentence in which two grammatically complete sentences are joined with a comma. Can be used effectively for stylistic reasons, though more commonly a grammatical error.

Connotation: The suggestive meaning of a word; associations implied from personal experience.

Diction: The use of language or choice of vocabulary. Often viewed in terms of formal and informal.

Denotation: The explicit meaning of a word, as indicated by a dictionary.

Editing: A process of correcting sentence level errors largely connected to grammar, correct use of grammar. Though one may also edit for style.

Ethos: A Rhetorical term that refers to the character or reputation of the speaker or writer.

Image: The use of concrete details to evoke a representation of something: often visual, but may also appeal to any of the senses.

Location: In a sentence, the most important location is the last word. The second most important location is the first word. Similarly, the conclusion is the most important element of an essay, the introduction the next most important (of course, if the introduction is not good, your reader might not make it to the conclusion). In poetry, the last word of the line receives the most emphasis, followed by the first word of the line.

Logos: A Rhetorical term that refers to logic or reason.

Organization: The manner in which the individual pieces of a work are arranged.

Parallel Structure: The use of the same grammatical pattern in a pair or a series.

Pathos: A Rhetorical terms that refers to the appeal of emotion in the audience.

Purpose: A rhetorical term concerning the intent of the message; for example, to persuade, to inform, to entertain.

Run-On Sentence: An ungrammatical form in which two complete sentences are combined without using punctuation; can sometimes be use for stylistic purposes.

Second Person: Involves writing with the second person pronoun, you. Generally avoid in formal, academic writing. Use only when, say, giving instructions.

Paragraph Unity: A state in which all sentences in a paragraph allude to one main idea.

Pronoun Agreement: Pronouns must agree in both number and person.

Proofreading: A process of correcting minor surface error; for example, checking for typos, spelling, use of wrong words, punctuation, etc.

Radical Revision: A form of revision in which The text under revision turns into something entirely different from the original.

Revision: The process of major transformation of a text. Adding, deleting, rearranging. Not merely a matter of making changes for correctness.

Tone: The writer’s attitude toward the audience or subject matter. Often suggested by the use of language, or diction. Also may refer to emotions or overall mood of a piece of writing. Related to sound.

Topic Sentence: A sentence identifying the main idea of the paragraph. Often occurs at the beginning of the paragraph. Aids in clarity. Generally includes key words of the thesis.

Transition: A device aiding in the fluid movement between ideas. Sort of a little bridge connecting ideas together.

 

Glossary: Research Writing

Annotation: The act of marking up your text in an effort to read critically with the use of marginal comment, questions, and various forms of notes.

APA Documentation: A format of documentation used by disciplines in the social sciences and endorsed by the American Psychological Association. Privileges dates.

Bibliography: An alphabetical list of sources on a particular topic. A working bibliography includes all sources consulted on a particular topic in preparation for a research project.

Deduction: A form of reasoning that begins with a general principle, applies the principle to a specific case, and then forms a conclusion. Moves from general to specific.

Editing: A process of correcting surface errors largely connected to grammar, correct use of grammar. Though one may also edit for style.

Hanging Indent: A formatting technique in which all lines other than the first are indented (opposite to a standard paragraph formatting).

Induction: A process of reasoning that begins with specific examples, or instances, and then forms a conclusion. Moves from specific to general.

Interlibrary Loan: A library service that allows you to obtain materials not available at your particular library through loan from another library. This service provides you with access to virtually anything that has been published.

Library of Congress Classification: The classification system developed for the Library of Congress and used by most research and academic libraries. Small academic libraries and most public libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification.

Location: In a sentence , the most important location is the last word. The second most important location is the first word. Similarly, the conclusion is the most important element of an essay, the introduction the next most important (of course, if the introduction is not good, your reader might not make it to the conclusion). In poetry, the last word of the line receives the most emphasis, followed by the first word of the line.

MLA Documentation: A format of documentation used by disciplines in the humanities and endorsed by the Modern Language Association. Privileges authors’ names.

Monographs: Scholarly works printed at one time, usually in a single volume (books).

Nesting: A research technique of combining terms (or keywords) with the word “and” for a more complex search.

Peer Review: A system of scholarly publications that ensures that published material meets the standards of the discipline through a process or review by a panel of experts in the field.

Qualification: The act of limiting a claim in order to avoid overgeneralization. For example, some, is a qualifier.

Primary Research: Original research or the collection of original data. For example, data might be obtained from personal observation, interview, experimentation, or analysis of a text or artifact.

Primary Source: Original material created by first-hand experience. Primary sources lack interpretation and/or comment. Examples include diaries, letters, literature, artworks.

Proofreading: A process of correcting surface minor error; for example, checking for typos, spelling, use of wrong words, punctuation, etc.

Research Question: A question guiding your research, which is aimed at answering the question. You might think of the eventual thesis of your Research Paper as the answer to your initial Research Question. This question should not be answered in a simple fact, nor should it call for mere information, but should address some issue, problem, or controversy associated with your topic that will end in an argument.

Revision: The process of major transformation of a text. Adding, deleting, rearranging. The text itself might possible turn into something entirely different than the original. Not merely a matter of making changes for correctness.

Secondary Research: Research produced, documented, and published by scholars.

Secondary Source: A source that interprets or comments on a primary source. Examples include journal articles, commentary.

Serials: Items published periodically, either at set times, or irregularly. Usually numbered and/or dated (periodicals/journals and magazines).

Subscription Database: A database (such as Academic Search Premier or Pro Quest) that is leased by a library from a vendor as a service to its patrons. Unlike the resources obtained from the internet, these services are expensive and not accessible to the general public.

Tertiary Sources: Reference works such as encyclopedias and almanacs, which compile information from other sources. Avoid citing them in academic research.

Thesis Statement: The main idea or argument of piece of writing. May be directly stated (usually in the introduction but not always) or merely implied. May not appear in the form of a question. Must appear in the form of a statement; hence the term: thesis statement.

 

 

 

Glossary: Western World Literature I

Art Epic (Literary Epic/Secondary Epic): An epic that originates from one original teller; for example, Virgil’s’ Aeneid and Milton’s Paradise Lost. An imitation of the Folk Epic.

Aside: Words spoken by a character directly to the audience that other characters do not hear.

Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter. Appears in the plays of Shakespeare.

Characterization: The creation of imaginary characters in a work of fiction. Flat characters are two-dimensional; round characters are more fully developed.

Didactic Literature: Literature in which the purpose is purely to instruct rather than delight. The lesson is more important than the artistic merit of the work.

Beast Fable: A fable that has animals as the main characters.

Greek Chorus: a group of 12 or 15 actors in Tragedy and 24 actors in comedy that represents the community. This group has various functions including furthering the action and commenting on the action. In song and dance, the group provides spectacle, and enhances mood.

Comedy: A lighter form of drama than tragedy, whose purpose is to amuse and ends happily.

Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces within a plot. Traditional kinds of conflict include 1) struggle against nature 2) struggle against society 3) struggle against another person 4) struggle within oneself 5) struggle against fate or destiny.

Dramatic Irony: A form of irony occurring in a drama in which the knowledge of the audience is greater than the knowledge of a character. The irony exists in the contrast between intended and perceived meanings.

Frame Narrative: A story within a story.

Epic: A long narrative poem presenting the adventures of noble characters in an elevated style. The central heroic character is of historical importance, the setting is vast, and the action consists of great deeds in which supernatural forces intervene.

Epic Formula: Structural conventions observed by epic poetry including: 1) invocation to the muse 2) statement of theme 3) beginning in medias res, 4) lists and genealogies 5) extended formal speeches 6) epithets 7) epic similes.

Fable: A brief tale told in order to illustrate a moral. Often includes animals or inanimate objects as characters.

Folk Epic (Primary Epic): An epic that originates out of a community of tellers; for example, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

Folktale: A narrative handed down through the oral tradition, usually finding its way into print. The story is modified by its community of tellers.

Homeric Epithet: An adjectival phrase often repeated in association with a person or thing and seemingly becoming part of the name. Example: grey-eyed Athena.

Homeric Simile: Also known as an epic simile. A very elaborate simile, often extended over a number of lines of verse. Example: In a smithy / one sees a white-hot axehead or an adze / plunged and wrung in a cold tub, screeching steam– / the way they make soft iron hale and hard–: / just so that eyeball hissed around the spike.

Iambic Pentameter: Poetic meter whereby each line consists of 10 syllables (5 iambs, which consist of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). The plays of Shakespeare observe iambic pentameter as well as most traditional sonnets.

Image: The use of particular concrete language that appeals to the physical senses. In literature, images are most often visual, but may also appeal to senses other than the visual as well.

In medias res: In the middle of things. A literary technique whereby the story begins in the middle of the action. Preceding action is told in flashbacks.

Invocation: An address to a deity of aid.

Irony: The recognition of a reality different from appearance. In verbal irony, the literal meaning differs from the intended meaning.

Monologue: A long uninterrupted speech by a character.

Motif: A recurring element such as a word or phrase, an image, or an idea in a work of art. Motives serve as a unifying device.

Oral Tradition: Works told by memory rather through a written form.

Plot: A series of events that make up the story.

Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told. Stories can be told in first person, second person, or third person. In third person, the narrator can be omniscient (knowing everything) or can be limited to the perspective of one of the characters in the story.

Romance: a nonrealistic genre traditionally associated with knights and their chivalric deeds. Applied to works exhibiting elements of the fantastic, or magic. Usually contains adventure.

Setting: The time and place in which a work of literature takes place.

Skene: Temporary building at the back of the orchestra. Violence happens inside the skene rather than onstage.

Symbol: A concrete object that coveys both literal meaning in and of itself and also alludes to an abstract meaning apart from the thing itself.

Theme: The main idea of a work, an abstraction that is made concrete in the work itself. A true theme must be stated in the form of a complete sentence.

Tragedy: According to Aristotle, an imitation of an action (serious and complete) inspiring pity and fear, and ending in calamity for the noble protagonist because of an error in character rather than vice. Elements of the structure of tragedy consist of 1) complication 2) change 3) unraveling.

Tragic Irony: A form of dramatic irony in which the words of a character serves as a sort of foreshadowing to the audience, who knows more than the character.

 

 

Glossary: World Literature II (Unit 1: Postmodernism and Modernism)

 

Ambiguity: A literary device that allows for the possibility of multiple meanings.

Bildungsroman: Coming of Age novel. A novel about the education, growth, and maturity of its protagonist—morally, spiritually, intellectually, or emotionally.

Epiphany:  The moment of sudden awareness; a stark realization whereby everything is seen in a new light.

Kafkaesque: An adjective used to describe a situation resembling the work of Franz Kafka. Usually an incomprehensible situation occurring with a sense of powerlessness, and most often alienating. A situation that is difficult to navigate and decide on clear choices of action.

 Magical Realism: A narrative technique characterized by the mixing of the real and the fantastic. Also described as: a matter-of-fact portrayal of magical events. Largely thought of  as a postmodern Latin-American technique, the best-known figure in magical realism is the Colombian writer Gabriel García-Márquez. Jorge Luis Borges and Haruki Murakami are also referred to as magical realists.

Metafiction:  Largely a  postmodern narrative techniques that calls attention to itself as an artifice.  Often thought of as fiction about fiction, metafiction is self-referential. The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles is often referred to as an example.

Mise en abyme: A French term meaning literally “placing into infinity.” In Literature, Mise en abyme is a technique that occurs within the context of a frame story in which the inner narrative mirrors or reflects the frame.

 Modernism: A literary movement during the first half of the 20^th century characterized by experimentation and break with tradition. Influenced by WWI and industrialization. Some characteristics include fragmentation, nonlinear time, and multiple points of view. Concerned with the concept of truth, the questioning of truth.

Plot:  A series of events that make up the story.

Point of View:  The perspective from which the story is told. Stories can be told in first person, second person, or third person. In third person, the narrator can be omniscient (knowing everything) or can be limited to the perspective of one of the characters in the story.

Postmodernism: A Literary Movement following WW2 that is resistant to definition. Associated with intertextuality, blurring of genre, magical realism, metafiction, minimalism, maximalism, and irony.

Stream of Consciousness/Interior Monologue:  A narrative style that imitates the character’s internal thoughts, which are often characterized with associative leaps. Term coined by William James in Principle of Psychology, 1890.  A technique used by William Faulkner, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf.

 

 

Glossary: World Literature II (Unit 2: Naturalism/Realism and Romanticism)

Ballad:  A narrative poem using quatrains in iambic meter (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable/da DUM da DUM) and an ABCB rhyme scheme. Contrast the folk ballad (an anonymous traditional oral poem) with the literary ballad (a written imitation of the traditional form).

Chekhov’s Gun:  The principle (from Anton Chekhov) that every element in a literary work must be necessary. Chekhov provides the example of a gun: if a gun appears, it must be fired.

Conflict:  The struggle between opposing forces within a plot. Traditional kinds of conflict include 1) struggle against nature 2) struggle against society 3) struggle against another person 4) struggle within oneself 5) struggle against fate or destiny.

Exposition:  Background information on characters, setting, plot, etc., which begins a story in order for readers to understand the rising action.

Fourth Wall: A convention of realistic and naturalistic theatre especially, in which the front of the stage is thought of as a transparent wall through which the audience views the action of the play. (The other three walls are part of the box set, or scenery.) Imitates the experience of observing real life as it happens, as if through a key hole.

Ghazal:  (guzzle) A highly structured lyrical poem consisting of between 5 and 10 autonomous couplets, each couplet ending with the same word and preceded by a rhyming word, which appears twice in the first couplet. Both lines of the first couplet ends with the same word. The last couplet traditionally includes the poet’s name. Theme is earthly or spiritual love “conversation with the beloved.”

Image:  The use of  particular concrete language that appeals to the physical senses. In literature, images are most often visual, but may also appeal to senses other than the visual as well.

Marginal Gloss: Notation provided in the margin of a text in regards to vocabulary or commentary. A collection of glosses is a glossary.

Naturalism:  A literary movement of the late 19th century that was a pessimistic version of Realism in which the fates of literary characters are determined by heredity, social conditions, or the environment.

Pastoral Poetry: A genre of poetry that idealizes nature, the bucolic; values country life over city life. Wordsworths “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” serves as an example.

Realism: A Literary Movement emphasizing the faithful representation of life and often taking for its subject the lives of ordinary people. Fully realized characters are a main focus with less emphasis on plot.

Romanticism:  A literary movement that occurred from the late 18^th to late 19^th centuries in reaction against Neoclassicism. The individual was of large concern. The imagination was elevated above reason. Language became more ordinary, more conversational.

Sublime:  The greatness beyond all measurement, calculation, or imitation.

Symbol:  A concrete object that conveys both literal meaning in and of itself and also alludes to an abstract meaning apart from the thing itself.

Verisimilitude:  the appearance of being true or real.

Willing Suspension of Disbelief:  A term coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Biographical Literaria (1817) that refers to the act of the reader of  fantastic literature in which disbelief of the supernatural elements is momentarily suspended because of “human interest” and “semblance of truth.”

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Glossary: World Literature (Unit 3: The Enlightenment/Neoclassicism)

Aside:  Words spoken by a character directly to the audience (in violation of the 4^th wall) that other characters do not hear. Comedy: A lighter form of drama than tragedy, whose purpose is to amuse and ends happily.

Deism: A philosophy that arrives at knowledge of God through observation of nature rather than through revelation, or communication with the supernatural.  Emerged during the 17^th century European Scientific Revolution.

Didactic Literature:  Literature in which the purpose is purely to instruct rather than delight. The lesson is more important than the artistic merit of the work.

Enlightenment:  A philosophical movement in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in France, characterized by the conviction that reason could achieve all knowledge, supplant organized religion, and ensure progress toward happiness and perfection. The movement applied the ideas of science to the social world as well as the natural world.

Irony: The perception of a clash between appearance and reality, between seems and is, or between ought and is. Can be verbal, dramatic, or situational.

Neoclassicism: A literary movement occurring between 1660 and 1798 (the publication of Lyrical Ballads), characterized by the values of order, restraint, correctness, and accuracy. Modeled on ancient Greece and Rome. Satire was a popular genre.

Parody:  an exaggerated imitation of another work for comic effect. A tool of satire.

Philosophical Optimism: Because God is omnipotent and benevolent, everything happens for the best, though humans, with their limited perception, are not always able to perceive it.

Picaresque Novel: Originating in Spain, the picaresque narrates the episodic adventures of an outsider, or a rogue, a figure of the lower social class, who moves among the strata of society in a 1^st person account. Used as a medium of philosophic discourse. Uses satire and comedy to tell the story of an anti-hero living by wits in a hypocritical society. In addition to Voltaire’s Candide, can be seen in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

Satire: A work of didactic literature (meant to teach) that ridicules social convention, ideas, persons, etc. with the use of humor, irony, or exaggeration. A form of social criticism.

Theodicy: A philosophical argument concerning the problem of evil. Attempts to answer the question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people. Coined by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz i