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ENG 4UI Essential Terminology Used When Discussing Texts

(fictional/non-fictional texts, short stories, informal essays, novels)
The following terms explain techniques that writers use to present their ideas in clear,
convincing, and attractive language these devices can be used in either fiction or non-fiction
texts, and may be found in any of the texts we read and study.
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
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.
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. Allusions can come from history,
literature, mythology, the Bible, and popular culture.
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.
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! While it is often associated with humour, it can be
serious in tone as well.
Antithesis: is an opposition, or contrast, of ideas. The most famous use of it is in the opening
to Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Clich: 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. For example, Dont judge a book by
its cover.
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.
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.
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.

Denotative Language: refers to the literal meaning of words, used according to their
dictionary definition.
Diction: refers to the specific words chosen for their connotation, their implications, and their
power to reveal attitude or tone.
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.
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, youll often hear people say Hes
passed on, or Hes 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.
Hyperbole or exaggeration is an extravagant overstatement, not intended to be taken literally.
The obvious solution to preventing teens from becoming addicted to texting would be to ban
them from purchasing cell phones 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.
Imagery: The words or phrases a writer selects to create a certain picture in the readers 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.
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-centred culture. The
reader may infer that Finley would think that technology is, therefore, responsible for a decline in
literacy.
Irony: An implied discrepancy between what is presented or said and what is meant. Note these
three types of irony:
Verbal Irony occurs when a speaker says one thing and means something else: Oh yeah, thats
nice.
Dramatic Irony occurs when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature
does not know. For example, Luke and Leia almost become romantically involved in Episodes
4&5 of the Star Wars series (even though Han Solo is a much better choice!)
Irony of Situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results. Luke, while
searching for his father, battles Darth Vader.
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: habeus corpus, injunction, stat, CT-scan, give 110%, know the score, we came to play,
bandwidth.

Juxtaposition: occurs when two images 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 models photo is placed beside that of a refugee in
Somalia. The two bodies look similar in term of boniness.
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 or Your room is a pig sty.
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.
Motif: is a term for an often-repeated idea or theme in literature. For example, The Kite Runner
featured eyes, animals and trees all were motifs.
Onomatopoeia: is a word that imitates the sound it represents. eg. splash, kerplunk
Oxymoron: is a combination of contradictory terms as in jumbo shrimp.
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 workor all of these. Parallel structure is one of the most powerful literary
devices. It is particularly effective for emphasis. Example: In this restaurant I find the decor
dreary, the service slothful, the food inedible. Or Great literature is only possible when people
are ripened by experience, stirred by curiosity, and alive to wonder.
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.
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/We).
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 characters private thoughts (He/She/It/They).
Omniscient describes a narrator telling about a situation when that narrator describes the inner
thoughts of one or more of the characters (He/She/It/They).
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.
Repetition: of a word, an idea, an image, etc. that writers use to create emphasis. eg. There
is a way to be good again. (The Kite Runner)
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) : eg. How does she do it?!

Satire: is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the
intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack. For example, 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.
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, 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 aesthetically pleasing and often memorable and emphatic. Example:
Young men dream dreams; old men see visions.
Parallel structures are pleasing in form and forceful in emphasis. Parallel structures may be used
to suggest equality, emphasize contrast, or suggest rhythm. Example: Never in the field of
human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
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. For example My
love is like a red, red rose thats newly sprung in June
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 writers work from the
work of others.
Symbol: is a person, a place, a thing, or an event used to represent something else. For
example, on Remembrance Day each November 11, we commemorate our surviving veterans
and war dead by wearing the red poppy as a symbol.
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.
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.

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.
Transition: is a word, phrase, sentence or paragraph that moves the reader from one part of the
text to the next. Transitions are crucial to not only speeding the argument along, but also to
pointing out its logic. (Dont be afraid to take your readers by the hand and lead them through
your argument.)
Understatement: is stating an idea with restraint to emphasize what is being talked about. For
example, It was just a flesh wound.
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.
Voice: refers to the personality and attributes of the author that we can detect through his/her
work.
Narrative Terminology: When discussing narrative texts, in addition to many of the terms
listed above, we often use the following:
plot
- introduction (exposition)
- inciting force/trigger incident
- rising action
- climax
- denouement/resolution
setting
characters
- protagonist
- antagonist
- flat/round
- static/dynamic
- major versus minor
- direct versus indirect characterization

point of view
- first person
- third person limited
- third person omniscient
conflict
- internal vs. external
- person vs. person
- person vs. self
- person vs. nature
- person vs. society
flashback
foreshadowing
suspense

theme
atmosphere/mood