Vocabulary List - Part 4 IB English Lang and Lit SL
Vocabulary List - Part 4 IB English Lang and Lit SL
Vocabulary List - Part 4 IB English Lang and Lit SL
PART 4
VOCABULARY
Glossary(110)islistinalphabeticalorderwithquestionstohelpyouwriteabout
authorschoicesandtheireffects.SyntacticStructures(1011)arelistedtowardsthe
end.
Instructions:FindexamplesoraddnotesforeachofthesetermsfromMacbethand/or
DeathofaSalesman.UsethislistandyournotestoprepareforyourIOC.
ALLUSION:Areferencetoanothercommontext(usuallytowardsaverycommon
pieceofliteratureliketheBibleastorywhereajealousbrotherkillshisother
brotheralludestotheBiblestoryaboutCainandAbel).Givesanadditionallayerof
meaningtoatextorenlargesitsframeofreference.
ANTAGONIST:character(s)inoppositionofprotagonist(ifevil=villain).
ANTICLIMAX:Deliberatedropfromtheseriousandelevatedsenseofcatharsisto
thetrivialandlowlyinordertoachieveanintendedcomicorsatiriceffect(sometimes
referredtoasbathos).
"Hehasseentheravagesofwar,hehasknownnaturalcatastrophes,hehasbeento
singlesbars."(WoodyAllen,"MySpeechtotheGraduates")
APOSTROPHE:Anexclamatorypassagewherethespeakerorwriterbreaksoffin
theflowofanarrativeorpoemtoaddressadeadorabsentperson,aparticular
audience,orobject(oftenpersonified).GaevinChekhovsCherryOrchardaddresses
abookcaseatlength,symbolofhispastandthefamilyhome.OrShakespeares
RichardIIIOcowardconscience,howdostthouafflictme!(5.3.198).Orisa
figureofspeechinwhichanimateorinanimateobjectsareaddressedinthesecond
person(thou,you)asthoughpresent.e.g.Riseyouruggedrocksanddobattleinmy
cause/Theanswer,myfriend,isblowinginthewind.
ASIDE:Stagedeviceinwhichacharacterexpressesthoughtsdirectlytotheaudience
bybreakingthefourthwallandisinaudibletotheothercharactersonstage
ATMOSPHERE:Themood,feeling,orqualityoflifeinastoryasconveyedbythe
author'schoiceoflanguageandorganizationindescribingthesettinginwhichthe
speechandactivityofthecharacterstakesplace.Theatmosphereinwhichanauthor
makescharactersappearandeventsoccurisoftenimportantindeterminingthetone
oftheparticularwork.
BATHOS:Theeffectresultingfromanunsuccessfulefforttoachievedignityor
pathosorelevationofstyle;anunintentionalanticlimax,droppingfromthesublime
totheridiculous.Ifanovelorplaytriestomakeareaderorspectatorweepand
succeedsonlyinmakinghimorherlaugh,thentheresultisbathos.
CACOPHONY:Harshsounds.
CATHARSIS:typicallyadramaticterm:theaudiencesemotionevokedbythe
performance(tragedyarousestheemotionofpitybecauseatragicherosmisfortune
isgreaterthanhedeservesandfearbecausewerecognizesimilarpossibilitiesin
ourselvestheaudience).
CHARACTER:personspresentedinadramaticornarrativework,whoare
interpretedbythereaderasbeingendowedwithmoral,dispositional,andemotional
qualitiesexpressedinwhattheysayanddo(dialogueandaction)
(SeeDynamic,Static,Flat,Round,stock/stereotype).
Doesthecharactergrowordeteriorate?Whyorwhynot?Howcomplexisthe
character?Howimportantaretheminorcharacters?Arethecharacterswordsand
actionsconsistent?Isthecharacterintelligent?Likeable?Insightful?Responsible?
Happy?Believable?Howdoyouknow?
CIRCUMLOCUTION:Useoftoomanywordstoexpressanideawiththeeffectof
evasioninspeech(excessivelanguage,surpluswordstodirectattentionawayfrom
thecruxofthemessageorcreateagrander,yethighlyineffective,effect).
CLIMAX:(Aristotlestermcrisis)turningpoint,momentofgreatesttensionthatfixes
theoutcome
COLLOQUIALISM:Specificjargon/phrasesforthetime(snap!)typicallyinformal,
butthedeliberateuseofwhichcanbequitestriking.
CONFLICT:strugglebetweenopposingforces,usuallyresolvedbytheendof
thestory(betweenindividuals,protagonistagainstfate,againstthe
circumstancesstandingbetweenprotagonistandgoal,orbetweenopposing
desiresorvaluesintheprotagonistsowntemperament)
external/internal
protagonistvs.
o nature,society,another,orself
POINTOFVIEW:(theanglefromwhichthenarrativeisseenortoldandcanshift
withinawork)
Doesthepointofviewshift?Ifso,where,why,andwithwhatimplicationsfor
meaning?Isthenarratorreliableorfallible?Whyorwhynot?Howdoyouknow?
POVFIRSTPERSON:
Descriptionisthroughtheeyesofthecharacterintheactiona.k.a.participant;
pronouns:we,us,I,andme.
Createsimmediacyorrealism.(canbeamajororminorcharacter)
Innocent1stperson,throughthemindofacharacterwhodoesntfully
comprehendthesituation(child,ignorant,naive,etc.)
Oftencreatesanironiceffectbecauseofthecontrastbetweenwhatthenarrator
perceivesandwhatthereaderfeels.
PREVARICATE:Evadethetruththroughomission.(similartoequivocation)
PROTAGONIST(ANT.ANTAGONIST):Chiefcharacterinawork,onwhomour
interestcenters
PURPOSE:Whattheauthorattemptstoaccomplishthroughhis/hertext
RESOLUTION:SeeOutcome
RHYTHM:Stressedandunstressedsyllablesusedinaconsistentpatternthroughouta
poem(iambicpentameteristypicallyusedbyShakespeare5stressedthen
unstressedsyllablesineachline)However,canbedistinguishedfromthetechnical,
identifiablemetreandrefermoregenerallytotheflowofsoundcreatedbythe
syllables(steady/irregular?)
RISINGACTION:(Aristotlestermcomplication)seriesofintensificationsofthe
conflictleadingtothemomentofgreatesttensionwhichareusuallyquitesuspenseful
SYNTACTICSTRUCTURES
ANACOLUTHON:Lackofgrammaticalsequence;achangeinthegrammatical
constructionwithinthesame
sentence,leavingthefirstpartbrokenorunfinished.
Andthenthedeeprumblefromtheexplosionbegantoshaketheverybones
ofnoonehadeverfeltanythinglikeit.
Becarefulwiththesetwodevicesbecauseimproperlyusedtheycanwell,I
havecautionedyouenough.
ANAPHORA:Therepetitionofawordorphraseatthebeginningofsuccessive
phrases,clausesorlines.
ANTISTROPHE:Repetitionofthesamewordorphraseattheendofsuccessive
clauses.
ANTITHESIS:istheplacementofideasinsharpcontrast;thedirectcontrastof
structurallyparallelwordgroupings.Thusanantitheticsentenceisa
balancedsentenceinwhichideasorwordsareinopposition,morestrikinglyso
becauseofthebalance.e.g.Toerrishuman,toforgivedivine;sinkorswim;standor
fall
POLYSYNDETON:Therepetitionofconjunctionsinaseriesofcoordinatewords,
phrases,orclauses.Therhetoricaleffectofpolysyndeton,however,oftenshareswith
thatofasyndetonafeelingofmultiplicity,energeticenumeration,andbuildingup.
Themultipleconjunctionsofthepolysyndeticstructurecallattentiontothemselves
andthereforeaddtheeffectofpersistenceorintensityoremphasistotheothereffect
ofmultiplicity.Therepeateduseof"nor"or"or"emphasizesalternatives;repeated
useof"but"or"yet"stressesqualifications.
References
Abrams,M.H.AGlossaryofLiteraryTerms6thEd.HarcourtBraceCollege
Publishers:1988.
Corrigan,TimothyandPatriciaWhite.TheFilmExperience:AnIntroduction2ndEd.
Bedford/St.Martins:2009.
Stephen,Elizabeth.IBLanguageA1(English)(includingWorldLiteratureandOral
Assessment)HigherandStandardLevelInternationalBaccalaureateStudy
andRevisionguide.OxfordStudyCourses:2003.