Flattery Complementing Audience A person of your

intelligence deserves
much better than this.
Opinion A personal viewpoint often presented In my view, this is the
as a fact best thing to have ever
happened.
Hyperbole Exaggerated language used for effect It is simply out of this
world – stunning!
Personal Pronouns “I”, “you”, “we” You are the key to this
entire idea succeeding –
we will be with you all the
way.
Imperative Command Instructional language Get on board and join us!
Triples Three points to support and argument Safer streets means
comfort. Reassurance,
and peace of mind for
you, your family, and
friends.
Emotive language Vocabulary used to make the reader There are thousands of
feel a particular emotion animals at the mercy of
our selfishness and
disregard for kindness
Statistics and figures Factual data used in a persuasive 80% of people agreed
manner that this would change
their neighborhood for the
better.
Rhetorical Question A question that implies its own who wouldn’t want
answer success?
Catchphrase Attracts attention, encourages people
to read, provides key words
Brand name Name of the Product
Slogan Association of the product with a key
sentence
Satire A piece of media (cartoon, video, tv
show, etc.) that is sarcastically funny
and refers to an underlying issue.
Sarcasm Indirect, funny statements of
common sense, can be references to
pop culture.
Parody A funny reflection of a serious
situation.
Euphemism A nicer way to say a crude or more “She divorced him
serious situation. because of his multiple
indiscretions.”

Archetype an idea, symbol or character type in a Villain archetype

story. It is any story element that
 appears again and again in stories
from cultures around the world and
symbolizes something universal in
the human experience
Caricature: A device used in descriptive writing Mammy caricature
dominant impression and visual arts, in which particular
aspects of a subject are exaggerated
to create a silly or comic effect. In
other words, it can be defined as a
plastic illustration, derisive drawing,
or portrayal based on exaggeration of
natural features, which gives a
humorous touch to the subject. A
caricature arises from the forcing and
the embellishment of the basic rule
of good description, that is, the
principle of the dominant impression
Rhetoric the art of persuasion- the unique
plays with language and tone that
convince the audience of something,
or the way someone uses speech to
make a point
Soliloquies - Monologue addressed to
oneself, thoughts spoken out
loud without addressing
another
- A device in drama to let a
character make their thoughts
known to the audience,
address them directly or take
them into their confidence
- Increases dramatic irony:
Brings the audience in-
allows them to feel a sense of
responsibility
Epithets a characterizing word or phrase “old black ram” Othello
accompanying or occurring in place
of the name of a person or thing.
(adjective, nickname)
Alliteration the occurrence of the same letter or The child bounced the
sound at the beginning of adjacent or ball at the backyard
closely connected words. barbeque.
Imagery visually descriptive or figurative After the long run, he
language collapsed in the grass
with tired and burning
muscles. The grass tickled
his skin and sweat cooled
on his brow.
Metaphor
Motifs
 Dramatic irony
Irony Using language or visuals that mean
the opposite of the situation you are
seeing or reading.

Paradox Two opposites within a sentence that “War is peace”

demonstrate the extent of the “Freedom is slavery”
contrast. “My weakness is my
strength”
Antithesis the juxtaposition of two opposing “No pain, no gain.”
elements through the parallel
grammatical structure.

VISUAL ELEMENTS
Leading Lines where human-made or natural
lines lead the viewer's eyes
through a photograph to the
subject or the heart of the image

Gaze where the figure in the image is

looking

Focal points areas of interest, emphasis or

difference within a composition
that capture and hold the viewer's
attention
Framing the presentation of visual
elements in an image, especially
the placement of the subject in
relation to other objects.

Centrality placing of the main object or

figure in the centre of the image
or close to the centre of the image
Rule of Thirds a composition guideline that
places your subject in the left or
right third of an image, leaving
the other two thirds more open

Juxtaposition:
Lighting
Colour

Panel A distinct segment of the comic,

containing a combination of
image and text in endless variety.
- The spatial arrangement
allows an immediate
juxtaposition of the
present and the past.
- Unlike other visual media,
transitions are
instantaneous and direct
but the exact timing of the
reader’s experience is
determined by focus and
reading speed.
Frame The lines and borders that contain
the panels.
Gutter This space between panels.
Oftentimes, readers are forced to
“read between the lines” and
speculate what happens in the
gutter with respect to narrative
structure.
Bleed An image that extends to and/or
beyond the edge of the page.
Foreground The panel closest to the viewer.
Midground Allows centering of image by
using natural resting place for
vision. The artist deliberately
decides to place the image where
a viewer would be most likely to
look first. Placing an image off-
center or near the top or bottom
can be used to create visual
tension but using the midground
permits the artist to create a more
readily accepted image.
Background Provides additional, subtextual
information for the reader.
Graphic weight A term that describes the way
some images draw the eye more
than others, creating a definite
focus using color and shading in
various ways including:
- The use of light and dark
shades; dark-toned images
or high-contrast images
draw the eye more than
light or low-contrast
images
- A pattern or repeated
series of marks
- Colors that are more
brilliant or deeper than
others on the page
Negative space The areas between and around
objects. Areas that - if we notice
them at all - we tend to think of as
empty.
Emanata Lines and squiggles that emanate
(originate) from a cartoon
character or object to indicate
movement or any of a variety of
states of being.
Punchline Oftentimes the final line of the
cartoon, this sentence or phrase is
the lasting joke or message that
makes the reader smile/laugh.
This line is often somewhat ironic
and cements the meaning of the
cartoon.
Symbolism An image or object that
represents a larger and more
 abstract idea
Exaggeration In cartoons, artists often stretch
the truth, hyperbolize, and create
caricatures to emphasize key
ideas or attributes with respect to
the main claim.
Facial Expressions ome depict an actual person, like
a portrait; others are iconic,
which means they are
representative of an idea or a
group of people. Other points to
observe about faces include:
They can be dramatic when
placed against a detailed
backdrop; a bright white face
stands out. They can be drawn
without much expression or
detail; this is called an “open
blank” and it invites the audience
to imagine what the character is
feeling without telling them.
Hands/Feet The positioning of hands and feet
can be used to express what is
happening in the story.
- Hands that are raised with
palms out suggest
surprise.
Text Captions These are boxes containing a
variety of text elements, including
scene setting, description, etc.
Speech Bubbles These enclose dialogue and come
from a specific speaker’s mouth;
they vary in size, shape, and
layout and can alternate to depict
a conversation. Types of speech
balloons include those holding: