Useful Literary Definitions
Posted: Saturday, March 21, 2009
by Connor Davidson
Here is a list of terms you should become familiar with when writing comments and critical essays on writing.
Address - a poem set out like a speech, usually addressed to something e.g. a famous example is "to a mouse"
Allegory- writing which has more than one possible meaning which can be interpreted in more than one way.
Alliteration- the use of the same first letter to emphasize the meaning of the used words e.g. Blast, Bang, Boom.
Anaphora - sentences starting with the same word or phrase. Usually done in poetry.
Anthropomorphism - giving god like characteristics to man. Or giving human characteristics to non-humans.
Atmosphere - intangible quality appealing to sensory perception.
Cliché - figure of speech with has lost it effect due to overuse.
Contrast - bringing two very different objects together to show the differences between them.
Litotes - figure of speech including an understatement.
Oxymoron - two words of opposite meaning used together.
Paradox - self - contradictory statement.
Personification - giving inanimate objects human qualities.
Syntax - grammatical arrangement of sentences.
Zeugma - condensed sentence.
I know that there are more. I have chosen the less obvious ones, which are most often used.
Connor Davidson 3/21/09
Connor Davidson is a UK based writer. He writes on wide variety of topics with his main interest being science, maths and engineering.
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Feel free to reprint these articles on your website by using the reprint button. If you have any questions or comments please post them below - I read all comments.
You can keep up to date with his writings by following him on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Connor_Davidson.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Anthropomorphism is wrong. It is giving an animal human characteristics.Actually it can be both. It is giving human charactoristics to a non-human. It is most often used as refering to god.No Boo. I swear on my life it's animal-human...not humn-god. Miss B would have told it was human-god if it is but IT'S NOT...go on wikipedia or sout and find out...I looked it up in useful words to use in higher critical essays. I have also changed it in the article to show the two meanings.What Connor is saying is actually correct.
These are fundamental tools every writer needs to know. Nicely done.
Watch yourself Connor. You've got a harsh critic in the bunch.I thought your article interesting
Cliche actually has an e at the end and characteristics has no o in it.But useful tips, thankyou!Sorry, I will just sort that now.
Good job! and did you notice that the few minor errors got attention - and isn't that the purpose of writing - ??? to some details matter a great deal - most read and pick up what they want - and move on.... A little something for everyone! Great job. Good Fortune, Cheryl
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