Vocab 1
Dialect
Particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group
personification
inanimate objects/ideas are given human qualities
apostrophe
a digression/act of straying from main subject/theme
directly addresses an absent person/abstract concept/inanimate object
Stephen Crane
irony and vivid sensory details, fear, social isolation, and environmental, social, or existential struggle
Naturalist Author
Kate Chopin
"The Story of an Hour"
Feminism works, book got banned
Idiom
Form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people. A word or phrase used to describe a thing or to express a concept, especially in a particular kind of language or branch of study
Foreshadowing
sign/symbol of future development/indication of potential/imminent danger
satire
use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidit
Jack London
"To Build A Fire"
wrote on survival, the struggle between civilization and the wild, social injustice, and socialism.
Inspired by Darwin(Theory of evolution), Spencer(Survival of the Fittest), and Nietzsche(German philosopher, Nihilism)
Nihilism(All values are baseless, extreme pessimism, believe in nothing, have no loyalties, destroy all moral, greatest crisis in human history)
Willa Cather
immigrant experience, the resilience of settlers, the struggle between personal ambition and small-town life, and the impact of modernization on the American landscape
Colloquialism
informal/used in ordinary or familiar conversation
Rhyme Scheme
pattern of rhyme used in a poem
social commentary
act of using artistic, literary, or rhetorical expression to critique, highlight, or analyze societal issues, norms, and injustices.
Mark Twain
Satirizes human behavior & Social ills
One of the directions Realism goes
Naturalism
humanity is relatively insignificant within the universe, people have little to no free will, characters act due to forces and environment outside of their control
Anecdote
lesson that can be derived from a story/experience. Account of a real incident/person, often humorous/interesting
symbolism
use of symbols/images to communicate ideas
imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work
W.E.B DuBois
Activist leader
racial injustice, "double consciousness," the necessity of higher education for Black Americans, and economic empowerment
Realism
Truths of everyday life, social issues, informal language, omniscient narrator, realistic character
Free Verse
Poetry that doesn't rhyme/have a regular rhythm
alliteration
repetition of consonants at beginning of words immediately succeeding each other
tone
the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
Ambrose Bierce
"A Horseman in the Sky"
wrote on his personal experience as a soldier—and psychological horror, featuring ghosts, madness, and ironical twists
Existentialism
Questions meaning of existence/purpose of life, emphasizes uniqueness and isolation of an individual in a hostile universe.
Not given a purpose by gods, government, teachers, etc. Find meaning for your own existence