TERMS TO KNOW
Literary Devices
ALLUSION
O A reference to another well-known work found in literature.
Generally allusions are references to Greek mythology or the Bible.
O Example:
In act two, Elizabeth states, "Abigail brings the other girls into the court,
and where she walks the crowds will part like the sea for Israel." This is
referring to Moses, who parted the seas of Israel for the Israelites to
escape from the Pharoah's armies. So, it indicates that Abby holds
some sort of god-like power of redemption for the town.
DICTION
O Diction is a style of speaking or writing as dependent
upon choice of words.
O Example: Within Patrick Henry's speech, and by looking at his diction and word
choice, one could derive he is talking to an upper class group of men.
O Example: “And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they
died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff
we got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got
thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we’ve got
these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was
depressing” “The School” by Donald Barthelme
O “The School” by Donald Barthelme:
PARALLELISM
In "Speech to the Virginia Convention," Patrick Henry uses parallel
structure when he questions the House about when the country will be
stronger and able to endure any attacks by Britain:
O Example:
"Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are
totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every
house?"
RHETORICAL QUESTION
O Question for which the answer is obvious and/or needs to answer
specifically:
Example:
"Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are
totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every
house?"
LOGOS (LOGICAL APPEAL)
O In the middle of the speech, Henry moves into more logical appeals
through his use of rhetorical questions that ask the House to consider
the logical implications of not acting against Great Britain:
*rhetorical questions are considered logos usually
O "Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call
for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none.
They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other."
PATHOS (EMOTIONAL APPEAL)
“Chains of slavery” - fear
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
"Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace, but there is no peace. The
war is actually begun!" - See more at:
ETHOS (ETHICAL APPEAL)
Trust in the speaker and/or the message.
Biblical versus.
The law
Other documents or people who are trusted in a society
METAPHOR
I have but one lamp by
which my feet are guided;
and that is the lamp of
experience
SIMILE
Compares two things using “like” or “as”:
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the
price of chains and slavery?
IMAGERY
Evokes the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.
SYMBOL
Somethings which stands for or evokes the memory of - something else.
For instance, the flag of the U.S. is a symbol of freedom and
democracy.
REPETITION
"We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we
have supplicated; we have prostrated... Our
petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances
have produced additional violence and insult; our
supplications have been disregarded..." (Henry p4)
-Repetition of "We have" & "Our... have" provides
the audience with a sense of unity in the actions that
they have done, but have all ignored by the British.
-unite against the British
TONE
AUTHOR’S ATTITUDE TOWARD SUBJECT
affectionate
Ocondescending
Ohappy
aggravated
Odisgusted
Ocontemplative
Ohaughty
aloof
Odisinterested
Ocritical
Odistant
Ohurt
amused
Ocynical
Odroll
Oinformal
angry
Odark
Oearnest
Ointense
apathetic
Odejected
Oecstatic
Oironic
appreciative
Odepressed
Oemphatic
Ojoyful
approving
Odesperate
Oencouraging
Olackadaisical
arrogant
Odespondent
Oenthusiastic
Olanguid
bitter
Odidactic
Oexcited
Olight-hearted
calm
Odisappointed
Ofacetious
Omelancholy
celebratory
Odisapproving
Oformal
Omelodramatic
ONervous…
MOOD:
SITUATION’S ATMOSPHERE
Calm
OGrim
OMelancholic
OSorrowful
OGrotesque
OMorbid
OSpiritual
OHeart-breaking
OMournful
OSpooky
OHeartrending
OMysterious
OTerrifying
Dark
OHoly
OOminous
OThreatening
Depressing
OHopeful
OOptimistic
OTranquila
Dismal
OHorrific
OPessimistic
Eerie
OIntense
OPowerful
Fanciful
OJoyful
ORomantic
Foreboding
OLight
OSad
OLighthearted
OSinister
Cheerful
Chilling
Comical
Gloomy
OSoothing
WORKS CITED
Henry, Patrick. “Speech to the Virginia Convention”. Elements of
Literature: Chapter 1 Beginnings to 1800. Holt, Rinehart and
Winston. Fifth Course. Austin, 2000. 102-104. Print.
Greenlee, Diana. “Terms to Know”. Unit 2: The Enlightenment, CFA #2.
15 October 2014. Web.