DIPLOMA TERMINOLOGY
BE SU RE T HAT YOU UND ERS TAND TH E MEANING OF
T H ES E KEY LIT ERARY T ERMS
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Connotation—specific associations carried (with words) apart from the literal meaning.
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Diction—a writer’s vocabulary; his choice of particular words or phrases over others.
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Denotation—the literal (dictionary) meaning of a word.
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Imagery - is an attempt to bring the five sense (seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, and tasting)
to life in a song, poem, or story. The words create pictures, smells, sensations, sounds, and
tastes in the reader’s mind.
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Irony—in its narrow sense, the idea intended to be conveyed is different or opposite from the
literal meaning of the words used. There are several types:
o Situational Irony – when the author says one thing and means the opposite. The term
also applies to a situation, or to the outcome of an event (or series of events), that is the
opposite of what might be expected or considered appropriate.
o Verbal Irony—is a figure of speech in which a person says one thing and means another.
It is thus related to sarcasm and sarcasm is personal… verbal irony need not be personal.
o Understatement—is a form of irony in daily use. When we say that Gretzky has played
a game or two of hockey, we are being ironical.
o Dramatic Irony or Tragic Irony—occurs when the significance of words and actions
on the stage is hidden from the characters concerned but revealed to the audience. There
is an ironical contrast between what the characters believe is going to happen and what
the spectator knows is going to happen.
o Situational Irony – when the author says one thing and means the opposite. The term
also applies to a situation, or to the outcome of an event (or series of events), that is the
opposite of what might be expected or considered appropriate.
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Juxtaposition—the positioning of details or images side by side to emphasize a similarity or
difference.
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Symbolism—a symbol is any device used to represent something, especially the abstract.