Essential Literary Terms

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Denotation & Connotation

The denotation is the dictionary definition. But the dictionaries don't always go far enough. When a word has a meaning that doesn't appear in a dictionary, that meaning is a connotation.

The denotation of "absurd" is "ridiculously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false" (Random House Unabridged, 1966).
The connotations of "absurd" include "stupid." You can often find connotations in a Thesaurus (a reference book filled with synonyms (words that mean almost the same thing).
Sometimes words have special meanings when used in a particular sentence. These special meanings may not match the denotation (dictionary definition), but they're there anyway, in that sentence. These special meanings are connotations.
Sometimes sentences or the descriptions a writer uses will have connotations that make the reader feel a certain emotion or mood. These sentences or descriptions work together and mean more than the denotations (dictionary definitions) possibly could. One thing you could have connotations of is "evil."

Foreshadowing

Figurative Language

Imagery

Point of Absurdity

Absurd means ridiculous, incredibly stupid, with a funny connotation. In "Harrison Bergeron," Vonnigut takes the idea of equality (a big issue when this story was written) to "the point of absurdity" by imagining a culture in which everyone is equal by law, and they enforce the law literally. The Point of Absurdity is very stupid and very funny.

Point of View (pov)

Paradox

A paradox is a kind of contradiction. A contradiction is when two things can't go together (example, a thing can't be both up and down; it has to be one or the other).

A paradox has two parts, and it seems like they can't go together. Although a paradox seems absurd, the best paradoxes are true.

Zaroff (from "The Most Dangerous Game") is a high-class person who kills people for pleasure. Paradox: High-class people are supposed to have high morals, but Zaroff's morals are aweful!
Rainsford (from "The Most Dangerous Game") is both "hunter and huntee." Paradox: While still on the yacht, he says "the world is made up of two classes - the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters" (Language of Literature, 40).
The Handicapper General (from "Harrison Bergeron") must be smart. Paradox: In this imaginary culture, she can't be smarter than anyone else because everybody is equal, but she has to be in order to control so many people.

Reading

Reading is understanding. If you haven't understood it, you haven't read it! Remember, if you spend 5 hours reading but still don't understand, you've wasted 5 hours. If you spend 20 minutes understanding what you read, you've won!

Ideas go from the writer's head, through the text, and into your head.

Suspense

Text

A text is anything you can read (understand). It includes books, images (pictures, photographs, etc.), body language, people's tones of voices, situations that might become dangerous, etc., etc., etc.

Voice

Students must write in their own voice. Just as you know the sound of your friend's voice without checking Caller ID, your writing also has voice. Voice includes: