AP ENGLISH WORDS

BY: JOSEPH TADROS

HYPERBOLE
Definition of Hyperbole
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning over-casting is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of
emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, Ages have
passed since I last saw you. You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word ages exaggerates this
statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation.
Examples of Hyperbole from Literature
Example #1
In American folk lore, Paul Bunyans stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates winter by saying:
Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at
night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were
talking about the night before.
Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter and then warming up of the words in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples
of hyperbole that have been effectively used by Paul Bunyan in this short excerpt.
Example #2
From William Shakespeares Macbeth, Act II, Scene II,
Neptunes ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.
Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He regrets his sin and believes that even the oceans of the
greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood of the king off his hands. We can notice the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines.
Function of Hyperbole
In our daily conversation, we use hyperbole to emphasize for an amusing effect. However, in literature it has very serious implications.
By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet makes common human feelings remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary.
In literature, usage of hyperbole develops contrasts.
When one thing is described with an over-statement and the other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed.
This technique is employed to catch the readers attention.
IMAGERY
Definition of Imagery
Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.
Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds. The word imagery is
associated with mental pictures.Imagery needs the aid of figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia etc. in order to
appeal to the bodily senses.
Examples of Imagery in Literature
Example #1
Imagery of light and darkness is repeated many times in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Consider an example from Act I, Scene V:
1. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
2. It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
3. Like a rich jewel in an Ethiopes ear;
Romeo praises Juliet by saying that she appears more radiant than the brightly lit torches in the hall. He says that at night her face
glows like a bright jewel shining against the dark skin of an African. Through the contrasting images of light and dark, Romeo portrays
Juliets beauty.
Example #2
John Keats To the Autumn is an ode rich with auditory imagery examples. In the last five lines of his ode he says:
1. Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
2. And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
3. Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
4. The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
5. And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
The animal sounds in the above excerpt keep appealing to our sense of hearing. We hear the lamb bleating and the crickets chirping. We hear the
whistles of the redbreast robin and the twitters of swallows in the sing. Keats call these sounds as the song of autumn.
Function of Imagery
The function of imagery in literature is to generate a vibrant and graphic presentation of a scene that appeals to as many of the readers senses as
possible.
It aids the readers imagination to envision the characters and scenes in the literary piece clearly.
Apart from the above mentioned function, images , which are drawn by using figures of speech like metaphor, simile, personification,
onomatopoeia etc. serve the function of beautifying a piece of literature.
INFERENCE
Definition of Inference
Inference is a literary device used commonly in literature and in daily life where logical deductions are made based on premises assumed to be
true. Another definition of inference suggests that it is rational but non-logical, which means that through the observation of facts presented in a
particular pattern, one ultimately sees different or new interpretations and perspectives. Symbols and anomalies are very important during its
use. In this case inferences are not so much used for coming to conclusions but to open up new ways of inquiry. When inference is studied from
this aspect, it is further divided into two types: inductive and deductive inference.
Example #1
Sheldon Cooper: I took another look at the board, and I realized you were right.
Raj Koothrappali: So you were wrong.
Sheldon Cooper: Im not saying that.
Raj Koothrappali: Thats the only logical inference.
Sheldon Cooper: Im still not saying it.
(Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar, The Pirate Solution. The Big Bang Theory, 2009)
Inference examples are also found in TV series. The above dialogue from a TV series The Pirate Solution is the best example that
could be presented here. You can easily understand inference.
Function of Inference
The function of inference is important not only in literature but in daily life to make sense of things people say and do.
The skills inference teaches us are not only required to make out the underlying meanings of phrases and arguments but also to perceive the
implicit concealed meanings that enhance the overall quality of a text.
It is also used to draw your own conclusions from a script.
Inference plays a central role in understanding texts by translating in your mind the effects of the usage of particular words.
It also makes us see the literary value of a text by highlighting its strengths.
Moreover, inference has a great deal of significance in enhancing the learning abilities of students academically and otherwise. The ability to make
inferences helps students develop an understanding of the authors perspective by grasping the subtle underlying meanings in a text.
Without inference people usually end up translating a text word by word, missing out on the associations a writer is trying to make.
Such a lacking approach keeps us from comprehending the whole picture of a piece of writing.
INTRINSIC
Definition of Intrinsic
belonging to the essential nature of a thing
occurring as a natural part of something
Definition of Intrinsic (related to motivation)
Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards.
In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is intrinsically rewarding.
This contrasts with extrinsic motivation, which involves engaging in a behavior in order to earn external rewards or avoid punishments.
Intrinsic Elements of Literary Prose (Short Story and Novel)
Intrinsic elements are the elements that build up in the literary works of literature itself. The purpose of the entry of such elements or
parts of the literary work itself. In general, the intrinsic elements of literary works include the theme, plot, characterizations, setting, the
atmosphere, the central narrative, and style.
INVECTIVE
Definition of Invective
The term invective denotes speech or writing that attacks, insults, or denounces a person, topic, or institution. It involves the use of abusive and
negative use of language. The tool of invective is generally employed in both poetry and prose to reiterate the significance of the deeply felt
emotions of the writer.
Examples of Invective in Prose
1. An example of the manner of use of invective in prose can be witnessed through Shakespearean writing in TheTragedy of King Lear. Scene
II of King Lear, in which Kent declares that Oswald is:
A knave, a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave
and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch
Just mark the use of words against a person in quick succession. This is called invective. It is a bit different from abuse as you can see it
yourself.
2. Jonathan Swift wrote,
I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the
surface of the earth.
Swifts quote above highlights the use of some fascinating and impressive invective.
Functions of Invective
Invective is one of the most commonly used devices in the modern poetic framework.
The tool of invective can be used in a variety of ways to highlight the depth of the writers emotions for the cause at hand. For instance, the use
of high invective involves formal language and creative expression which creates an entirely different impact than that of low invective, which
concerns with the value of stock words and images.
The tool of invective also acts as an opportunity for the speaker to convey his heartfelt bitter emotions in respect of people in power or other
such annoyances.
Invective is not, however, a powerful tool of persuasion as sometimes is thought but is a device employed to get a sort of reaction from the
interlocutor.