Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

English Vocab 9

Terms in this set (20)

Direct (Formal) Satire
The satirist directly states it
Indirect Satire
The satirist communicates it through characters in a narrative
Juvenile Satire
This type of satire is bitter, angry, contemptuous, and full of moral indignation. (If you do not laugh but
instead react with outrageous surprise, you are probably reading this type of satire.)
Horatian satire
This type of satire is characterozed by gentle, urbane comedy that corrects through sympathetic laughter.
Allegory
A narrative with a literal and a symbolic meaning. Writers can disguise their satirical targets as a character.
Ambiguity
It is when the meaning of somethong is unclear and it may mean more than one thing.
Exaggeration
To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen.
Diminution
Taking a real life situation and reducing it to make it ridiculous and showcase its faults
Distortion
Taking somethingout of its ordinary surroundings sometimes reveals its idocy or inadequacies
Farce
Similar to burlesque (a ridiculous exaggeration of language), it is a narrative in which the ridiculous characters in the situation are exaggerated and the outcomes of the plot are absurd. It is essentially a comedy
Incongruity
To present things that are out of place or absurd in relation to their surroundings. Particular techniques include oxymoron, metaphor, and irony
Innuendo
An implied remark that disparages another's reputation
Invective
A direct insult (a longer version of it is a diatribe - a rant)
Knaves and fools
These clowns of satire are exaggeration of our follies. Taken to the extreme, their ridiculous behavior still rings true, and we see them in something od ourselves. They are the key elements of farce
Malapropism
Absurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound (e.g. "Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child" ~ Dan Quayle)
Parody
To imitate the techniques and/or style of some other person, place, or thing, mimicking the techniques and/or style in order to ridicule the original, for this device to be successful, the reader must know the original text that is being ridiculed
Reduction
To belittle the satirical target, reducing power or stature (e.g. Caricature is one way to reduce status, since it makes the target look ridiculous or silly)
Reversal
To present the opposite of the normal order. It can focus on the order of events, such as serving dessert before the main dish or having breakfast for dinner. To present the opposite of the normal order (e.g. The order of events, hierarchial order)
Understatement
The opposite of exaggeration; it draws attention to the truth
Diatribe
A forceful and bitter attack against someone or something; an angry and usually long speech or piece of writing that strongly criticizes someone or something
Sets with similar terms