The document defines and provides examples for 15 literary terms: ominous, petulant, sycophant, admonition, paean, appellation, apostrophe, metonymy, synecdoche, euphemism, epitaph, wry, pious, sumptuous, and garish. Each term is defined and an example is given from a cited literary work.

1. Literary Terms/Vocabulary By: Angell Wescott

2. Ominous Definition: threatening, giving the impression that something bad is going to happen Example: “Sometimes a light glimmered out of the physician's eyes, burning blue and ominous , like the reflection of a furnace, or, let us say, like one of those gleams of ghastly fire that darted from Bunyan's awful doorway in the hill-side, and quivered on the pilgrim's face.” Citation: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter . Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850. Print.

3. Petulant Definition: Childishly, sulky, bad tempered Example: “And while you’re at it, Muse, sing of the rage of the gods themselves, so petulant and so powerful here on their new Olympos, and of the rage of the post-humans, dead and gone though they might be, and of the rage of those few true humans left, self-absorbed and useless though they have become.” Citation: Simmons, Dan. Ilium . New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2003. Print.

4. Sycophant Definition: a person who acts attentive to someone in order to gain an advantage Example: An example of a sycophant in Animal Farm is Squealer when he provides much information to convince the animals to believe that they are not starving. Citation: Orwell, George. Animal Farm . Harcourt Brace and Company, 1946. Print.

5. Admonition Definition: mild, kind, earnest reproof Example: “Faiths … all faiths … are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable.” Citation: Brown, Dan . Angels and Demons . New York: Pocket Books, 2000. Print.

6. Paean Definition: song of praise or triumph Example: The Beasts of England song in Animal Farm is an example of a paean. “ Beasts of England! Beasts of Ireland! Beasts of land and seas and skies! Hear the hoofbeats of tomorrow! See the golden future rise!” Citation: Orwell, George. Animal Farm . Harcourt Brace and Company, 1946. Print.

7. Appellation Definition: giving a name to a person or thing Example: “Under the appellation of Roger Chillingworth, the reader will remember, was hidden another name, which its former wearer had resolved should never more be spoken.” Citation: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter . Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850. Print.

8. Apostrophe Definition: address to an imaginary or absent person or a personification Example: “Excellent friend! How sincerely did you love me, and endeavor to elevate my mind, until it was on a level with your own.” (Frankenstein about his friend Henry who is not present at the time) Citation: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein . Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print.

9. Metonymy Definition: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated Example: “Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution” (Steel refers to his sword) Citation: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Press, 1992. Print.

10. Synecdoche Definition: A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or the whole is made to represent a part Example: “Take thy face hence.” Citation: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Press, 1992. Print.

11. Euphemism Definition: A mild or indirect word or expression for one too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing Example: “What in the sam hill are you doing?” Citation: Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird . New York City: J.B. Lippincott, 1960. Print.

12. Epitaph Definition: A phrase or statement written in memory of a person Example: “Here lies Dobby, a free elf.” Citation: Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Scotland: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.

13. Wry Definition: using or expressing dry, mocking humor Example: “As he followed Bill back to the others a wry though came to him, born no doubt of the wine he had drunk.” Citation: Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Scotland: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.

14. Pious Definition: very religious Example: “The slave auctioneer’s bell and the church-going bell chime in with each other, and the bitter cries of the heart-broken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master.” Citation: Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass . Massachusetts: Dover Publications, 1845. Print.

15. Sumptuous Definition: luxurious, expensive-looking, gorgeous Example: “How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous pudding.” Citation: Rowling, J.k. . Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . New York City: Scholastic Inc., 1999. Print.

16. Garish Definition: bright and showy Example: “When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.” Citation: Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. Print.