Category: social studies essay
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What is Deus ex Machina?
📌 Deus ex machina Definition:Deus ex machina (Latin for “god from the machine”) is a literary device where an unexpected power or event suddenly resolves a seemingly hopeless situation. It often involves an improbable or out-of-nowhere solution that can feel forced or unrealistic. Originally, the term came from ancient Greek theatre, where gods were lowered…
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What is Bathos?
📌 Bathos Definition:Bathos is a literary device where a serious, dramatic, or lofty tone suddenly drops into something trivial, silly, or ridiculous. It’s often used for comic effect, either intentionally or unintentionally, and creates a jarring contrast between what’s expected and what’s delivered. ✅ Example (Intentional Bathos): “He spent his final hour of life doing…
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What is an Aphorism?
📌 Aphorism Definition:An aphorism is a concise, memorable statement that expresses a general truth or principle. It’s often witty or philosophical and is meant to be easily remembered. ✅ Example: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Other famous aphorisms: And there you go! So go ahead and use aphorism in your CXC prep/ CSEC…
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What is an Antanaclasis?
✅ Definition: Repetition of the same word in a sentence, but with different meanings. 📌 Example: “Your argument is sound… all sound.”— Benjamin Franklin Another fun example: “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”— Vince Lombardi And there you go! Now go forth and use antanaclasis in your CXC prep/…
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What is a Motif?
✅ Motif Definition:A motif is a recurring element in a literary work — such as an image, idea, symbol, word, or situation — that has symbolic significance and helps develop the theme of the story. Motifs support the central message by appearing multiple times throughout a text. ✅ Example: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth: 🔁 Blood is…
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What is a Connotation?
✅ Connotation Definition:Connotation is the emotional, cultural, or implied meaning of a word — the feelings or ideas that a word suggests, beyond its literal definition (denotation). ✅ Example: When someone says,“I can’t wait to go home,”they may not just mean the physical house, but also the feelings of security and belonging it represents. Another…
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What is a Denotation?
✅ Denotation Definition:Denotation is the literal, dictionary definition of a word — its explicit, objective meaning, without any emotional or cultural associations. ✅ Example: So if someone says, “The snake slithered across the path,”they’re using the denotation — they mean an actual reptile. So there you have it! Now go ahead and use denotation in…
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What is an Idiom?
📌 Idiom Definition:An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definitions of its individual words. Instead, it carries a figurative meaning understood through common use. ✅ Idiom: “Spill the beans” Example sentence:“She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about the surprise party, but she spilled the beans.” ✨ Why…
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What is a Colloquialism?
📌 Colloquialism Definition:A colloquialism is a word, phrase, or expression that is used in informal, everyday language and is often specific to a particular region, culture, or group. It reflects how people actually speak in casual settings, as opposed to formal writing or speech. ✅ Example of Colloquialism: ✨ Why Writers Use Colloquialisms: And there…
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What is an Archetype?
📌 Archetype Definition:An archetype is a typical character, symbol, setting, or situation that represents a universal pattern of human nature or experience. Archetypes are recognizable across cultures and time periods, appearing in myths, literature, films, and art. They originate from Carl Jung’s theories in psychology, where he proposed that humans share a collective unconscious filled…