Vocabulary #7

Circumlocution - noun an indirect way of expressing something; a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
Classicism - noun a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms
Cliché- An overused expression. A sentence or phrase usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea.
Climax - noun the decisive moment in a novel or play; arrangement of clauses in ascending order of forcefulness; the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding; the most severe stage of a disease; the moment of most intense pleasure in sexual intercourse; verb end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage
Colloquialism - noun a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
Comedy - noun light and humorous drama with a happy ending; a comic incident or series of incidents
Conflict - noun an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); an incompatibility of dates or events; opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings; opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot); a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests; a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; a disagreement or argument about something important; verb go against, as of rules and laws; be in conflict
Connotation - noun an idea that is implied or suggested; what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression
Contrast - noun the act of distinguishing by comparing differences; the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness); the perceptual effect of the juxtaposition of very different colors; the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; a conceptual separation or distinction; verb put in opposition to show or emphasize differences; to show differences when compared; be different
Denotation - noun the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; the act of indicating or pointing out by name
Denouement - noun the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events
Dialect - noun the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
Dialectics - noun a rationale for dialectical materialism based on change through the conflict of opposing forces
Dichotomy - noun being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses
Diction - noun the manner in which something is expressed in words; the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience
Didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
Elegy - noun a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
Epic - adj. very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale); constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic; noun a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
Epigram - noun a witty saying

Hacking my Education

This semester I want to put a little more work in than I did last semester. I want to stay more involved and make sure I get more work done. The biggest thing I want to focus on is my masterpiece in which I want to expand on. I also am also  interested in seeing my classmates masterpieces and how they come out. I am also interested in the novels we will be reading. Another thing I hope for that we did last semester is class discussions and collaborations. The discussion/collaborations help me understand what it is we are talking about a lot more which helps me in the long run. They are beneficial because I am able to listen to others ideas and interpretations. I am curious to see how this semester will go but I hope it's fun. 

My Masterpiece

• My topic is Baseball and the reason I became interested in it is because I have been playing ever since I was little and love the game. Also I was asked in class what I am passionate about and baseball was the first thing to pop into my head. I care about baseball so much because it has been a big part of my life and I learn a lot from it. I love to talk about baseball and what is going on in the major leagues(politics). Baseball has had a big affect on my life which is another reason I care about it so much.
• Baseball has already had an affect on my life but it will have an affect in the future as well whether I decide to keep playing after high school or not. Since I have learned a lot about baseball and hope to learn more, I thought it would be a good idea to help others that are interested in learning/playing the game. One plan that I thought would be good is setting up a clinic for young ball players and talk about my baseball experience and what I have gained from it to hopefully help them in their future. Another idea would be to have someone film my whole season and make a slideshow and talk about the experience and how much I have learned from the game. One more idea I thought of was meeting with a professional baseball player that is local like Robin Ventura and just talk baseball. This can help me apply my experience to my idea of the clinic. I also hit with a professional coach for the Chicago Cubs and have learned a lot from him which is also a major resource.

There is still a lot of room for me to expand on my masterpiece which I will do throughout this semester.