Language Techniques Flashcards
(10 cards)
Alliteration
Starts with the same letter.
Can reflect ;
- Emphasis: Alliteration can draw attention to specific words or phrases, making them stand out in a text. This can enhance the overall impact of a message.
- Mood and Tone: The repetition of consonant sounds can create a particular mood or tone. For example, soft sounds might evoke calmness, while harsher sounds could convey tension or urgency.
- Rhythm and Flow: Alliteration contributes to the musicality of language, creating a rhythm that can make text more engaging and memorable.
- Theme and Meaning: It can reinforce themes or concepts within a piece of writing. For instance, if a character is associated with a particular sound, it may reflect their personality or role in the story.
- Characterization: In poetry and prose, alliteration can enhance the characterization, making names or descriptions more vivid and impactful.
Overall, alliteration serves as a powerful stylistic device that enriches language and enhances communication.
Similes
Saying something is like or as something else.
They can enhance imagery by making it more vivid or relatable.
Reveal writes tone and style, convey emotions , etc.
Metaphors
Saying something is something else.
- Enhance imagery
- Convey deeper meanings
- Reveal the author’s tone and style
- Simplify complex concepts
- Evoke emotions
- Create connections between ideas
Pathetic fallacy
Pathetic fallacy is when human emotions or characteristics are attributed to nature or inanimate objects, often to reflect the mood of a scene. For example, describing a stormy sky to reflect a character’s anger or sadness.
- Reflects the mood or emotions of characters
- Enhances atmosphere and setting
- Foreshadows events
- Mirrors inner feelings of characters
- Adds symbolic meaning to the narrative
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms to create a unique or thought-provoking expression. For example, phrases like “bittersweet,” “deafening silence,” or “jumbo shrimp” showcase this contrast, often highlighting complexity or irony in a situation.
- Highlight contradictions or complexities in a situation
- Create irony or humor
- Emphasize a particular quality or characteristic
- Reflect the complexity of human emotions
- Draw attention to specific ideas or themes in the text
Semantic field
A theme of a text, e.g war - ‘cannons, bullets, trench’
- Establish a specific atmosphere or mood
- Highlight themes or motifs
- Show the author’s focus or intention
- Create coherence and unity in the text
- Reflect characters’ professions, interests, or emotions
- Reinforce the setting or context
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate sound. e.g bang
- Enhance sensory experience and imagery
- Create a more immersive reading experience
- Convey emotions or moods through sound
- Emphasize action or movement in a scene
- Add rhythm and musicality to the text
- Reflect character traits or settings through specific sounds
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that isn’t meant to be taken literally. It’s often used for emphasis or dramatic effect. For example, saying “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” is a hyperbole that emphasizes extreme hunger rather than a literal intention to eat a horse.
- Sensory Engagement: Creates vivid imagery and sound experiences.
- Emotion Conveyance: Reflects feelings or moods through sound.
- Action Emphasis: Highlights movement or activity in a scene.
- Characterization: Reveals traits or attitudes of characters.
- Rhythm and Flow: Adds musicality to the text.
Personification
Giving human traits to non human things.
- Emotion and Mood: Conveys feelings and sets the tone.
- Imagery: Creates vivid and relatable images.
- Characterization: Attributes human traits to non-human elements.
- Theme: Highlights central ideas or themes.
- Connection: Engages readers by making abstract concepts more relatable.
Imagery
Auditory (hear)
Olfactory (smell)
Tactile (touch) -
Sensory Experience: Engages the reader’s senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).
- Emotion and Mood: Evokes emotions and sets the atmosphere.
- Visualization: Helps readers create mental images of scenes or characters.
- Theme Reinforcement: Highlights and supports central themes.
- Characterization: Provides deeper insight into characters and settings.