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literary devices Flashcards

(54 cards)

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1
Q

allegory

A

taking something abstract, for example a concept or an idea, and give it form, convey it with things that are easier to present, to represent something complex in a simpler way

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2
Q

alliteration

A

when words are used in quick succession and begin with sounds belonging to the same sound group

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3
Q

allusion

A

the poet uses a reference, refers to something, illusion presupposes that the reader is going to know what the poet is talking about

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4
Q

analogy

A

a comparison showing how two seemingly different entities are alike

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5
Q

anastrophe

A

an alteration of the logical order of words, specifically with the order of adjective and noun, they change places

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6
Q

anthropomorphism

A

completely humanized animals

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7
Q

archetype

A

the ultimate edition/ optimate version of something, most recognizable of its kind

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8
Q

assonance

A

repetition of vowel sounds

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9
Q

asyndeton

A

poet leaves out some conjunctions that would normally be there, maintaining the grammatical accuracy

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10
Q

authorial intrusion

A

author stepping away from the text and speaking out/ addressing the reader

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11
Q

cacophony

A

usually, a lot of consonants close together, subjective, to make it sound more harsh, cacophonous

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12
Q

caesura

A

a dramatic pause, an unexpected pause, for emphasis, to separate two parts, the poet wants us to stop and think or prepare

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13
Q

connotation

A

associations that we feel, have for words, that go beyond the literal meaning

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14
Q

consonance

A

repetition of consonant sounds

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15
Q

denotation

A

the literal meaning of something

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16
Q

enjambment

A

when a line runs into the next line, and they don’t function on their own

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17
Q

enveloping structure

A

type of repetition where the beginning and the end are the same, of a line, stanza, poem

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18
Q

epithet

A

describing a place, thing, person in such a way to make its characteristics more prominent

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19
Q

euphemism

A

using a more mild, less aggressive expression than the original one

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20
Q

euphony

A

usually, a lot of vowels close together, pleasant sounding, subjective

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21
Q

flashback

A

interruption of the chronological sequence, events from the past

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22
Q

foreshadowing

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A

using certain words/ hints to predict something that is going to happen

23
Q

hyperbaton

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A

any kind of alteration of the logical order of the words

24
Q

hyperbole

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A

an exaggeration, using words to overemphasize the basic statement

25
imagery
words, phrases, that help the reader visualize things internally, achieved through vivid descriptions
26
internal rhyme
rhyme that occurs within a single line of verse, or between internal phrases across multiple lines
27
inversion
alteration of the logical order of words, dealing specifically with the order of the subject, verb and objects
28
irony
the implied meaning is different from the literary meaning
29
juxtaposition
putting things parallel to one another to highlight the contrast between them and to compare them (Satan – God, Voldemort – Harry)
30
litotes
understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary
31
metaphor
ascribing meaning or identity to one subject by way of another
32
metonymy
not using the actual/ literal word for something, but instead using a word that is closely linked to it
33
mood
As a literary device, mood refers to the emotional response that the writer wishes to evoke in the reader through a story
34
motif
can be anything (images, phrases, structural devices…) that is a distinctive repeating feature or idea in a literary work
35
negative capability
the ability to perceive and recognise truths beyond the reach of consecutive reasoning
36
onomatopoeia
mimicking sounds, can be direct mimicking or with words that sound like what we are describing (howl, whisper, grunt)
37
oxymoron
to take and put two contradictions together to create a new expression
38
paradox
closely related to oxymoron, but grander, it has a deeper level of meaning that isn’t always revealed at first glance
39
parallelism
Parallelism is the repetition of grammatical elements in a piece of writing to create a harmonious effect
40
personification
human traits/characteristics ascribed to inanimate objects, phenomena, animals (the raging wind)
41
point of view
determines the angle from which the reader approaches the story, it influences him
42
polysyndeton
using more conjunctions than needed
43
portmanteau
taking 2 or more words and joining them together in order to create an entirely new word
44
pun
a play upon words; using a word in a manner that suggests two or more possible meanings
45
rhyme scheme
the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a line or stanza.
46
setting
the time, place and mood of the events of the story
47
simile
comparison of two entities using comparative conjunctions
48
stanza
a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line
49
symbol
a relatively simple image stands for a more complex concept, the relation between the symbol and the meaning has to be permanent
50
synecdoche
a specific type of metonymy, has two subtypes pars pro toto - using a part of something to represent the whole totum pro parte - the whole representing the part of it
51
synaesthesia
used to perform conflation of the senses
52
theme
the main subject, the base summary of the story
53
understatement
to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is
54
willing suspension of disbelief
an intermediate state where one puts on hold the belief that the situation is not real

poetry (1 decks)

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