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literary devices Flashcards

(55 cards)

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1
Q

allusion

A

referencing well-known people, events, / works of literature

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2
Q

allusion effects

A

effects:
- enriches text
- adds depth, cultural / historical context
- invites audience to make connections & interpretations

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3
Q

antithesis

A

expressing an opposition / contrast of ideas

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4
Q

antithesis effects

A

effects:
- creates a sense of balance / tension
- highlight diff. between concepts
- emphasises key pts
- creates a memorable contrast

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5
Q

caesura

A

a break / pause between words within a metrical foot / near the middle of a line
→ usually marked by punctuation

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6
Q

caesura effects

A

effects:
- breaks regular flow of rhythm & metre
→ creating a momentary interruption
- emphasises words / ideas before & after the pause
- builds tension / drama
- may symbolise a turning pt. / moment of reflection ( at critical moment )

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7
Q

diction

A

choice & arrangement of words

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8
Q

diction effects

A

effects:
- helps to establish tone & atmosphere
- conveys characters’ personalities & social status
- enhances overall meaning & impact

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9
Q

ecphonesis

A

emotional exclamation

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10
Q

ecphonesis effects

A

effects:
- conveys strong emotions
- adds emphasis / urgency
- enhances dramatic effect of a particular moment

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11
Q

enjambment

A

continuation of a sentence / thought w/o a pause beyond the end of a line

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12
Q

enjambment effects

A

effects:
- creates a sense of flow & rhythm
- adds momentum to language
- creates unexpected / dramatic effects
- creates a sense of urgency / continuity ( context dependent )

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13
Q

foreshadowing

A

( dramatic device * )
warning / indication / hinting of a future event

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14
Q

foreshadowing effects

A

effects:
- builds suspense & anticipation
- prepares audience for significant plot developments
- creates a sense of inevitability & fate

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15
Q

hyperbole

A

exaggeration

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16
Q

hyperbole effects

A

effects:
- emphasis / dramatic effect
- heightens intensity of emotions, actions, / descriptions
→ creating vivid & memorable imagery
→ engaging audience’s attention

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17
Q

imagery

A

using sensory details to create vivid mental pictures

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18
Q

imagery types

A

types:
1. visual ( sight )
2. auditory ( sound )
3. olfactory ( smell )
4. gustatory ( taste )
5. tactile ( touch )
6. kinesthetic ( movement )
7. organic ( related to sensations within the body, e.g. hunger, thirst, fear, fatigue … )
synaesthesia: mix of senses

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19
Q

imagery effects

A

effects:
- generates a vibrant & graphic presentation of a scene
→ appealing to audience’s senses
→ more immersive & impactful text
- evokes emotions
- helps to establish settings, convey moods / atmospheres

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20
Q

irony

A

a mode of expression, through words ( verbal irony ) / events ( situational irony ), converting a reality diff. from & usually opposite of appearances / expectations

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21
Q

irony types

A
  1. verbal irony
  2. situational irony
  3. dramatic irony
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22
Q

irony effects

A

effects:
- generates humour
- creates suspense & tension
- foreshadowing
- critical / social commentary
→ highlighting inconsistencies encourages audience to reflect on societal norms & values

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23
Q

juxtaposition

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A

places 2 contrasting ideas, characters, / situations side by side

24
Q

juxtaposition effects

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A

effects:
- highlights diff. / similarities
- creates tension & emphasis

25
malapropism
the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often w/ an amusing effect
26
malapropism effects
effects: - involves wordplay & puns - injects humour & comic relief - creates contrast between intended meaning & actual word used → possibly serving as satire / social commentary → dramatic irony through miscommunication - portraying characters as eccentric, unaware, / uneducated - influences overall mood & atmosphere → light-heartedness in comedic contexts → levity in serious contexts
27
metaphor
vivid comparison of describing 1 thing in terms of another; a thing regarded as representative / symbolic of s/t else
28
metaphor effects
effects: - evokes imagery - stimulates imagination - offers new insights into familiar concepts / emotions - more intense than simile → shifting from similes to metaphors creates intensification effect
29
motif
recurring element, e.g. image, symbol, / theme, that contributes to the overall meaning & structure of the text
30
motif effects
- adds depth, coherence, & unity to the text
31
oxymoron
combines 2 contradictory terms / ideas
32
oxymoron effects
effects: - creates a sense of paradox - adds complexity & depth - prompts audience to think critically about the apparent contradiction
33
personification
attributes human qualities / characteristics to non-human entities
34
personification effects
effects: - brings inanimate objects / abstract concepts to life → relatability
35
pun
play on words that exploits multiple meanings / similar sounds of words
36
pun effects
effects: - adds humour, wit, & verbal agility → showcasing writer’s linguistic prowess → engaging audience's attention
37
repetition
involves the deliberate use of words, phrases, / sounds
38
repetition types
types: 1. anaphora 2. epistrophe 3. chiasmus 4. antimetabole ( type of chiasmus ) 5. parallelism
39
repetition effects
effects: - reinforces & emphasise key ideas / themes → sense of importance / significance - creates rhythm & musicality / lyrical qlty. to language - juxtapose contrasting ideas / elements → sense of irony - balanced structure creates a pleasing symmetry ( chiasmus, antimetabole, epistrophe, parallelism ) → sense of order
40
anaphora
rhetorical device involving a repetition of a word / grp of words in successive clauses
41
epistrophe
each sentence / clause ends w/ the same work
42
chiasmus
repetition of similar concepts within a repeated grammatical structure, in a reversed order → inversion
43
antimetabole ( type of chiasmus )
pair of words repeated in reverse order
44
parallelism
repetition of similarly constructed lines w/ some key diff. for emphasis / impact
45
simile
compare 2 unlike things using "like" / "as" / “than”
46
simile effects
effects: - paints a vivid picture - creates associations - evokes specific emotions / moods
47
sound devices types
1. assonance 2. consonance 3. alliteration 4. sibilance
48
sound devices effects
effects: - creates a musical & rhythmic qlty. in language - emphasises specific words / phrases - makes language more memorable - achieves a particular effect of euphony ( assonance ) - adds a soft, flowing, hissing qlty. to language ( sibilance ) → creating a specific auditory effect
49
assonance
repetition of similar vowel sounds, usually close together
50
consonance
close repetition of identical consonant sounds within / at the end of words
51
alliteration ( type of consonance )
repetition of consonants, usually initial sounds / stressed syllables, in close proximity
52
sibilance
recurrence of ‘s’ sounds ( ‘s’, ‘sh’ )
53
symbolism
uses specific & concrete objects, characters, / actions to represent deeper meanings / concepts & abstract ideas
54
symbolism effects
effects: - adds layers of meaning → allowing for exploration of themes, motifs, etc
55
tone effects
effects: - establishes emotional atmosphere - evokes audience’s emotional responses - reveals playwright’s / poet’s perspective & stance ( dramatic device* )

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