Literary Devices Flashcards
(18 cards)
Idiom
An expression whose figurative meaning is understood
e.g. when pigs fly
Simile
An indirect comparison that uses like or as
e.g. He was still as a rock.
Metaphor
A direct comparison
e.g. He is a rock.
Hyperbole
An obvious exaggeration
e.g. I’ve asked you 1 million times.
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate sounds
e.g. boom splat
Personification
Giving an inanimate object, the features or actions of a person
e.g. My alarm clock threatened my blissful slumber.
Euphemism
Polite way of downplaying the emotional reaction of a word or phrase
e.g. Margaret left this world yesterday.
Oxymoron
Contradictory words placed next to each other
e.g. She is pretty ugly.
Pun
A play on words
e.g. The electrician said something shocking
Alliteration
Multiple words with the same starting consonant sound
e.g. slithering snakes sneaked self
Assonance
Repeated vowel sound
e.g. The blue moon spookily came into view.
Synecdoche
Referring to a whole by the part or vice versa
e.g. Ottawa (not all of Ottawa, just the government) is considering a new antipiracy bill
Allusion
Making a reference to a famous story person or cultural event/item
e.g. I think your nose is growing.
Anaphora
Repetition of words for emphasis
e.g. We do not make a mess we do not interrupt, etc.
Paradox
A self contradictory statement that is actually true
e.g. Rule number one is that there are no rules
Situational irony
The thing that happens is the opposite of what is expected
e.g. I waited six hours for my package to arrive. Then the moment I left it arrived.
Verbal irony
A sarcastic quote
e.g. “Wonderful” he said as he noticed the traffic jam up ahead
Dramatic irony
Audience of a play or film knows something that a character doesn’t
e.g. I wanted to tell the character to look out for the attacker.
