Literary Devices Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is Alliteration?
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words to create rhythm or emphasis.
Define Anaphora.
The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences to create emphasis.
What is Assonance?
The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words to create internal rhyming and mood.
Explain Juxtaposition.
Placing two contrasting ideas or images close together to highlight their differences and create tension or surprise.
What does Enjambment refer to in poetry?
When a sentence or phrase runs over from one line to the next without punctuation, creating a sense of flow or urgency.
What is a Caesura?
A deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation, to create emphasis or shift tone.
Define Sibilance.
The repetition of soft ‘s’ or hissing sounds, often to create a soothing, sinister, or eerie atmosphere.
What is Asyndeton?
The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence, creating a fast-paced and dramatic effect.
Explain Polysyndeton.
The deliberate use of many conjunctions between clauses or items in a list to slow down rhythm and add emphasis.
What is a Motif?
A recurring element, symbol, or theme in a text that reinforces the central ideas or messages.
Define Synecdoche.
A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or vice versa (e.g., ‘hands’ for workers).
What is Metonymy?
A figure of speech where something is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it (e.g., ‘the crown’ for monarchy).
Explain Chiasmus.
A rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures (e.g., ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’).
What does Ambiguity mean?
A word, phrase, or statement with multiple meanings, often used to create complexity or uncertainty.
Define Apostrophe in literature.
When a speaker directly addresses someone absent, dead, or a non-human entity as if it could respond.
What is Epistrophe?
The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences, creating rhythm and emphasis.
Define Bildungsroman.
A genre or narrative that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.
What is Euphemism?
A mild or indirect expression used to replace one considered harsh or blunt (e.g., ‘passed away’ instead of ‘died’).
Explain Allegory.
A narrative in which characters, events, and settings symbolically represent abstract ideas, often delivering a moral or political message.
What does Pathetic Fallacy mean?
Attributing human emotions or characteristics to nature or inanimate objects, often to reflect the mood of the text.
extended metaphor
image cobtinuously utilised throughout text
tricolon
use of threes
syntax & diction
form of speech
