literary devices

Question 1

What is a Rhetorical Question?

Answer 1

Question asked for effect or to make a point rather than to get an actual answer

Question 2

What is an Anecdote?

Answer 2

Short and interesting story or personal account used to illustrate a point or engage the audience

Question 3

What are Aristotle’s Appeals?

Answer 3

Ethos: Persuasion through credibility or character; Pathos: Persuasion by appealing to the audience’s emotion; Logos: Persuasion using logic, facts, or reason

Question 4

What is Comic Relief?

Answer 4

Humorous scene, character, or dialogue used to relieve tension in an otherwise serious or dramatic work

Question 5

What is a Euphemism?

Answer 5

Mild or indirect word or phrase used to replace one that may be harsh, blunt, or unpleasant

Question 6

What are Logical Fallacies?

Answer 6

Errors in reasoning that weaken an argument

Question 7

What is Sarcasm?

Answer 7

Use of irony to mock/convey contempt, often by saying the opposite of what one means

Question 8

What is Satire?

Answer 8

Technique that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose flaws in society, politics, or individuals

Question 9

What is Understatement?

Answer 9

Figure of speech in which something is presented as being smaller or less important than it actually is, often for ironic or humorous effect

Question 10

What is Alliteration?

Answer 10

Two or more words next to each other in a sentence that begin with the same sound

Question 11

What is Anaphora?

Answer 11

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences

Question 12

What is Antithesis?

Answer 12

Two opposite ideas put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect

Question 13

What is Assonance?

Answer 13

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words

Question 14

What is Apostrophe?

Answer 14

When a speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or a personified abstraction

Question 15

What is Chiasmus (Antimetabole)?

Answer 15

Two or more clauses balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures

Question 16

What is Consonance?

Answer 16

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in a phrase or sentence

Question 17

What is an Epigraph?

Answer 17

A short quote or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme

Question 18

What is Epistrophe?

Answer 18

The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences

Question 19

What is Denotation?

Answer 19

The literal, dictionary definition of a word

Question 20

What is Connotation?

Answer 20

The emotional, cultural, or implied meaning associated with a word beyond its literal definition

Question 21

What is Colloquialism?

Answer 21

Informal words or phrases used in everyday conversation, often specific to a region or group

Question 22

What is Jargon?

Answer 22

Specialized language used by a specific profession, group, or field that may be difficult for outsiders to understand

Question 23

What is Dialect?

Answer 23

A regional or social variety of a language with distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

Question 24

What is Vernacular?

Answer 24

The everyday spoken language of ordinary people in a particular region or group

Question 25

What is Point-of-View (POV)?

Answer 25

The perspective from which a story is told

Question 26

What is Conflict?

Answer 26

The struggle or opposition between two or more forces, typically driving the plot

Question 27

What is Foreshadowing?

Answer 27

Hints or clues about events that will happen later in the story

Question 28

What is Flashback?

Answer 28

An interruption in the present narrative to show an event from the past

Question 29

What is Suspense?

Answer 29

A feeling of tension or anxiety about what will happen next

Question 30

What is a Flat Character?

Answer 30

Undeveloped, one-dimensional

Question 31

What is a Round Character?

Answer 31

Layered character with complex emotions and traits

Question 32

What is a Static Character?

Answer 32

Character who does not go through a significant change

Question 33

What is a Dynamic Character?

Answer 33

Undergoes significant change over the course of the text

Question 34

What is Direct Characterization?

Answer 34

When the author explicitly states a character's traits

Question 35

What is Indirect Characterization?

Answer 35

Author showing traits through speech, thoughts, effects, actions, and looks

Question 36

What is a Protagonist?

Answer 36

Main character

Question 37

What is an Antagonist?

Answer 37

Character who opposes the protagonist to create conflict

Question 38

What is a Foil?

Answer 38

Character who contrasts another to highlight traits

Question 39

What is Imagery?

Answer 39

Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses

Question 40

What is Irony?

Answer 40

Verbal: Saying the opposite of what you mean; Situational: The opposite of what is expected happens; Dramatic: Readers know something the characters don't

Question 41

What is Juxtaposition?

Answer 41

Contrasting elements placed side by side to highlight differences or create an effect

Question 42

What is Onomatopoeia?

Answer 42

Words that imitate/suggest the sound they describe

Question 43

What is Micro Setting?

Answer 43

Specific, detailed location or environment

Question 44

What is Macro Setting?

Answer 44

Larger, broader context like time period or culture

Question 45

What is Synecdoche?

Answer 45

Part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa

Question 46

What is Syntax?

Answer 46

The arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence

Question 47

What is Allegory?

Answer 47

Story or narrative that is symbolic of a larger idea

Question 48

What is Allusion?

Answer 48

Reference to something culturally, historically, or literarily significant

Question 49

What is an Analogy?

Answer 49

Comparison to highlight similarity, often to explain something

Question 50

What is an Archetype?

Answer 50

Universal recurring character, story, or theme

Question 51

What is Personification?

Answer 51

Giving human qualities to non-human objects

Question 52

What is Hyperbole?

Answer 52

Exaggeration for emphasis

Question 53

What is a Pun?

Answer 53

Play on words with multiple meanings

Question 54

What is a Metaphor?

Answer 54

Implied comparison without 'like' or 'as'

Question 55

What is an Implied Metaphor?

Answer 55

Comparison without explicitly stating both objects

Question 56

What is an Extended Metaphor?

Answer 56

Continues over several lines or the whole text

Question 57

What is a Dead Metaphor?

Answer 57

Overused to the point it's taken literally

Question 58

What is a Mixed Metaphor?

Answer 58

Two or more incompatible metaphors combined

Question 59

What is Metonymy?

Answer 59

A word or phrase used to represent something closely related

Question 60

What is Mood?

Answer 60

The feeling or atmosphere the reader experiences

Question 61

What is a Motif?

Answer 61

A recurring element that represents a larger idea

Question 62

What is an Oxymoron?

Answer 62

Two opposite words used together

Question 63

What is a Simile?

Answer 63

Comparison using 'like' or 'as'

Question 64

What is a Symbol?

Answer 64

Something that represents something else

Question 65

What is Synesthesia?

Answer 65

Blending of sensory experiences in description