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Literary Devices + Terms Flashcards

(95 cards)

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1
Q

Acrostic

A

A particular set of letters—typically the first letter of each line, word, or paragraph—that spells out a word or phrase with special significance to the text

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2
Q

Allegory

A

A work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events (“The Tortoise and The Hare”)(Animal Farm)

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3
Q

Alliteration

A

A figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement.”

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4
Q

Allusion

A

An unexplained reference to someone or something outside the text (literary works, famous people, history, philosophical ideas)

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5
Q

Anachronism

A

A person or thing in the wrong time period (ex. atomic bomb in civil war)

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6
Q

Analogy

A

A comparison that aims to explain a thing or idea by likening it to something else

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7
Q

Anaphora

A

Words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences (MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech)

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8
Q

Antagonist

A

A character, group of characters, institution, or force opposing the protagonist

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8
Q

Anthropomorphism

A

An attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to a non-human thing (Animal Farm by George Orwell)

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9
Q

Antithesis

A

It juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel grammatical structures

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10
Q

Apostrophe

A

A speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or cannot respond in reality

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10
Q

Assonance

A

The same vowel sound repeats within a group of words (ex. “Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna?”)

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11
Q

Asyndeton

A

Coordinating conjunctions are omitted

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12
Q

Cacophony

A

A combination of words that sound harsh or unpleasant together, usually because they pack a lot of percussive consonants (T, P, K)

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12
Q

Caesura

A

A pause that occurs within a line of poetry, usually marked by some form of punctuation

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13
Q

Characterization

A

The representation of traits, motives, and psychology of a character in a narrative

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14
Q

Cliché

A

A phrase that, due to overuse, is seen as lacking in substance or originality

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15
Q

Climax (figure of speech)

A

Successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance

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16
Q

Climax (plot)

A

The story’s central turning point

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17
Q

Colloquialism

A

The use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech

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18
Q

Connotation

A

The array of emotions and ideas suggested by a word in addition to its dictionary definition

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19
Q

Consonance

A

The same consonant sound repeats within a group of words (ex. “Traffic figures, on July fourth, to be tough”)

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19
Q

Couplet

A

A unit of two lines of poetry, especially lines that use the same meter, form a rhyme, or are separated from other lines by a double line break

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20
Q

Denotation

A

The dictionary definition of a word

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21
Dénouement
The final section of the story's plot in which all the loose ends are tied up
22
Deus Ex Machina
A plot device whereby an unresolvable conflict or point of tension is suddenly resolved by the unexpected appearance of an implausible character, object, action, ability, or event
23
Diacope
A word or phrase is repeated with a small number of intervening words
24
Dialogue
The exchange of spoken words between two characters
25
Diction
A writer's unique style of expression, especially his or her choice and arrangement of words
26
Dramatic Irony
Highlights the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and the understanding of the audience
27
Dynamic Character
A character that undergoes substantial internal change as a result of one or more plot developments
28
End Rhyme
Rhymes that occur in the final words of lines of poetry
29
End-Stopped Line
A line of poetry in which sentences or phrase comes to a conclusion at the end of the line
30
Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break
31
Envoi
A brief concluding stanza at the end of a poem that can either summarize the preceding poem or serve as its dedication
32
Epanalepsis
The beginning of a clause or sentence is repeated at the end of that same clause or sentence (ex. "The king is dead, long live the king!")
33
Epizeuxis
A word or phrase is repeated in immediate succession (ex. "No, no, no, no!")
34
Ethos
The credibility or ethical appeal of a speaker or writer (along with logos and pathos)
35
Euphony
The combining of words that sound pleasant together or are easy to pronounce, usually because they use a lot of consonants with sort of muffled sounds (like L, M, N, R)
36
Exposition
The description or explanation of background information within a work of literature (can cover characters and their relationships with each other, the setting or time and place of events, etc.)
37
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines or even paragraphs of a text
38
External Conflict
A problem or struggle between a character and an outside force
39
Falling Action
The section of the plot following the climax
40
Flat Character
One-dimensional or lacking in complexity
41
Foreshadowing
Authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story
42
Hamartia
A tragic flaw or error that leads to a character's downfall (Frankenstein)
43
Hubris
Excessive pride or overconfidence, which drives a person to overstep limits in a way that leads to their downfall
44
Hyperbole
A writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis
45
Idiom
A phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words or phrase (Need background knowledge, I think)
46
Imagery
A description that engages the human senses
47
Internal Rhyme
Rhyme that occurs in the middle of lines of poetry
48
Irony
How things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are
49
Juxtaposition
When an author places two things side by side as a way of highlighting their difference (can be ideas, images, characters, and actions)
50
Line Break
Termination of one line of poetry, and the beginning of a new line
51
Litotes
A form of understatement in which a sentiments is expressed ironically by negating its contrary (ex. "It's not the best weather today")
52
Logos
Appeals to the audience's logic
53
Metaphor
Compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other
54
Meter
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythm of some poetry
55
Mood
A piece of writing's general atmosphere or emotional complexion
56
Motif
An element or idea that recurs throughout the work of literature
57
Narrative
An account of connected events that can differ depending on who tells it
58
Onomatopoeia
Words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe
59
Oxymoron
Two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point---particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth
60
Paradox
Seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason (ex. less is more)
61
Parallelism
Two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure
62
Pathos
Apeals to the audience's emotion
63
Personification
Non-human things are described as having human attributes (ex. "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans.")
64
Plot
The sequence of interconnected events within a story of a play, novel, film, epic, or other narrative literary work
65
Point of View
The perspective that the narrator hold in relation to the events of the story (1st, 2nd, 3rd person)
66
Polyptoton
Involves the repetition of words derived from the same root (ex. "blood" and "bleed")
67
Polysyndeton
Coordinating conjunctions are used several times in close proximity (ex. "...and...and...and...")
68
Protagonist
The main character who has the sympathy and support of the audience
69
Quatrain
A four-line stanza of poetry
70
Red Herring
A piece of information in a story that distracts readers from an important truth, or leads them to mistakenly expect a particular outcome
71
Refrain
A line or group of lines that regularly repeat, usually at the end of a stanza in a poem
72
Repetition
A word or phrase is repeated two or more times
73
Rhetorical Question
A question is asked for a reason other than to get an answer (usually to make a persuasive point)
74
Rhyme
Repetition of similar sounds in two or more words
75
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern according to which end rhymes are repeated in works of poetry
76
Rising Action
The section of the plot leading to the climax; tension builds
77
Round Character
A lifelike or complex character; typically have fully fleshed-out and multi-faceted personalities
78
Satire
The use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone
79
Sestet
A six-line stanza of poetry
80
Setting
Where and when a story or scene takes place
81
Sibilance
A hissing sound is created within a group of words through the repetition of "s" sounds
82
Simile
Directly compares two unlike things most often using "like" or "as"
83
Slant rhyme
A type of rhyme in which two words located at the end of a line of poetry themselves end in similar---but not identical---consonant sounds (ex. love + move, world + word)
84
Stanza
A group of lines forming a smaller unit within a poem
85
Static Character
Do not undergo any substantial internal changes as a result of the story's major plot developments (often antagonists)
86
Stream of Consciousness
A style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process
87
Symbolism
A writer uses one thing---usually a physical object or phenomenon---to represent something more abstract
88
Theme
A universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature
89
Tone
The general character or attitude of a piece of writing
90
Understatement
Something is expressed less strongly that would be expected, or in which something is presented as being smaller, worse, or lesser than it really is
91
Verbal Irony
When the literal meaning of what someone says is different from---and often opposite to---what they actually mean

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