Literary techniques Flashcards
(15 cards)
Sentence structure
Long or short, fragmented or flowy, can represent power dynamics or intensity of emotion
Anaphora
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up…
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia…
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation…”
To emphasise an idea or phrase.
Enjambment
The continuous flow of speech with no punctuation: Reflects real dialogue or internal thoughts:
“Those many had not dared to do that evil
If the first that had did th’edict infringe
Had answered for his deed.”
Stickomythia
Verbal duelling
Caesura
a pause within a line, often for dramatic or rhythmic effect.”To be, or not to be, that is the question.” ‘to be’’s comma is the caesura. (opposite to enjambment)
Satire
Use of exaggeration or ridicule to criticise.
Iambic pentameter (a type of poetry meter thats in most of MforM except for comedic bits in prose)
t reflects the natural flow of English speech, making it both expressive and musical.
Oxymoron
‘Beautifully ugly’ - highlights conflict
Alliteration
Emphasises point
Personification
Evokes deeper emotions
Point of view
First person, omniscient, unreliable narrator, stream of consciousness, interior monologue, vernacular
Terse sentence structure
Short, snappy, full of meaning
Epigraph
a short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme.
VISUALISE THE TEXT
Other books
Passing (Nella Larsen) about being lightskin but passing as white
My Antonia: Despite struggles, strong immigrant woman with a strong family
The Age of Innocence: Gilded age new york, conforming to societal norms
sister Carrie: Transition from poor rural to rich urban,which one is better spiritually?
ortrrait of a lady: critique of aristocratic culture
The sound and the fury: collapse of southern aristocratic societies
