Literary Terms Flashcards
(25 cards)
what is author’s purpose?
the reasoning behind why the author wrote the piece.
what are rhetorical devices?
use of language that is intended to have an effect on its audience.
symbol
a person, place, an object, or an activity that stands for something beyond itself
theme
the central idea or underlying message that the writer wants the reader to understand
inference
a logical assumption or conclusion that is based on observed facts and one’s own knowledge and experience
parallelism
when the same patterns of words or structures are used to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance
repetition
a literary technique in which a sound, word, phrase or line is repeated for emphasis
text structure
how an author arranges parts of a story
simile
comparing two things by using like or as
supporting textual evidence
material that serves to prove a claim
metaphor
comparing two things by stating one is another
claim/point of view
why the author is telling you the story
1st, 2nd, 3rd person
mood
mood is the overall vibe of the story sad, excitement, scary
foreshadowing
a person said something that predicts what happens later on in the story
extended metaphor
an author’s exploitation of a single metaphor or analogy at length through multiple linked tenors, vehicles, and grounds throughout the story
pace
how fast or slow the story is moving for the reader
author’s tone
the mood implied by an author’s word choice and the way that the text can make a reader feel
irony
whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they expect them to say or do
figurative language
creates comparisons by linking the senses and the concrete to abstract ideas
fortune’s fool
a mercy of fate
tragic hero
character in a dramatic tragedy who has virtuous and sympathetic traits but ultimately meets with suffering or defeat
foil
prevent
pun
a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings
dramatic irony
the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect
