Literary Terms Flashcards
Diction
The choice and use of words and phrases in speech
Style
The expressive qualities that distinguish an authors work
Rhetorical Question
A question to which no answer is expected or the answer is obvious
Simile
A figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to compare seemingly unlike things
Metaphor
A figure of speech that compares or equates two seemingly unlike things
Personification
A figure of speech in which an animal, an object, a force of nature, or an idea is given human characteristics
Imagery
The “word pictures” that writers create to evoke an emotional response
Allusion
A reference to a well known character, place, or situation from history, music, art, or another work of literature
Speaker
The voice speaking
Occasion
The time and place of the piece; the context in which prompted the writing
Audience
Who the author is writing to; the reader
Purpose
The authors reason or intent in writing
Tone
An authors attitude toward their subject matter or the audience
Subject
The topic of a literary work
Hyperbole
A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, to make a point, or to evoke emotion
