Stylistic Devices Flashcards
(8 cards)
Imagery
Definition: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).
Example: The golden sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the silent, silver sea.
Effect/Purpose: Authors use imagery to create vivid mental pictures, evoke emotions, and immerse the reader in the scene.
Metaphor
Example: Time is a thief.
Effect/Purpose: Metaphors make abstract concepts more relatable and memorable, helping readers understand deeper meanings or emotions.
Simile
Definition: A comparison using “like” or “as”.
Example: Her smile was as bright as the sun.
Effect/Purpose: Similes clarify and intensify meaning by linking unfamiliar ideas with familiar images or sensations.
Personifikation
Definition: Giving human traits to non-human things.
Example: The wind whispered through the trees.
Effect/Purpose: Personification adds emotion and life to inanimate objects, making the writing more engaging and dynamic.
Repetition
Definition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
Example: We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…
Effect/Purpose: Reinforces a message, creates rhythm, and emphasizes key ideas or emotions.
Enumeration
Definition: Listing of details or items in a sequence.
Example: She packed clothes, books, snacks, and her journal.
Effect/Purpose: Adds structure and detail, emphasizes quantity or variety, and can build intensity or clarity.
Negative and positive connotations
Definition: Listing of details or items in a sequence.
Example: She packed clothes, books, snacks, and her journal.
Effect/Purpose: Adds structure and detail, emphasizes quantity or variety, and can build intensity or clarity.
Rhetorical question
Definition: A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered.
Example: Who wouldn’t want to live in peace?
Effect/Purpose: Encourages reflection, emphasizes a point, or subtly persuades the reader without requiring an answer.
