A-E Flashcards
Allegory
Story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.
EXP: Animal farm, by George Orwell
Alliteration
Repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.
EXP: “When the two youths turned with the flag they saw that much of the Regiment had crumbled away, and the dejected Remnant was coming slowly back”
Allusion
Reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something.
EXP: Chocolate is his Kryptonite. -Referring to Superman
Ambiguity
Deliberatley suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way- this is done one purpose by the author, when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, detracts from the work.
EXP: Jake saw her duck. - bird can mean “a bird” or “Bend”.
Analogy
Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike.
EXP: Life is like a box of chocolates- you never know what you’re going to get.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate from of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent.
EXP: “You is kind, you is smart, and you is important.”
Anastrophe
Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony, It is fancy for inversion.
EXP: A chance will I take.
Anecdote
Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual.
EXP: I remember when I used to sit on my dad’s lap while he drove around town delivering mail.
Antagonist
Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story.
EXP: Lord Farquaad to Shrek
Antimetabole
Repetition of wors in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order
EXP: One should eat to live, not live to eat.
Antithesis
Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure.
EXP: We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Antihero
Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. May lack Courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples.
EXP: Deadpool
Anthropomorphism
Attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object - displaying literal human traits and being capable of human behavior
EXP: Mr. Fox - Assigning humanlike qualities to a fox
Aphorism
Brief cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or accepted general truth.
EXP: A penny saved is a penny earned, Actions speak louder than words.
Apostrophe
Calling out to an imagery, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation.
EXP: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo”
Apposition
Placing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first (Often set off by a colon).
EXP: My dog woofers - Which “My dog” is in apposition to the name “Woofers.”
Assonance
The repetition of similar vowels sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together.
EXP: The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plains.
Asyndeton
Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally.
EXP: Reduce, reuse, recycle. Live, laugh, love.
Balance
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well.
EXP: To err is human, to forgive divine.
Characterization
The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
EXP: Charlotte was a frizzy-haired bookworm.
Direct Characterization
The author tells us directly what the character is like. Romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form.
EXP: Bill was short and fat, and his bald spot was widening with every passing year.
Indirect Characterization
The author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature.
EXP: John snapped at the man without warning.
