A-F Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neiboring words. (e.g. She sells sea shells)
Allegory
Device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.
Allusion
A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.
Ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Analogy
A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Aphorism
A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or morale principal.
Apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
Atmosphere
The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary wor, established partly by the setting.
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
Colloquial
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
Connotation
The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning
Denotation
The strict literal, dictionary definition of a word, emotion, attitude, or color.
Diction
Referring to style, diction refers to the writers word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
Didactic
From the Greek, literally means “teaching.”
Euphemism
From the Greek, means “good speech,” a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occuring frequently in or throughout a work.
Figurative Language
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literary meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.
Figure of Speech
A device used to pronounce figurative language.
Asyndeton
Is derived from a greek word asyndeton which means unconnected. It is a stylistic device used to intentionally ELIMINATE CONJUNCTIONS between the phrases and in the sentence, yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. Asyndeton helps in speeding up the rhythm of words.
Anaphora
Is the opposite of epistrophe and means the repetition of the same phrase or word at the beginning of successive sentences such as in this example.
Epistrophe
Is derived from a Greek word that means turning upon, which indicates the same word returns at the end of each sentence.
Anecdote
Is a short and interesting story or an amusing event often proposed to support or demonstrate some point and make readers and listeners laugh. Anecdotes can include an extensive range of tales and stories. In fact, it is a short description or an account of any event that makes the readers laugh or brood over the topic presented for the purpose.`
Antithesis
Literal meaning opposite, is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect. Antithesis emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses, i.e. the structures of phrases and clauses are similar in order to draw the attention of the listeners or readers.
