Analyzing Terms Flashcards
Simile
“He was as brave as a lion.”
Highlights similarities between two things, creating vivid imagery or emphasizing a key quality.
Metaphor
“Time is a thief.”
Creates strong imagery, conveys complex emotions or ideas in a compact form.
Personification
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
Brings inanimate objects or abstract ideas to life, making the text more relatable or vivid.
Alliteration
“She sells seashells by the seashore.”
Draws attention to specific phrases, creates rhythm or mood.
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds within words.
“The early bird catches the worm.”
Creates internal rhyme, enhances the musical quality of the text.
Onomatopoeia
“The bees buzzed in the garden.”
Brings the scene to life by mimicking real sounds, engaging the reader’s senses.
Hyperbole
Exaggeration for effect.
Emphasizes a point, evokes strong emotions or humour.
Oxymoron
Contradictory terms placed together.
“Deafening silence.”
Creates tension, highlights conflicting emotions or situations.
Juxtaposition
Placing contrasting ideas or images next to each other.
“Love and hate.”
Highlights differences, creates tension or irony.
Symbolism
“The dove is a symbol of peace.”
Adds depth to meaning, links objects or ideas to broader themes.
Irony
When the opposite of what is expected occurs.
“The fire station burned down.”
Highlights contrast between appearance and reality, adds humour or critique.
Rhetorical Question
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Engages the reader, makes them reflect on the issue being raised.
Imagery
“The golden sun set over the shimmering sea.”
Paints vivid pictures, immerses the reader in the scene or emotion.
Foreshadowing
“The dark clouds loomed on the horizon.”
Builds suspense, creates expectations for the reader.
Tone
The writer’s attitude or mood in the text.
Reveals emotions or opinions, shapes the reader’s emotional response.
Mood
The atmosphere created by the text.
“The gloomy setting cast a mood of despair.”
Influences how the reader feels, complements the themes.
Repetition
“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
Reinforces key ideas, builds tension or creates rhythm.
Colloquialism
Use of informal language or slang.
“Wanna” instead of “want to.”
Makes the text more relatable, reflects character or setting.
Dialogue
Conversation between characters.
Reveals character traits, advances the plot, or adds realism.
Anecdote
A short, personal story.
“When I was younger, I used to play in these fields.”
Adds credibility, makes the text more engaging or personal.
Sibilance
“The snake slithered silently through the grass.”
Creates a hissing effect, evokes calm, menace, or tension.
Allusion
A reference to another text, event, or person.
“He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”
Connects the current text to broader ideas or themes, adds depth.
Flashback
“He thought back to the day he first met her.”
Provides background information, develops characters or themes.
Euphemism
A mild or indirect way of saying something harsh.
“He passed away” instead of “he died.”
Softens the impact of harsh realities, creates understatement.
Climax
“The moment the door swung open, everything changed.”
Builds to a peak of action or emotion, grabs the reader’s attention.
Antithesis
Contrasting ideas placed side by side.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Highlights the differences, creates emphasis or drama.
Emotive Language
Words used to provoke an emotional response.
“The innocent children were brutally attacked.”
Evokes specific emotions, influences how the reader feels.
First-Person Narration
Story is told from the narrator’s perspective using “I”.
“I walked down the street, lost in thought.”
Creates intimacy, lets the reader experience the character’s thoughts.
Third-Person Narration
The narrator describes events using “he,” “she,” or “they”.
“She stared out of the window, lost in thought.”
Provides a broader view of the events or characters.
Motif
A recurring element that has symbolic significance.
“The recurring image of the moon symbolizing change.”
Reinforces themes or ideas throughout the text.
Pathetic Fallacy
“The storm raged as he felt anger rising inside him.”
Mirrors the emotional tone, sets the mood.
Anaphora
Repetition of words at the beginning of successive sentences.
“Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
Creates emphasis, builds momentum or emotional intensity.
Epistrophe
Repetition of words at the end of successive sentences.
“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
Stresses a point, creates rhythm or emphasis.
In Medias Res
Beginning a narrative in the middle of action.
“The battle was already raging as the hero arrived.”
Engages the reader immediately, creates intrigue or urgency.
Foil
A character who contrasts with another character.
“Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.”
Highlights key traits of the main character by contrast.
Monologue
A long speech by one character.
“Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ speech.”
Reveals the character’s thoughts, emotions, or motivations.
Soliloquy
A speech where a character speaks their thoughts aloud.
“Hamlet’s soliloquy on death.”
Provides insight into the character’s inner thoughts.
Pun
A play on words, often humorous.
“A horse is a very stable animal.”
Adds humour, highlights double meanings or clever wordplay.
Cliché
An overused phrase or idea.
“What goes around comes around.”
Can reveal laziness in thought or reflect common attitudes.
Tension
“The footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing closer.”
Builds anticipation, keeps the reader engaged.
Ellipsis
“I wonder… what could it be?”
Creates suspense or indicates unfinished thoughts.
Tricolon
Three parallel clauses, phrases, or words.
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Adds rhythm, emphasizes key points, memorable.
Polyptoton
Repetition of the same root word in different forms.
“With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder.”
Highlights different meanings or nuances of the same word.
Connotation
“Snake” (often connotes deceit or danger).
Adds layers of meaning, influences how the reader interprets the text.
Syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases.
“Happy I am” (inverted syntax).
Affects tone, pace, and emphasis within a sentence.
Polysyndeton
Repetition of conjunctions in quick succession.
“We lived and laughed and loved and left.”
Creates a sense of overwhelming, slows down the pace.
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions between phrases or clauses.
“She eats, sleeps, drinks.”
Speeds up the pace, creates a sense of urgency or impact.
Derogatory
Language used to belittle or insult someone or something.
“He’s such a waste of space.”
Creates a negative tone, emphasizes contempt or judgment, may reveal character attitudes.
Cumulative Listing
Listing items to build up information or detail.
“She bought apples, oranges, pears, bananas, and grapes.”
Creates a sense of abundance or overwhelming detail, draws attention to the extent of something.
Contrast
“He was calm; she was frantic.”
Highlights differences, emphasizes conflict, adds drama or tension.
Collective Pronouns
Pronouns like “we”, “our”, “us” that group people together.
“We need to stand together.”
Fosters unity or inclusivity, creates a sense of shared responsibility or identity.
Characterisation
The process by which a writer develops a character.
“She walked with confidence, her head held high.”
Reveals character traits, motivations, or changes, helps to build empathy or distance.
Diction
The choice of words used by the writer.
“Her laugh was melodious.”
Affects tone, mood, and clarity, reveals the writer’s or character’s style.
Ethos
Appeal to the writer’s credibility or character.
“As a doctor, I believe this treatment is the best.”
Builds trust, makes the argument more persuasive by establishing authority.
Jargon
Specialized language used by a particular group.
“The patient is in V-fib.”
Can show expertise or alienate readers, adds realism to specific fields.
Logos
Appeal to logic and reason.
“According to statistics, 90% of people agree.”
Persuades through logical argumentation, appeals to rationality.
Modality
The degree of certainty expressed in language (high or low modality).
“She will definitely pass the exam.” (high modality)
“She might pass the exam.” (low modality)
Reveals the speaker’s confidence or doubt, impacts the level of assertiveness.
Pathos
Appeal to emotions.
“Think of the children left behind.”
Evokes an emotional response, creates empathy or sympathy.
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.
“Less is more.”
Encourages deeper thinking, highlights complex or ironic truths.
Plosives
Harsh consonant sounds (p, b, t, d).
“The big bang shattered the silence.”
Creates emphasis, can add aggression, abruptness, or tension to the tone.
Sensory Imagery
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
“The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room.”
Engages the reader’s senses, immerses them in the scene.
Truncated Sentences
Short, incomplete sentences.
“No more.”
Creates tension, urgency, or abruptness, can reflect a character’s emotional state.
Zoomorphism
Attributing animal characteristics to humans.
“He snarled at his opponent.”
Conveys primal instincts, suggests power, aggression, or vulnerability.
Anadiplosis
Repetition of the last word of a sentence at the beginning of the next.
“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.”
Creates emphasis and links ideas together, builds momentum.
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions in a list.
“He ran, jumped, leaped.”
Speeds up the rhythm, creates urgency, emphasizes action.
Circular Structure
Creates a sense of completeness, emphasizes the inevitability or cyclical nature of events.
Epigraph
A short quotation at the beginning of a text, hinting at its theme.
Sets the tone, introduces key themes, adds depth through intertextual reference.
Hyperbaton
Inversion of the normal order of words.
“Sweet, she was not.”
Creates emphasis on specific words, alters the rhythm or flow.
Hypophora
Asking a question and then immediately answering it.
“Why do we fight? Because we must.”
Engages the reader, allows the writer to guide the argument, reinforces key points.
Metonymy
Replacing the name of something with something closely related.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (pen = writing, sword = military force)
Adds symbolic meaning, makes connections between ideas or concepts.
Synaesthesia
Describing one sense in terms of another.
“The loud colours of the room.”
Blends sensory experiences, creates a richer, more vivid description.
Synecdoche
A part is used to represent the whole.
“All hands on deck.” (hands = sailors)
Emphasizes a key part of something, adds symbolism, creates concise imagery.
