Device

Question 1

metaphor

Answer 1

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Example: ‘The world is a stage.’

Question 2

simile

Answer 2

A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Example: ‘Brave as a lion.’

Question 3

allusion

Answer 3

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Example: ‘He’s a real Romeo with the ladies.’

Question 4

symbol

Answer 4

A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process.

Example: The dove is a symbol of peace.

Question 5

sensory imagery

Answer 5

Language that appeals to the senses, creating mental images for the reader.

Example: ‘The warm, buttery smell of freshly baked bread.’

Question 6

alliteration

Answer 6

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Example: ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.’

Question 7

assonance

Answer 7

The repetition of the sound of a vowel in non-rhyming stressed syllables.

Example: ‘Men sell the wedding bells.’

Question 8

onomatopoeia

Answer 8

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Example: ‘The buzzing bee flew by.’

Question 9

oxymoron

Answer 9

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Example: ‘Deafening silence.’

Question 10

caesura

Answer 10

A pause in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.

Example: ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’

Question 11

personification

Answer 11

The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman.

Example: ‘The wind whispered through the trees.’

Question 12

Sibilance

Answer 12

A type of alliteration in which the ‘s’ sound is repeated.

Example: ‘Sally sells seashells by the seashore.’

Question 13

repetition

Answer 13

The action of repeating something that has already been said or written.

Example: ‘Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.’

Question 14

rhyme

Answer 14

Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words.

Example: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue.’

Question 15

emotive language

Answer 15

Language used to evoke an emotional response in the reader or listener.

Example: ‘The heartwarming story brought tears to my eyes.’

Question 16

free verse

Answer 16

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.

Example: ‘The waste of daylight and the dark of night.’

Question 17

enjambment

Answer 17

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Example: ‘I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.’

Question 18

hyperbole

Answer 18

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Example: ‘I’ve told you a million times.’

Question 19

pun

Answer 19

A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Example: ‘I’m reading a book on anti-gravity, it’s impossible to put down.’

Question 20

idiom

Answer 20

A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.

Example: ‘It’s raining cats and dogs.’

Question 21

allegory

Answer 21

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Example: ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell.

Question 22

anachronism

Answer 22

Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.

Example: A movie set in the 1800s showing characters using smartphones.

Question 23

analogy

Answer 23

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Example: ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’

Question 24

anaphora

Answer 24

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Example: ‘Every day, every night, every moment.’

Question 25

visual rhyme

Answer 25

A rhyme that is not based on sound but on the visual appearance of words.

Example: ‘love’ and ‘move’

Question 26

aside

Answer 26

A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play.

Example: In Shakespeare’s plays, characters often deliver asides to the audience.

Question 27

apostrophe

Answer 27

A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent person or a personified object.

Example: ‘Oh, Death, where is thy sting?’

Question 28

soliloquy

Answer 28

A dramatic device in which a character speaks to themselves, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings to the audience.

Example: Hamlet’s ‘To be, or not to be’ soliloquy.

Question 29

humour

Answer 29

The quality of being amusing or entertaining, especially as expressed in literature or speech.

Example: Comedy routines often rely on humour to make the audience laugh.

Question 30

dramatic irony

Answer 30

A situation in a play or narrative in which the audience knows something that the characters do not.

Example: In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows Juliet is not truly dead, but Romeo believes she is.

Question 31

situational irony

Answer 31

A situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.

Example: A firefighter’s house burning down.

Question 32

verbal irony

Answer 32

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant.

Example: ‘Great weather we’re having’ during a thunderstorm.

Question 33

understatement

Answer 33

The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Example: ‘It’s just a flesh wound’ after losing an arm.

Question 34

overstatement

Answer 34

The action of expressing or stating something too strongly; exaggeration.

Example: ‘I could eat a horse’ when hungry.

Question 35

witty retort

Answer 35

A clever or funny reply to a remark or comment.

Example: ‘I’m not as dumb as you look.’

Question 36

paradox

Answer 36

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth.

Example: ‘I can resist anything but temptation.’

Question 37

realism

Answer 37

The quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life.

Realism in literature aims to depict everyday life and experiences realistically.

Question 38

refrain

Answer 38

A repeated line or number of lines in a poem or song, typically at the end of each stanza.

Example: ‘Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’

Question 39

rhetoric

Answer 39

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

Rhetoric is often used in persuasive writing to appeal to the emotions and logic of the audience.

Question 40

sarcasm

Answer 40

The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Example: ‘Oh, great, another Monday morning.’

Question 41

satire

Answer 41

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices.

Satire is often used in literature to comment on societal issues or behaviors.

Question 42

parallelism

Answer 42

The use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose that correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc.

Example: ‘Like father, like son.’

Question 43

title

Answer 43

The name of a book, composition, or other artistic work.

Titles are important in literature as they give the reader an initial idea of the content or theme of the work.

Question 44

tone

Answer 44

The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.

The tone of a literary work can convey the author’s feelings or opinions towards a subject.

Question 45

diction

Answer 45

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Diction can greatly impact the tone and mood of a piece of writing.

Question 46

anecdote

Answer 46

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Anecdotes are often used in literature to provide insight into characters or events.