English Poetic/Literary Devices

Question 1

suspense

Answer 1

• anxious anticipation of what will happen
• goes hand in hand with foreshadowing

Question 2

foreshadowing

Answer 2

-an indicator of what is going to happen later - advances plot

Question 3

juxtaposition

Answer 3

2 contrasting ideas, characters, or settings to create emphasis ex angel or devil, moon and sun

Question 4

pathos

Answer 4

anything that makes pity or sympathy

Question 5

flashback

Answer 5

reference to the past ex reminder or memory

Question 6

pathetic fallacy

Answer 6

descriptions of environment/nature mirrors the moods of the characters

Question 7

irony

Answer 7

when the opposite of what is expected to happen actually occurs ex Billy assumes the landlady is kind and sweet but she is the complete opposite

Question 8

symbol

Answer 8

when something represents something else ex sun in all summer in a day or the phrase “Pretty Polly” in Star Beast

Question 9

character foil

Answer 9

a characters (sometimes antagonist) that contrasts with another to emphasize their traits

Question 10

hyperbole

Answer 10

an obvious exaggeration or overstatement to emphasize a message

Question 11

sensory imagery

Answer 11

when a writer invokes the 5 senses, using descriptive language ex the smell reminded him of rotting tomatoes

Question 12

euphemism

Answer 12

a polite word or phrase used in a place of one that may be too direct, unpleasant or embarrassing ex saying pass away when someone dies

Question 13

pun

Answer 13

a humourous play on words, often involving a double meaning. ex there was a shootout at the Gap, there were many casual-tees.

Question 14

anaphora

Answer 14

starting a series of sentences with the same phrase to create a rhythmic effect for emphasis

Question 15

polysyndeton

Answer 15

a sentence which contains extra “joining” wprds such as “and” rather than simply listing with commos to emphasize what is being listed. Often slows down the tempo of the text
ex: I was bruised and beaten and broken down

Question 16

Asyndeton

Answer 16

listing without any “joining words” to give the effect of “speeding up” the speech to create intensity
ex I was bruised, beaten, and broken down