Figurative Language/Literary Devices Flashcards
What is allusion
Reference to a well-known work of art including literature song film etc. or historical person or event to drop comparison
Ex
Hey, Einstein, why don’t you think things through more carefully next time?
What is alliteration
The repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning of a series of words
Example
This sunny Sunday is so enjoyable.
What is anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines enter
Ex
To be young, to be free, to be happy— these are all the things the gecko dreams of.
What is epistrophe
The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or lines
Ex
We battle for love.
We die for love.
We do it all for love.
What is hyperbole
Exaggeration to create an effect or emphasize a point
Ex
This day blazed with the heat of a thousand burning suns.
What is personification
Giving human attributes to a nonhuman entity
Ex
The gecko sacrificed himself for the good of the whole — he knew it was his fate when he saw Shane Lusk’s drawing.
The tree leaves danced in the wind, relishing the cool night air.
What is a simile
Comparing two unlike things using like or as
Ex
Her eyes are as bright as the sun.
Synecdoche
The use of a part to refer to the whole, or a reference to the whole, to refer to a part
example: Kleenex to refer to all tissue papers
metonymy
substituting something associated with another concept for that other concept itself
example: Hollywood to refer to the entire American film industry
assonance
repeated bowel sounds within consecutive words
example: she’s long gone on a journey now
consonance
repeated consonant sounds in the middle of words within consecutive words
example: I will bake a cake for you to take home
Apostrophe
when a writer or speaker addresses an imaginary character or concept
example: referring to love as a person
asyndeton
author purposely leaves out conjunctions in the sentence, while maintaining the grammatical accuracy of the phrase
example: reduce, reuse, recycle
polysyndeton
use of unnecessary conjunctions for emphasis
example: we bought bacon and burgers and oranges and chicken
enjambment
where a thought carries over to the next line without a syntactical break (comma or period)
litotes
understatement by negation or double negatives
example: it’s not unattractive
ethos
sources credibility the speakers or authors authority
example: ethical appeal
outside resources from trustworthy sources
logos
logic used to support the claim, relate to with facts/statistics used to support argument
example: logical appeal
pathos
emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details
example: emotional appeal, passion
motif
any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature
slippery slope
A chain reaction of a dire consequence will happen but there’s not enough evidence
example: animal experimentation will lead to the end of civilization
hasty generalization
makes a assumption about a whole group that is inadequate
example: stereotypes: all blondes are stupid
post hoc
assuming that because B comes after a, a caused b
example: Pres. Jones raise taxes and then the rate of crime up. therefore Jones caused the rate of crime
weak analogy
analogy between non a like things. It is a week and analogy
example: guns and hammers are both metal tools, and they can kill a person but you can’t outlaw hammers, so why guns?
false dichotomy
sets up a situation so it looks like there are only two choices, and eliminates a choice so there’s only one
example, Caldwell Hall is in bad shape. We should tear it down or risk students safety. We can’t risk their students of safety, so we must tear it down
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
example: a simple thing like fire to represent destruction and chaos
