Grade 10 English Literary devices

Question 1

alliteration`

Answer 1

the repetition of initial consonant sounds, used to give emphasis to words, imitate sounds, and create musical effect. Ex: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”

Question 2

allusion

Answer 2

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

Question 3

anecdote

Answer 3

a brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event told to entertain or to make a point.

Question 4

antagonist

Answer 4

a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

Question 5

archetype

Answer 5

a type of character, detail, image, or situation that appears in literature from around the world and throughout history. Ex:

Question 6

assonance

Answer 6

the repetition of vowel sounds followed by consonants in two or more stressed syllables. Ex: “weak and weary”

Question 7

character

Answer 7

person or animal that takes part in the action of a literary work.

Question 8

Static character

Answer 8

does not change

Question 9

Dynamic character

Answer 9

undergoes a change, often extreme change

Question 10

Round character

Answer 10

many traits, virtues and faults

Question 11

Flat character

Answer 11

shows only one trait

Question 12

characterization

Answer 12

the act of creating and developing a character.
Direct characterization - the author directly states character traits
Indirect characterization - the author provides clues for the reader to draw conclusions about the character

Question 13

climax

Answer 13

the high point of interest in a story, play, novel, etc.

Question 14

conflict

Answer 14

is a struggle between opposing forces. Characters in conflict form the basis of stories, novels, and plays. External/internal conflicts
connotation - all the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests
sounds, as in hat and sit.

Question 15

consonance

Answer 15

repetition of final consonants sounds in stressed syllables with different vowel

Question 16

denotation

Answer 16

the dictionary definition of a word, independent of other associations. dialect - speech patterns of a particular region or social group. and colloquial language, and level of formality.

Question 17

diction

Answer 17

author’s choice of words, especially with regard to range of vocabulary, use of slang,

Question 18

dramatic irony

Answer 18

when the reader knows something that a character in the story does not know.

Question 19

exposition

Answer 19

writing or speech that explains a process or presents information. In the plot of a Story or drama, the exposition is the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the basic situation.

Question 20

extended metaphor

Answer 20

like a metaphor where the writer speaks or writes about something as though it were something else, but continues on for several lines or for an entire poem.

Question 21

fiction

Answer 21

prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. The term is usually used for novels and short stories, may also apply to drama and narrative poetry.

Question 22

figurative language

Answer 22

writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally. It is often used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things.

Question 23

flashback

Answer 23

a means by which authors present material that occurred earlier than the present tense of the narrative. Authors may include this material in a character’s memories, dreams, or accounts of past events.

Question 24

foil

Answer 24

a character who provides a contrast to another character.

Question 25

foreshadowing

Answer 25

the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. This technique helps create suspense, keeping readers wondering about what will happen next.

Question 26

genre

Answer 26

category or type of literature (fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry, prose...)

Question 27

image

Answer 27

a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses - sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Writers use images to recreate sensory experiences in words.

Question 28

imagery

Answer 28

is the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader... these pictures, or images, are created by details of sight (visual imagery), sound (auditory imagery), taste (gustatory imagery), touch (tactile imagery), smell (olfactory imagery), or movement (kinesthetic imagery).

Question 29

irony

Answer 29

is the general term for literary techniques that portray differences between appearance and reality, or expectation and result. In verbal irony, words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant. In dramatic irony, there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true. In irony of situation, an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.

Question 30

literal language

Answer 30

uses words in their ordinary senses. It is the opposite of figurative. Ex: You tell a swimmer to jump in the pool (literal), go jump in a lake (figurative).

Question 31

metaphor

Answer 31

is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. Unlike a simile, which compares two things using like or as, a metaphor implies a comparison between them. "Life is a broken-winged bird..."

Question 32

mood

Answer 32

also known as atmosphere, is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or ongsage. The mood is often suggested by descriptive details. Mood can often be expressed in one word, like lighthearted, eerie, dark, etc.

Question 33

moral

Answer 33

is a lesson taught by a literary work, especially a fable - many fables have a stated moral at the end.

Question 34

motivation

Answer 34

is a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way.

Question 35

narration

Answer 35

is writing that tells a story. The act of telling a story in speech is also called narration. Novels and short stories are fictional narratives. News stories, biographies, and autobiographies are nonfiction narratives.

Question 36

narrative

Answer 36

is a story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Question 37

narrator

Answer 37

is a speaker or character who tells a story. The writer's choice of narrator determines the story's point of view, which directs the type and amount of information the writer reveals. 1st person point of view - the story is told by one of the characters in the story, from the "I" point of view. 3rd person point of view - the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of one character. 3rd person omniscient - the narrator is "all-knowing," he/she can comment on all the characters' thoughts and feelings. 2nd person point of view - used in newspaper editorials... uses the word "you."

Question 38

nonfiction

Answer 38

is prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, ideas, or events. To be classified as nonfiction, a work must be true.

Question 39

novel

Answer 39

is a long work of fiction. It has a plot that explores characters in conflict. A novel may also have one or more subplots, or minor stores, and several themes.

Question 40

novella

Answer 40

is a work of fiction that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

Question 41

onomatopoeia

Answer 41

Is the use of words that imitate sounds. Whirr, thud, sizzle, and hiss are typical examples. Writers can deliberately choose words that contribute to a desired sound effect.

Question 42

oxymoron

Answer 42

is a combination of words, or parts of words, that contradict each other. Examples are "deafening silence," honest thief," wise fool," and "bittersweet."

Question 43

personification

Answer 43

is a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.

Question 44

persuasion

Answer 44

is writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action.

Question 45

plot

Answer 45

is the sequence of events in a literary work.

Question 46

prose

Answer 46

is the ordinary form of written language. Most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song is considered prose.

Question 47

protagonist

Answer 47

is the main character in a literary work

Question 48

repetition

Answer 48

is the use of any element of language - a sound, word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence - more than once. (Assonance, alliteration, rhythm, and rhyme are certain sounds and sound patterns.)

Question 49

rhetorical devices

Answer 49

are special patterns of words and ideas that create emphasis and stir emotion, especially in speeches or other oral presentations.

Question 50

rhetorical question

Answer 50

a question posed for emphasis of a point with an obvious answer, but not looking for an answer.

Question 51

satire

Answer 51

is a literary work that ridicules the foolishness and faults of individuals, an institution, society, or even humanity in general. (Gulliver' Travels)

Question 52

sensory language

Answer 52

is writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the senses.

Question 53

setting

Answer 53

(of a literary work) is the time and place of the action. Time can include not only the historical period - past, present, or future - but also a specific year, season, or time of day. Place may involve not only the geographical place - a region, country, state, or town - but also the social, economic, or cultural environment. In some stories, setting serves merely as a backdrop for action, a context in which the characters move and speak. In others, however, setting is a crucial element.

Question 54

short story

Answer 54

is a brief work of fiction. In most short stories, the main character faces a conflict that is resolved in the plot of the story. Great craftsmanship must go into the writing of a good story, for it has to accomplish its purpose in relatively few words.

Question 55

simile

Answer 55

is a figure of speech in which the words like or as are used to compare two apparently dissimilar items. The comparison, however, surprises the reader into a fresh perception by finding an unexpected likeness.

Question 56

suspense

Answer 56

is a feeling of uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work.

Question 56

style

Answer 56

refers to an author's unique way of writing. Elements determining style include diction; tone; characteristic use of figurative language, dialect, or rhythmic devices; and syntax, or typical grammatical structures and patterns.

Question 57

theme

Answer 57

is a central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work. The theme of a literary work may be stated directly or implied. When the theme of a work is implied, readers think about what the work suggests about people or life.

Question 58

understatement

Answer 58

is a figure of speech in which the stated meaning is purposely less than (or "under") what is really meant. It is the opposite of hyperbole, which is a deliberate exaggeration.

Question 59

tone

Answer 59

of a literary work is the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject. The tone can often be described by a single adjective, such as formal, or informal, serious or playful, bitter or ironic.

Question 60

universal theme

Answer 60

is a message about life that cane be understood by most cultures.

Question 61

voice

Answer 61

is a writer's distinctive "sound" or way of "speaking" on the page. It is related to such elements as word choice, sentence structure, and tone. It is similar to an individual's speech style and can be described in the same way - fast, slow, blunt, meandering, breathless, and so on. Voice resembles style, an author's typical way of writing, but style usually refers to a quality that can be found throughout an author's body of work, while an author's voice may sometimes vary from work to work.