language features Flashcards
Simile
a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion ). brave like a lion
Assonance
the resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby words, arising particularly from the rhyming of two or more stressed vowels, but not consonants (e.g. sonnet, porridge ), but also from the use of identical consonants with different vowels (e.g. killed, cold, culled ).
Alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.”the alliteration of ‘sweet birds sang’”
Antithesis
a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else. “love is the antithesis of selfishness”
Oxymoron
a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
Repetition
Repetition is a literary device that involves using the same word or phrase over and over again in a piece of writing or speech. Writers of all kinds use repetition, but it is particularly popular in oration and spoken word, where a listener’s attention might be more limited.
Extended Metaphor
An extended metaphor is a version of a metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry. Extended metaphors build upon simple metaphors with figurative language and more varied, descriptive comparisons. Extended metaphor example: “You’re a snake! Everything you hiss out of your mouth is a lie. You frighten children, and you have no spine.”
Personification
the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. “the book provides a sustained account of how literary personification works”
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. Here are the basics: A metaphor states that one thing is another thing. E.G “A Heart of Stone” …
Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle )
Cliché
a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
“that old cliché ‘a woman’s place is in the home’”
Emotive Language
‘Emotive language’ refers to word choices that are intended to get an emotional reaction or arouse an emotion. It doesn’t matter what it is – anxiety, anger, relief, urgency, joy, excitement and so on – as long as it has been evoked by the language used.
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
“he vowed revenge with oaths and hyperboles”
Imperative
are requests, suggestions, advice, or commands. do not usually state a subject. can be affirmative or negative. can have different formats. e.g. Pass the salt.
Neologism
Neologisms are distinct from a person’s idiolect, one’s unique patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Neologisms are usually introduced when it is found that a specific notion is lacking a term, or when the existing vocabulary lacks detail, or when a speaker is unaware of the existing vocabulary.