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IB English > Language/Literary Terms, Techniques and Devices > Flashcards

Language/Literary Terms, Techniques and Devices Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Imagery

A

descriptive language that appeals to the senses and re-creates sensory experience

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2
Q

Imagery - visual

A

eg. “fast fading violets cover’d up in leaves”

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3
Q

Imagery - Auditory/sound

A

eg. “the deafening tic-tic-tic of the clock”

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4
Q

Imagery - Olfactory/smell

A

eg. “and lucent syrups, tinct with cinnamon”

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5
Q

Imagery - Tectile/touch

A

eg. “soft as a child’s nose”

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6
Q

Imagery - synthetic the effect of multiple senses

A

eg. “she stroked molten tones”

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7
Q

Simile

A

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, using an explicit word such as: like, resembles, as or than.

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8
Q

Metaphor

A

A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else

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9
Q

Mixed metaphor

A

the inconsistent mixture of two or more metaphors - (usually considered evidence of bad writing)

eg. “let’s set sail and get this show on the road”

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10
Q

dead metaphor

A

a metaphor that is so overused that it has become trite or cliché

eg. “the eye of the storm”

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11
Q

extended metaphor

A

a metaphor that is extended, or developed, over several lines of writing or even throughout an entire poem

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12
Q

synecdoche

A

a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to stand for the whole

eg. “and did those feet in ancient time/Walk upon England’s mountain green?”

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13
Q

antithesis

A

a figure of speech in which contrasting or opposite ideas are presented in parallel form

eg. “some praise at morning what they blame at night.”

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14
Q

hyperbole

A

a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement

eg. “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”

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15
Q

personification

A

a figure of speech in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics

eg. “a smiling mood”

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16
Q

apostrophe

A

a figure of speech in which the speaker directly and often emotionally addresses a person who is dead or otherwise not physically present, an imaginary person or entity, something inhuman, or a place or concept (usually an abstract idea or ideal)

eg. “death, be not proud’

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17
Q

irony

A

a contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality - between what is said and what is really meant, between what is expected to happen and what really does, or between what appears to be true and what really is.

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18
Q

Irony - Verbal

A

a writer/speaker says one thing but means another (often resembling sarcasm which is NOT a literary device)

eg. “you’re a real babe ruth”

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19
Q

Irony - situational

A

a contrast between what would seem appropriate and what really happens.

eg. dying the day after you win the lottery

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20
Q

Irony - dramatic

A

a discrepancy between a character’s perception and what the reader or audience knows to be true

eg. Romeo drinks poison because he thinks Juliet is dead, while the audience knows that she is merely drugged and not dead at all

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21
Q

rhetorical question

A

any question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information the question asks

eg. “why are you so stupid?”

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22
Q

oxymoron

A

a figure of speech that fuses two contradictory or opposing ideas

eg. “darkness visible”

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23
Q

allusion

A

a reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or pop culture

eg. “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve”

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24
Q

Symbol

A

anything that stands for or represents something larger and more complex

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25
Q

symbolism

A

the serious and relatively sustained use of symbols to represent or suggest other things ideas

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26
Q

Alliteration

A

the repetition of initial consonant sounds, or simply the repetition of sounds in words

eg. “The bird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down”

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27
Q

assonance

A

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds

(often produce effects known as half-rhyme, approximate thyme or slant rhyme)

eg “What large, dark hands are those at the window”

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28
Q

consonance

A

the repetition of a consonant sound in stressed syllables

(often produce effects known as half-rhyme, approximate thyme or slant rhyme)

eg. “Let the boy try along this bayonet blade”

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29
Q

repetition

A

the use, more than once, of any element of language - a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, a sentence, a grammatical pattern or a rhythmical pattern.

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30
Q

pun

A

a play on words, either using a word or a phrase that has two different meanings or two different words or phrases with the same sound

eg. “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man”

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31
Q

ellipsis

A

three periods used to show a pause in dialogue due to hesitancy perhaps, or to show that words or sentences have been left out

eg “I’m going to finish this…”

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32
Q

anahora

A

repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences

eg. “it takes a man. it takes a dog. it takes love”

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33
Q

parallelism

A

the use of grammatically similar constructions, often repetition, to accentuate ideas or images

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34
Q

onomatopoeia

A

the use of words whose sounds imitate or suggest their meanings

eg “quack” “tic-tic-tic”

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35
Q

paradox

A

a statement that seems to be contradictory but that actually presents a truth

eg. “what is the sound of one hand clapping”

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36
Q

Allegory

A

story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities

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37
Q

ambiguity

A

Deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work

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38
Q

Analogy

A

Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike

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39
Q

Anaphora

A

A deliberate repetition of a word, phrase or clause at the beginning of two or more sentence in a row to help make the writer’s point more coherent

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40
Q

Anatrophe

A

Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence in order to create rhythm, emphasis or euphony

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41
Q

Abecdote

A

Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual

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42
Q

Abtagonist

A

Opponent who struggles against or blocks the protagonist in a story; not always human

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43
Q

Antimetabole

A

A figure of speech in which worlds or clauses from the first half of a sentence are repeated in the second half of the sentence in reverse order

eg. “Fair is foul and foul is fair”

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44
Q

Antithesis

A

Figure of speech in which a thought is balanced with a contrasting thought in parallel arrangement

eg “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

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45
Q

Antihero

A

Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes

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46
Q

Anthropomorphism

A

A type of personification where human characterists are attributed to an animal

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47
Q

Aphorism

also known as maxim or epigram

A

Brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or general truth (also known as maxim or epigram)

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48
Q

Apostrophe

A

Calling out to an imaginary, dead or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea as if he/she/it vsn hear you or answer you

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49
Q

Invocation

A

Apostrophe BUT if a character is asking a deity or supernatural power for help or inspiration

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50
Q

Assonance

A

The repetition of similar vowel sounds of words that are in close proximity; usually only recognised in verse

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51
Q

Asyndeton

A

commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasising the parts equally

52
Q

Cacophony

A

The usage of several unharmonious or dissonant sounds in a line or passage; include the explosive consonants k, t, g, d, p, and b, and the hissing sounds ch, sh, and s

53
Q

Euphony

A

The opposite of Cacophony

54
Q

Caesura

A

A pause for effect in the middle of a line of poetry, usually marked with a period, dash, or semi-colon

55
Q

Canon

A

works generally considered bu scholars, critics and teachers to be the most important to study or read, which collectively constitutes the “masterpieces” or “classics” of literature

56
Q

Catharsis

A

Aristotle’s word for the pity and fear an audience experiences upon viewing the downfall of a hero

57
Q

Characterisation

A

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

58
Q

Indirect Characterisation

A

The author reveals the personality of a character by describing physical appearance, using dialogue, revealing character’s thoughts or effect on other characters, or through the character’s actions

59
Q

Direct Characterisation

A

author tells reader directly what the character is like

eg. “sneaky”

60
Q

Static Character

A

A character who does not change much throughout the course of the story

61
Q

Dynamic Character

A

A character who changes in some important way (for the better or worse) as a result of the story’s action

62
Q

Flat character

A

A character that has only one or two personality traits; one-dimensional

63
Q

Round Character

A

A character that is complex and most like a real person

64
Q

Chiasmus

A

two or more clauses which are related grammatically and conceptually, but in which the grammar and concepts are reversed

(Chiasmus and antimetabole are often used as synonyms but are slightly different)

65
Q

Colloquialism

A

A word or phrase used in everyday conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations

66
Q

Conceit / extended metaphor

A

An elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are startlingly different - often called an extended metaphor

67
Q

Conflict

A

The struggle between opposing forces or character in a story

68
Q

External conflict

A

conflicts that can exist between two people or between a person and nature, machine, society, etc

69
Q

Internal conflict

A

a conflict involving opposing forces within a person’s mind (man vs. self)

70
Q

Connotation

A

the associate and emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition

71
Q

Denotation

A

the opposite of Connotation

72
Q

Consonance

A

the repetition of consonant sounds of words that are in close proximity usually only recognises in verse.

73
Q

Crux

A

The most crucial line(s) in a poem or prose passage; the heart or the main point of the text

74
Q

Denouement

A

the resolution of a plot’s main conflict always occurring after the climax of a story

75
Q

Dialect

A

A way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or geographical region

76
Q

Diction

A

a speaker or writer’s choice of words

77
Q

Didactic

A

A description for fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking

78
Q

enjambment

A

A line of verse that carries over to the next line without a pause of any kind

79
Q

elegy

A

a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died

80
Q

eulogy

A

a speech of praise or commendation delivered when someone has died

81
Q

Epic

A

a long, narrative poem written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character embodies that values of a particular society

82
Q

Epigram

A

A brief saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way

83
Q

epigraph

A

a brief quotation at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme

84
Q

epilogue

A

a section at the end of a book or play that serves as a conclusion to what has happened

85
Q

epiphany

A

an awakening or sudden burst of insight (a key moment in greek plays)

86
Q

Epistrophe

A

device of repetition in which the same expression (single word or phrase) is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses or sentences

87
Q

Anaphora

A

Opposite of Epistrophe

88
Q

Epitaph

A

an engraving on a tombstone

89
Q

Epithet

A

A nickname or descriptive term that’s added to someone’s name that becomes part of common usage

eg. “Alexander the Great”

90
Q

Euphemism

A

Substitute words that sound less offensive or more neutral then others

eg. “passed away > died”

91
Q

Euphony

A

The quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words and sounds

92
Q

Cacophony

A

The opposite of Euphony

93
Q

Explication

A

Act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language

94
Q

Fable

A

A very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life

95
Q

Figurative Language

A

writing or speech not meant to be taken literally in order to create an effect - includes figurative language devices eg. simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, hyperbole, oxymorons, etc.

96
Q

Foil

A

A character who acts as a contrast to another character; often a villain contrasting the hero

97
Q

Folk tale

A

A story which has been composed orally and then passed down by word of mouth

98
Q

Free Verse

A

Poetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme scheme

99
Q

Hypophora

A

A figure of speech in which the speaker both asks a question and immediately answers it

100
Q

Idiom

A

A saying, phrase, or fixed expression in a culture that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning

eg. “It’s raining cats and dogs”

101
Q

Irony

A

A discrepancy between appearances and reality

102
Q

Verbal Irony

A

when someone says something but means something else

103
Q

Situational Irony

A

A discrepancy between what is expected to occur and what actually occours

104
Q

Dramatic Irony

A

When the audience or reader knows the truth, but the character does not

105
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit

106
Q

Litotes

A

a figure of speech in which a negative statement is used to affirm a positive sentiment

107
Q

Maxim

A

a short statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct

108
Q

Metonymy

A

A figure of speech in which a person, place or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it

109
Q

Microcosm

A

A small “world” that stand for the larger one

eg. “In the Lord of the Flies that island is representative of the world’s political realm”

110
Q

Mood

A

An atmosphere created by a writer’s diction and the details selected; the feeling the reader gets

111
Q

tone

A

The feeling of the writer towards a subject

The attitude of a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organisation

112
Q

Motif

A

A recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used throughout a word (or several works by the same author), unifying the work by tying the current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme

113
Q

Paradox

A

A statement that appears self-contradictory, but that reveals a kind of truth

114
Q

Polysyndeton

A

The repetition of a number of conjunctions in close succession without the use of commas

eg. “we have men and arms and planes and tanks”

115
Q

Protagonist

A

The central character in a story who drives the action; usually the hero or antihero; a tragic hero with have a tragic flaw in his character that will lead to his downfall

116
Q

Rhetoric

A

the art of speaking or writing effectively; skill in the eloquent use of language

117
Q

Rhetorical device

A

a device used to produce effective speaking or writing

118
Q

Rhetorical Question

A

a question asked for an effect where the speaker does not expect an answer

119
Q

Stream of Consciousness

A

Writing the portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character’s mind

120
Q

Style

A

a writer’s typical way of expressing himself or herself; a writer’s distinctive use of diction, tone, syntax

121
Q

Symbolism

A

to inject an object with a certain meaning that is different from the original meaning or function, so the object stands for something much greater than itself

122
Q

Synesthesia

A

When a writer presents an idea in such a manner that it appeals to more than one sense simultaneously, thus creating additional layers of meaning

123
Q

Syntax

A

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

124
Q

Theme

A

The insight about human life that is revealed in literary work

125
Q

Vernacular

A

the language spoken by the people who line in a particular locality

IB English (2 decks)

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