Language, Narrative and Dramatic Devices

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

Narrative form in which characters and actions have meaning outside themselves

Question 2

Anachronism

Answer 2

Use of historically inaccurate details in a text, generally for a humorous effect

Question 3

Anadiplosis

Answer 3

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause. E.g the crime was common, common be the pain

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

Regular repetition of the same word/phrase at the beginning of successive phrases/clauses.

Question 5

Anastrophe

Answer 5

Inversion of natural speaking order

Question 6

Antanagoge

Answer 6

A negative and positive statement in one

Question 7

Anthropomorphism

Answer 7

Attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal or object

Question 8

Antimetabole

Answer 8

The repetition of words in successive clauses but in transposed order e.g i know what i like, and i like what i know

Question 9

Antithesis

Answer 9

The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balances/parallel words or phrases

Question 10

Aphorism

Answer 10

A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

Question 11

Apophasis

Answer 11

Similar to irony where you might say something while denying it. “im not saying its your fault but you’re the one who broke the vase”

Question 12

Apostrophe

Answer 12

A figure of speech in which a person, thing or abstract quality is addressed as if present e.g muses in poetry

Question 13

Assonance

Answer 13

The repetition of identical/similar vowel sounds usually in successive words

Question 14

Asyndeton

Answer 14

Practice of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.

Question 15

Bildungsroman

Answer 15

A story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character

Question 16

Catharsis

Answer 16

Purification of the spirit through emotions of pity and terror as a witness to tragedy

Question 17

Chiasmus

Answer 17

Figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of parallel clauses is reversed in the second

Question 18

Consonance

Answer 18

Repetition of 2 or more consonants with a change in intervening vowels e.g pitter-patter, splish-splash

Question 19

Denotation

Answer 19

Dictionary definition of a word

Question 20

Diacope

Answer 20

Repeated word or phrase split up by another word to display strong emotion e.g free at last!, free at last!

Question 21

Didactic

Answer 21

Intended for teaching a moral lesson

Question 22

Epigraph

Answer 22

Quote set at the beginning of a literary work or at its divisions to set the tone or suggest a theme

Question 23

Epistolary

Answer 23

Piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters

Question 24

Euphemism

Answer 24

Substitution of a milder/less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt e.g ‘passed away’ for ‘dead’

Question 25

Hyperbole

Answer 25

Overstatement characterized by exaggerated language

Question 26

Hypophora

Answer 26

Question followed by an answer

Question 27

Oxymoron

Answer 27

Figure of speech that combines 2 apparently contradictory elements

Question 28

Paradox

Answer 28

Statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

Question 29

Pathetic fallacy

Answer 29

Figure of speech where the natural world is given human emotions

Question 30

Polysyndeton

Answer 30

Overabundance of conjunctions in a list

Question 31

Synecdoche

Answer 31

Specific type of metaphor when one word is representative for another word/concept

Question 32

Syntax

Answer 32

Way words are put together to form phrases, clauses and sentences

Question 33

Zoomorphism

Answer 33

When animal qualities are given to anything that is not that particular animal