Language Techniques Flashcards
What does allegory mean?
When characters and plot represent ideas that relate to morality, politics, or religion
What is the effect of allegory?
Allegory allows authors and creators to explore often overwhelming or controversial ideas in an approachable manner
Give an example of an allegory
- In ‘An Inspector Calls’, the characters represent the rigid class divides in the early 20th century
- Mrs Birling is an allegory for the way the upper classes saw themselves as socially superior to the lower classes
What does alliteration mean?
- Use of the same letter or sound at the beginning of consecutive words or words in close proximity
What is the effect of alliteration?
- Alliteration draws attention to certain phrases or sentences
- Not only draws the eye of the reader on the page, but the phrase has more emphasis when read
Give an example of alliteration
- In ‘Macbeth’, the witches chant “Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair”
- Sets the tone for the whole play
- Implies what we perceive is good is often bad, and vice versa
- The phrase has become an iconic quotation for the way it sets the tone of the play so memorably
What does allusion mean?
A way of making reference to something else without explicitly stating what it is you’re referring to
What is the effect of allusion?
Allusion allows authors to:
- Infer meaning by creating parallels between their text and whatever it is they’re alluding to
- Create contrast between the author’s argument and their allusion
Give an example of allusion
- In ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley uses the phrase “Like Adam” to allude to the first man (from the Bible)
- Creates a feeling of isolation much like Adam would’ve felt as the first person on earth
What does anaphora mean?
When words (or a phrase) repeat at the beginning of consecutive sentences, clauses, or lines in poetry
What is the effect of anaphora?
- Anaphora is used like alliteration to create emphasis and draw the eye of the reader
- Creates rhythm and injecting emotion into the text
Give an example of anaphora
- In Macbeth, the witches says “Thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again to make up nine.”
- The use of anaphora here creates a clear rhythm and emphasises the power of the witches
What does archetype mean?
- Stereotype of a character/thing
- A model around which certain character types are built (ie. a tragic hero)
What is the effect of an archetype?
- Archetypes are used to build a connection between the reader and the characters in the text
- Prompts a feeling of familiarity which causes readers to become more emotionally invested in a text
Give an example of an archetype
- In ‘A Christmas Carol’, Ebenezer Scrooge fits neatly into the archetype of character transformation; he begins the text a rude and grumpy old man, and ends it a generous and changed man
What does aphorism mean?
- short statement about a widely accepted truth
- often amusing or witty in nature
What is the effect of an aphorism?
- Builds trust between the reader and the writer; by making use of universal truths
- Reader comes to understand the writer as trustworthy
- Increases engagement
- Helps to persuade the reader of the writer’s argument
Give an example of an aphorism
- ‘Pride and Prejudice’ opens with an aphorism “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
- This particular aphorism not only establishes the writer as trustworthy, for making a statement about social norms of the time, but it establishes the tone of the entire text, foreshadowing the events to come
What does assonance mean?
Repetition of a similar vowel sound in consecutive words or words in close proximity
What is the effect of assonance?
- Like alliteration and anaphora, assonance creates rhythm in a text
- Allows readers to interpret a sentence the way the author intended by making clear which vowel sound should be stressed
Give an example of assonance
- In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, we can see assonance in a lot of Juliet’s speech, like when she says “Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree. / Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.”
- Repetition of the long E sound creates clear rhythm, and echoes the melody of the nightingale
What does caesura mean?
- A stop in the middle of a metrical line
- Usually comes in the form of commas, dashes, or colons in the middle of a line of poetry
What is the effect of caesura?
- Caesura gives a choppy and dysfunctional tone to the text, while simultaneously increasing reading pace
- Increasing pace builds tension, and can help relay feelings of frustration or confusion to a reader
Give an example of caesura
- In ‘Romeo and Juliet’ during the balcony scene, Shakespeare makes use of much caesura in order to accurately portray the overwhelming emotions felt by Romeo and Juliet
What does chiasmus mean?
The reversal of phrases or grammatical structures in consecutive phrases or sentences
What is the effect of chiasmus?
- Chiasmus adds emphasis to a portion of the text, drawing the reader’s eye and making sentences stand out more
- Reversing a phrase just after using it engages the reader’s attention by disrupting the structure of the text
Give an example of chiasmus
- In ‘Macbeth’, the witches use chiasmus for emphasis when they chant “Fair is foul, foul is fair”.
- As previously mentioned, this sentence sets the tone for the play
- The use of chiasmus helps foreshadow the events to come
What does connotation mean?
When a word, phrase, or other component of a text is intended to carry a certain meaning (ie. the way the colour red is intended to convey anger)
What is the effect of an connotation?
- Writers often use connotations to help convey emotions or feelings
- allows them to invoke a deeper emotional response in the reader
Give an example of a connotation
- In ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley repeatedly uses the word “creature” to cast Frankenstein’s monster in a negative light
- The word “creature” carries negative connotations, implying he is monstrous and bruteish
What does consonance mean?
Repetition of a similar consonant sound in consecutive words or words in close proximity
What is the effect of consonance?
- Consonance is remarkably similar to assonance in that it also helps to create rhythm in a text
- Makes a sentence more pleasing to the ear, thus increasing reader engagement
Give an example of consonance
In the prologue (introduction) of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Shakespeare writes “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes”, repeating the F consonant to emphasise that Romeo & Juliet were destined to fail
What does contrast mean?
A rhetorical device in which a writer draws attention to the difference between two characters, things, or events
What is the effect of contrast?
- Through comparing and contrasting, writers can make stronger arguments and create stronger statements, further engaging the reader
Give an example of contrast
The contrasting personalities of Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy are used to build tension throughout ‘Pride and Prejudice’, while also emphasising Jane Austen’s disdain for unjust judgement
What does dichotomy mean?
- A division into two opposite groups (ie. peace and war, love and hate)
What is the effect of a dichotomy?
- Dichotomies are often used to create and build tension in a storyline; they allow the reader to clearly understand both groups, increasing emotional engagement
Give an example of a dichotomy
- Throughout ‘Jane Eyre’, Bronte establishes a clear dichotomy of male oppression and female rage in the way Jane interacts with male characters in the text
What does diction mean?
- The words a writer chooses to use to best convey their message
What is the effect of diction?
- Dicton is responsible for the way a reader interprets a text, and can be used in any way a writer pleases
- It can be used to emphasise character’s emotions, or repression of emotions
- Can also be used to create a more romantic tone, or an aggressive tone
Give an example of diction
- Shakespeare uses diction to emphasise Macbeth’s attempt to justify his own actions, particularly in the dagger soliloquy
- He personifies Murder to create a distance between his crimes and his responsibility
What does didacticism mean?
- When the main purpose of a text is to teach the reader a lesson, often a moral one
- Can also apply to characters in a text
What is the effect of didacticism?
- Didactic tone is often applied throughout an entire text, as in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
- Prompts deeper thought by the reader
- Encourages a deeper understanding of the text, which in turn increases the reader’s engagement
Give an example of didacticism
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a didactic text filled with moral messages
- Scrooge’s moral improvement teaches the reader a similar message to the one he learns himself, that, as readers, we are on a journey of moral development with him
What does dissonance mean?
- Use of harsh and interrupting sounds in text
- particularly with use of words that generally do not work together
What is the effect of dissonance?
- Dissonance creates a tone of tension and unease, building suspense for the reader
- Relays emotions felt by the characters
Give an example of dissonance
- In tense moments in ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare uses blank verse and variant vowel sounds to create dissonance
- Particularly evident when Macbeth says “Off all men else I have avoided thee. // But get thee back. My soul is too much charged // With blood of thine already.”
What does dramatic irony mean?
- When the reader or audience are aware of something the characters are not
What is the effect of dramatic irony?
- Dramatic irony creates suspense, because it is inevitable that the characters will come to understand what the audience/reader already knows
- Tension builds as readers wait for the truth to come to light
Give an example of dramatic irony
- ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is filled with dramatic irony, because the characters frequently disguise themselves
- When the characters are in disguise, the audience are aware of what is happening, while the other characters are not
What does an ellipsis mean?
- Often represented as “…” or “-“
- Used to pause for dramatic effect
What is the effect of an ellipsis?
- When used as a pause, ellipsis builds tension by creating a silence not often found in literature
- Often used when characters trail off, and it often holds some implied meaning
- In this case, it encourages deeper engagement by the readers, who must consider the meaning of the ellipses
Give an example of an ellipsis
- In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Sheila says “Oh - Gerald - you’ve got it - is it the one you wanted me to have?”.
- The ellipsis used here builds tension by implying a degree of discomfort or awkwardness on Sheila’s part
What does enjambment mean?
- When a sentence continues beyond the end of a line without use of punctuation
- Often seen in poetry and rhymed verse
What is the effect of enjambment?
- Enjambment increases the pace of a section of text by forcing the reader to continue reading without a break
- Increasing the pace builds tension and suspense
- Can be used to indicate a character’s state of mind
Give an example of enjambment
- In ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare uses enjambment in “The raven himself is hoarse // That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under by battlements”.
- The use of enjambment builds on the tension of the statement, thus further engaging the reader
What does epigraph mean?
- A quote, poem, or phrase set at the beginning of a piece of text
- This may just be at the beginning of a section
What is the effect of an epigraph?
- Epigraphs are generally not mentioned in the main body of the text, so their sole purpose is to set the tone of the text
- They establish a certain mood and let readers know what they should expect from the text
Give an example of an epigraph
- In ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley uses “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay / To mould me man?” as her epigraph
- This sets the tone for the novel, establishing a theme of creation & disdain
What does epitome mean?
- A person or item which is a perfect representation of something else
- particularly a quality or concept
What is the effect of an epitome?
- Epitomes are used to draw attention to the argument the writer is making that a certain person is the perfect example of something else
- It makes the argument more impactful
Give an example of an epitome
- In ‘Frankenstein’, Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as the epitome of speciesism, prioritising his own morbid interests over the interests of his monster