Literary and Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
active voice def.
the subject of the sentence performs the action
active voice ex.
“Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house.”
action voice eff.
a direct and clear way of aiding a reader’s visualization especially with the use of vivid action verbs
passive voice def.
the subject of the sentence receives the action
passive voice ex.
“The car was driven by Anthony.”
passive voice eff.
often overused and can make a sentence wordy or hard to follow
allusion def.
an indirect reference to something the reader should be familiar with(usually a literary text, but it can be other things, such as plays, songs, historical events)
allusion ex.
“She felt like she had a golden ticket.” - a reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
allusion eff.
it helps the author use creative figure of speech to engage the reader and is used to distract them from specific things in the text
alter-ego def.
when an author speaks directly to the audience through a character
alter-ego ex.
In Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest, Shakespeare talks to his audience about his upcoming retirement, through the main character, Prospero.
anecdote def.
a brief recounting of a relevant episode.
anecdote eff.
often inserted into fictional or nonfictional text as a way of developing a point or injecting humor
anecdote ex.
Picture a group of friends discussing their Halloween costumes for this year. One friend says: “I was an owl last year–it was a real hoot!” Here the anecdote is told to bring laughter.
antecedent def.
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
antecedent ex.
“If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it.”
antecedent eff.
it makes the sense of a sentence clear to the readers and without it any subject would become confusing
classicism def.
art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures
comic relief def.
when a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story
comic relief ex.
The “gatekeeper scene” in Macbeth is an example of comic relief
comic relief eff.
this is supposed to lighten the mood somewhat
diction def.
word choice, particularly as an element of style. different types of words have significant effects on meaning
diction ex.
an essay written in academic diction would be less colorful, but more precise than street slang
diction eff.
words chosen to give a particular effect on the reader reflects the writer’s purpose
colloquial def.
ordinary or familiar type of conversation
colloquial ex.
“Hey. How are you?”
colloquial eff.
it creates a conversational tone and gives writing a casual, relaxed effect
colloquialism def.
a common or familiar type of saying
colloquialism ex.
“penny-pincher”
colloquialism eff.
can be useful in creating a bond between reader and writer
connotation def.
implied meaning rather than literal meaning
connotation ex.
“policeman,” “cop,” and “the man” all denote the same literal meaning of police officer, but each has a different
connotation eff.
using words with different connotations can really change the meaning of a sentence and the tone
denotation def.
the literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations
denotation ex.
“The blueberry is very blue.”
jargon def.
the diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity
jargon ex.
lawyers speak using a particular jargon, so do soccer players
jargon eff.
jargon words are meant to enhance communication by simplifying a particular concept but it could confuse anyone not clued in
vernacular def.
- language or dialect of a particular country 2. language or dialect of a regional clan or group 3. plain everyday speech
vernacular ex.
the word “y’all” is a very common term in the American south
vernacular eff.
helps express that the language belongs to a specific group and honors diverse cultures
didactic def.
a term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
didactic ex.
every textbook is an example of didacticism, as their purpose is to instruct and educate
didactic eff.
supposed to instruct or teach the reader something
adage def.
a folk saying with a lesson
adage ex.
“A rolling stone gathers no moss”
adage eff.
they convey deeper meanings of wisdom and become imprinted on the minds of the users
allegory def.
a story, fictional or nonfictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts
allegory ex.
Animal Farm, by George Orwell is an allegory.
allegory eff.
the interaction of these characters, things, and events is meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth
aphorism def.
a terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. it can be a memorable summation of the author’s point
aphorism ex.
Ben Franklin wrote many of these in Poor Richard’s Almanac, such as “God helps them that help themselves,” and “A watched pot never boils.”
aphorism eff.
through aphorisms, writers and speakers can teach universal truths to audiences, allowing them to relate to the world around them
ellipsis def.
the deliberate omission of of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author
ellipsis ex.
“The whole day, rain, torrents of rain.”
ellipsis eff.
the ellipsis introduces a long pause, which is a basic technique for creating tension.
euphemism def.
a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts
euphemism ex.
“physically challenged,” instead of “crippled” or “vertically challenged,” instead of “short”
euphemism eff.
sometimes they are used for political correctness or to exaggerate correctness to add humor
figurative language def.
writing that isn’t meant to be taken literally
figurative language ex.
“The world is my oyster.”
figurative language eff.
it can advance the plot of a short story or or slow a plot’s pace through lengthy descriptions and comparisons for a more philosophical approach
analogy def.
a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables; relationship between 1st variables are the same as the one between the 2nd set(similes are sometimes analogies)
analogy ex.
“America is to the world as the hippo is to the jungle.”
analogy eff.
analogies help persuade, making it easier for people to make decisions
hyperbole def.
exaggeration
hyperbole ex.
“My mother will kill me if I’m late.”
hyperbole eff.
it adds an amusing effect by allowing the writer to present something common in an intense manner
idiom def.
a common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally
idiom ex.
“I got chewed out by my coach.”
idiom eff.
idioms draw readers in and help to awaken their senses
metaphor def.
making an implied comparison, not using “like or “as” or other such words
metaphor ex.
“My feet are popsicles.”
metaphor eff.
creates images that are easier to understand and respond to than literal language
metonymy def.
replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept (can be used with body parts)
metonymy ex.
“Relations between London and Washington have been strained,” doesn’t literally mean the two cities, but between the leaders of the Unites States and England
metonymy eff.
creates concrete and vivid images in the place of generalities
synecdoche def.
a kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa
synecdoche ex.
“The cattle rancher owned 500 head.” or “Check out my new wheels.”
synecdoche eff.
helps a speaker connect to their audience by sounding more colloquial and mirroring everyday language
simile def.
using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very different things
simile eff.
can create a vivid image in the reader’s mind and make language more descriptive
simile eff.
can create a vivid image in the reader’s mind and make language more descriptive
synesthesia def.
a description involving the “crossing of senses”
synesthesia ex.
“A purplish scent filled the room.” or “I was deafened by his brightly-colored clothing.”
personification def.
giving human-like qualities to something that is not human
personification ex.
“The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill.”
personification eff.
can make non-human entities more vivid, or can help readers understand, sympathize with, or react emotionally
foreshadowing def.
when an author gives hints about what will occur later in the story
foreshadowing ex.
“I told myself this is the end of my trouble, but I didn’t believe myself.”
foreshadowing eff.
adds dramatic tension to a story about future events
genre def.
the major category into which a literary work fits
genre ex.
the basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama
genre eff.
genres help organize information to make sense of the passage
gothic def.
writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death. also refers to an architectural style of the middle ages
gothic ex.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley or cathedrals
gothic eff.
helps convey the panic and terror inherent in many characters
imagery def.
word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind. usually involves the five senses. authors often use imagery in conjunction with metaphors, similes, or figure of speech
imagery ex.
“My head is pounding like a drum.”
imagery eff.
imagery can make something abstract seem more concrete and tangible to the reader
invective def.
a long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language
invective ex.
“She is a sorry excuse for a teacher.”
invective eff.
the insult is supposed to arouse negative emotion in the audience and the target of the insult
irony def.
when the opposite of what you expect to happen does
irony ex.
a fire station burns down
irony eff.
authors can use irony to make readers stop and think about what was said, or to emphasize a central idea
situational irony ex.
Johnny spent two hours planning out how to sneak into the movies and missed it. when he did get in he found out kids got in free that day
situational irony def.
found in the plot(or storyline) of a book, story, or movie. when actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended
situational irony eff.
sometimes used to make the reader laugh because it’s funny how things turn out
verbal irony def.
when you say something and mean the opposite/something different
verbal irony ex.
if your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it “a walk in the park” it would be verbal irony
verbal irony eff.
sometimes, but not always, verbal irony takes the form of sarcasm and is a great way to communicate doubt to your readers
dramatic irony def.
when the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn’t and would be surprised to find out
dramatic irony ex.
in many horror movies we (the audience) know who the killer is, which the victim-to-be has no idea who’s doing the slaying. sometimes the character trusts the killer when they shouldn’t
dramatic irony eff.
this type of irony is supposed to build suspense, create tension, and keep the reader’s interest
juxtaposition def.
placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. authors often use juxtaposition of ideas or examples in order to make a point
juxtaposition eff.
when authors juxtapose they open the floor for readers to analyze a specific relationship more closely
juxtaposition ex.
an author my juxtapose the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary
mood def.
the atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). sentence length, strength, complexity, setting, tone, and events all have an affect on mood.
mood ex.
humorous, gloomy, hopeful
mood eff.
it allows for greater understanding of what the author is saying by putting the reader in the position of the character
motif def.
a recurring idea in a piece of literature
motif ex.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view” is a motif, because the idea is brought up several times over the course of the novel
motif eff.
motifs are primarily used to deepen theme, but they can also serve to conjure a particular mood
oxymoron def.
when apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox
oxymoron ex.
“wise fool,” “eloquent silence,” “jumbo shrimp”
oxymoron eff.
this adds an element of complexity and encourages the reader to think about a particular idea
pacing def.
the speed or tempo of an author’s writing. writers can use a variety of devices (syntax, polysyndeton, anaphora, meter) to change the pacing
pacing ex.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jana Austen uses dialogue and description to slow the pacing in certain scenes
pacing eff.
pace is supposed to create a specific atmosphere, appeal to a specific audience, or manipulate the narrative’s tone
paradox def.
a seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true
paradox ex.
“You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job.”
paradox eff.
this is commonly used to engage a reader to discover an underlying logic
parallelism def.
(also known as parallel structure or balanced sentences) sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns
parallelism eff.
is used to add emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing
parallelism ex.
“Cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs.”
anaphora def.
repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row. this is a deliberate form of repetition
anaphora eff.
helps make the writer’s point more coherent
anaphora ex.
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
chiasmus def.
when the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed
chiasmus ex.
“Fair is foul and foul is fair.” “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
chiasmus eff.
creates a highly symmetrical structure, and gives the impression of completeness
antithesis def.
two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure
antithesis ex.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
antithesis eff.
helps readers and audience define concepts through contrast and develop understanding of something through defining its opposite
zeugma (syllepsis) def.
when a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies
