Literary Devices Flashcards
Theme
main message of a work or literature
ex: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird teaches readers the power of standing up
Symbolism
when one thing stands for another
ex: dove symbolizes peace
synecdoche
a figure of speech using a word that is a part to represent a whole and vice versa
ex: “check out my new wheels”
metonymy
a figure of speech where the name of an object is replaced with another that is similar
ex: referring to the movie industry as “hollywood”
metaphor
a comparison without using like or as
ex: she was going through a rollercoaster of emotions
motif
a repeated symbol, image, sound, or word that shows up repeatedly in a story
ex: light and darkness are repeated symbols in Romeo and Juliet
mood
the reader or audience’s emotional response
ex: uplifting, melancholy
tone
the author’s attitude
ex: the author expresses a somber tone
imagery
a description that lets the reader construct a mental image
ex: his words felt like a dagger in my heart
selection of detail
specific language that paints a picture of an event or scene in a reader’s mind in a nonfiction piece
hubris
an excessive amount of confidence or pride
ex: oedipus
extended metaphor
lengthy comparison without using like or as
ex: mockingbird throughout TKAM, poem “Marks” compares life to grades
dramatic irony
the audience knows more than the characters
ex: murder mystery story
apostrophe
a speech or address to a person who is not present or a personified object
ex: “O Romeo, ROmeo, wherefore art thou Romeo”
allegory
story or picture that can be interpreted to have a hidden or ulterior meaning
ex: tortoise and the hare, Animal Farm and Russian Revolution
