Literary Devices

Question 1

Imagery

Answer 1

language that evokes one or all five of the senses

Question 2

analogy

Answer 2

comparison of two things, mainly for explanation or clarification

Question 3

flashback

Answer 3

shows/tells an event that happened in the past to give better understanding

Question 4

foreshadowing

Answer 4

a warning or indication of an event that will take place in the future

Question 5

hyperbole

Answer 5

exaggerated statements that aren’t meant to be taken literally

Question 6

personification

Answer 6

giving human characteristics to something nonhuman

Question 7

allusion

Answer 7

indirect reference to something well known

Question 8

verbal irony

Answer 8

a person says one thing but means something else

Question 9

situational irony

Answer 9

something happening that is very different to what was expected

Question 10

dramatic irony

Answer 10

when the audience knows something that the character’s don’t

Question 11

oxymoron

Answer 11

words that mean the opposite of each other that are side by side to create a new meaning

Question 12

paradox

Answer 12

reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory

Question 13

symbolism

Answer 13

use of words or images to symbolize specific concepts, people, objects, or events

Question 14

parody

Answer 14

a humorous exaggerated imitation or travesty

Question 15

Sarcasm

Answer 15

a cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound

Question 16

satire

Answer 16

tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness

Question 17

Logos

Answer 17

appeals to logic

Question 18

Ethos

Answer 18

appeals to morals

Question 19

Pathos

Answer 19

appeals to emotions

Question 20

allegory

Answer 20

a narrative in which the characters and sometimes the setting represent general concepts and ideas

Question 21

alliteration

Answer 21

repetition of their initial sounds

Question 22

metaphor

Answer 22

compares two things without using like or as in a more subtle way which requires more interpretation

Question 23

onomatopoeia

Answer 23

naming a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds

Question 24

Parallelism

Answer 24

repeats specific words, phrases, or clauses in a series

Question 25

abnormal word order

Answer 25

changes usual subject-verb sentence pattern

Question 26

balance sentence

Answer 26

expresses two or more equal and parallel ideas

Question 27

climatic word order

Answer 27

presents several facts in order from least to most important

Question 28

denotation

Answer 28

the thing or situation to which the words specifically refers

Question 29

connotation

Answer 29

the associated meanings it implies or suggests

Question 30

opposites

Answer 30

contrast two opposing ideas

Question 31

periodic structure

Answer 31

withholds an important part of the sentence until the end so that it doesn’t make complete sense until the last word is read

Question 32

Chiasmus (reversals)

Answer 32

repeating words in reverse order

Question 33

rhetorical question

Answer 33

a question to which the answer is already known or implied

Question 34

rhyme

Answer 34

repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line

Question 35

sentence fragment

Answer 35

emphasis on key words to create an overall effect such as humour or suspense

Question 36

simile

Answer 36

a comparison between two unlike things using like or as

Question 37

symbol

Answer 37

an object or action that represents something other than what it is

Question 38

understatement

Answer 38

creates reverse effect and adds a bit of irony by making the fact seem less significant

Question 39

antithesis

Answer 39

one idea is set against a sharply contrasting idea, often but not necessarily in the same sentence

Question 40

anecdote

Answer 40

a short narrative that introduces a subject or makes a point

Question 41

verbal contrast

Answer 41

placing words that have directly opposite meanings side by side

Question 42

juxtaposition

Answer 42

placing two unrelated things next to each other to highlight their differences

Question 43

Cliche

Answer 43

an expression or phrase that has lost its effect due to overuse

Question 44

invective

Answer 44

a verbal attack often using insults

Question 45

themes

Answer 45

linking devices that hold the text together structurally

Question 46

counterpoints

Answer 46

contrasting ideas such as black/white, darkness/ light, good/bad