literary devices

Question 1

simile

Answer 1

the comparison of two unlike things, indicates through like or as

Question 2

metaphor

Answer 2

when one thing is said to be something else, not literally

Question 3

personification

Answer 3

giving an inanimate object human-like qualities

Question 4

onomatopoeia

Answer 4

when the word sounds like the sounds it makes

Question 5

alliteration

Answer 5

the repetition of similar consonant sounds

Question 6

assonance

Answer 6

the repetition of similar vowel sounds

e.g. hop-scotch

Question 7

oxymoron

Answer 7

two words that are normally contraries

Question 8

pun

Answer 8

a play on two words that sound the same but are different in meaning

Question 9

juxtaposition

Answer 9

placing two opposite ideas together

Question 10

irony

Answer 10

the opposite of what is expected

Question 11

euphemism

Answer 11

making something sound more pleasant than it actually is

Question 12

allusion

Answer 12

reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work or work of art

Question 13

paradox

Answer 13

contradictory but possibly true statement

e.g. this is the the beginning of the end

Question 14

foreshadowing

Answer 14

a hint given about a future event

Question 15

allegory

Answer 15

use of symbols to convey a hidden or ulterior meaning, typically a moral or political one

Question 16

anaphora

Answer 16

a word or sequence of words repeating at the beginning of sentences

e.g. look at her
look at me
look at them

Question 17

analogy

Answer 17

a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation

e.g. life is a box of chocolates

Question 18

exposition

Answer 18

relays background information about a main character, setting, event, or another element

e.g. describing an old, dark house before someone enters it, setting up suspense

Question 19

flashback

Answer 19

interrupts the chronological sequence by showing readers a scene from the past

Question 20

run-on sentence

Answer 20

when two independent clauses run together without proper punctuation

e.g. i love to write papers i would write one every day if i had time

Question 21

anachronism

Answer 21

when something is in the incorrect time period

Question 22

hyperbole

Answer 22

an exaggerated statement that emphasized the significance of the meaning

e.g. to die of embarrassment

Question 23

motif

Answer 23

a recurring element that develops the theme of the narrative

Question 24

pathetic fallacy

Answer 24

when the emotions or thoughts of characters are shown through the objects or weather around them

e.g. on our wedding day, the sun smiled down on us

Question 25

Anastrophe

Answer 25

a figure of speech when the traditional sentence structure is reversed

e.g. i like that > that, i like

Question 26

aphorism

Answer 26

a universally accepted truth usually in the form of a proverb

e.g. early bird gets the worm

Question 27

chiasmus

Answer 27

when two or more parallel clauses are inverted

e.g. it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice

Question 28

circumlocution

Answer 28

expressing a simple idea with many words 扩句

Question 29

colloquialism

Answer 29

use of casual and informal language, can include slang

Question 30

euphony

Answer 30

words that are pleasant sounding or easy to pronounce

Question 31

hypophora

Answer 31

when a person raises a question and immediately answers it themselves

Question 32

imagery

Answer 32

descriptive language that appeals to the reader’s senses

Question 33

isocolon

Answer 33

when two or more phrases or clauses have a similar structure, rhythm, or length.

e.g. buy one, get one

Question 34

litotes

Answer 34

phrases that express an idea by saying the reverse is not the case

e.g. he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed

Question 35

malapropism

Answer 35

when words are misheard or misspoken, and often confused with other common words

e.g. blessing in the skies (disguise)

Question 36

polysyndeton

Answer 36

using conjunctions repeatedly for dramatic effect

e.g. i don’t want coffee or tea or coke or any of that

Question 37

portmanteau

Answer 37

combining two words and their meanings into a new word

e.g. brunch

Question 38

satire

Answer 38

criticizing some absurd nature of human nature or society — usually through exaggeration, ridicule, or irony

Question 39

soliloquy

Answer 39

when a character speaks their thoughts out loud to themselves

Question 40

spoonerism

Answer 40

where the initial sounds of two words are swapped

e.g. jelly beans > belly jeans

Question 41

synecdoche

Answer 41

using a part of smth to refer to a whole

e.g. hungry mouths to feed

Question 42

meter

Answer 42

rhythmic structure of a line in a work of poetry