literary devices Flashcards
Dramatic irony
When the audience or readers know more about a situation than the character does
Situational Irony
Outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected
Verbal irony
Someone says something sharply different from the reality of the situation
1st person point of view
Uses pronouns “I, me, we and us” to tell a story from the narrators perspective.
2nd person pov
Reader is apart of the story. Uses “you”
3rd person limited
Narrator has access to the thoughts and emotions of just one character
3rd person omniscient
Multipule characters thoughts are being seen at the same time.
3rd person objective
A unbiased narrator who doesn’t reveal the thought or feelings of the characters.
Conflict
Struggle between two sides due to a disagreement in values, desires, motivations, etc.
Juxtaposition
Close placement of contrasting ideas, images, or entities, with the intent of highlighting the contrast
Motivation
Make characters relatable and realistic and reveals a character’s actions to understand why they do them.
Theme
Overall main idea of a story
Simile
Rhetorical device used to compare two things using the words “like, as, than”
Symbolism
A figure of speech in which a person, situation, word, or object is used to represent another thing.
Metaphor
Direct comparison. Two often unrelated objects are compared to eachother.
Setting
Location and time frame in which the action of a narrative takes place.
Personification
Gives human characteristics to nonhuman things or inanimate objects
Flashback
A time that takes place before the story beings that interrupts the order of the plot to provide context or information that is important to the text.
Imagery
Provides vivid, detailed descriptions and communicates a specific perception for an object or scene to a reader
Characterization
Describes and provides information about specific characters in their work.
