Literary Devices

Question 1

alliteration

Answer 1

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words close to each other (butterscotch and bubblegum drops are bittersweet to me)

Question 2

allusion

Answer 2

reference to another work of literature, person, or event (Achilles’ heel, Judas, Midas touch)

Question 3

anaphora

Answer 3

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successful clauses (good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and good night)

Question 4

antithesis

Answer 4

contrasting ideas placed in parallel structure (it was the best of times, it was the worst of times)

Question 5

apostrophe

Answer 5

addressing an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction (o death, where is thy sting?)

Question 6

assonance

Answer 6

the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words (apples aren’t always appropriate apologies)

Question 7

chiasmus

Answer 7

the repetition of words or concepts in reverse order (never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you)

Question 8

connotation

Answer 8

the emotional or cultural association with a word rather than its dictionary definition (“home” implies warmth and security)

Question 9

consonance

Answer 9

the repetition of consanant sounds, typically at the end of words (think/blank, string/strong)

Question 10

denotation

Answer 10

the literal dictionary definition of a word

Question 11

diction

Answer 11

the choice of words and style of expression an author uses

Question 12

euphemism

Answer 12

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt (passed away instead of died)

Question 13

hyperbole

Answer 13

exaggerated statements or claims not to be taken literally (I’m so hungry I could eat a horse)

Question 14

imagery

Answer 14

descriptive language that appeals to the senses

Question 15

irony (verbal)

Answer 15

when what is said is opposite to what it meant

Question 16

irony (situational)

Answer 16

when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens

Question 17

irony (dramatic)

Answer 17

when the audience knows something that the characters do not

Question 18

juxtaposition

Answer 18

placing two elements of words side-by-side and letting the reader compare

Question 19

litotes

Answer 19

a form of understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite (not bad = good)

Question 20

metaphor

Answer 20

a figure of speech that involves an implicit comparison between two unlike things (time is a thief)

Question 21

metonymy

Answer 21

substituting the name of one object for the name of another object closely associated with it (the pen is mightier than the sword)

Question 22

onomatopoeia

Answer 22

a word that imitates the sound it represents (buzz, click, sizzle)

Question 23

oxymoron

Answer 23

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (jumbo shrimp, deafening silence)

Question 24

paradox

Answer 24

a statement that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (this is the beginning of the end)

Question 25

parallelism

Answer 25

the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same or similar in construction (like father, like son)

Question 26

personification

Answer 26

attributing human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas (the wind whispered through the trees)

Question 27

polysyndeton

Answer 27

the use of several conjunctions in close succession (We have ships and sails and money and food)

Question 28

simile

Answer 28

a figure of speech involving a comparison using “like” or “as” (the boy was as brave as a lion)

Question 29

symbolism

Answer 29

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities (a dove representing peace)

Question 30

synedoche

Answer 30

a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or vice-versa (all hands on deck)

Question 31

tone

Answer 31

the author’s attitude toward the subject, characters, or audience

Question 32

understatement

Answer 32

a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation less important or serious than it is (it’s just a scratch)

Question 33

zeugmas

Answer 33

a figure of speech in which a word refers to multiple parts of the sentence (she broke his cat and his heart

Question 34

theme

Answer 34

the central topic or idea explored in a text

Question 35

motif

Answer 35

a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story

Question 36

narrative style

Answer 36

the manner in which a story is narrated (first-person / third-person)

Question 37

point of view

Answer 37

the perspective in which the story is told

Question 38

foreshadowing

Answer 38

hints or clues about what will happen later in the story

Question 39

flashback

Answer 39

a scene set in a time earlier than the main story line

Question 40

dialogue

Answer 40

the spoken exchanges between characters

Question 41

syntax

Answer 41

the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences