Literary Devices Flashcards
1
Q
allegory
A
a work in which the characters and events represent particular qualities or ideas that relate to morals, religion or politics
2
Q
alliteration
A
words that begin with the same sound (often the repetition of letters) placed close together
3
Q
allusion
A
an unexplained or implicit reference to someone or something outside of the text
4
Q
analogy
A
where two unrelated objects are compared for their shared qualities
5
Q
anaphora
A
the repetition of the same phrase at the beginning of a sentence or clause
6
Q
anecdote
A
a short and interesting story, or an amusing event, often proposed to support or demonstrate a point
7
Q
antagonist
A
a character who opposes the main character
8
Q
anthropomorphism
A
where an animal or non-human object is given human form, behaviour or personality
9
Q
antithesis
A
a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else
10
Q
aphorism
A
a short statement that is intended to express a general truth
11
Q
apostrophe
A
addressing a person who is not present, or a thing that is personified
12
Q
archetype
A
a typical example of something, or the original model of something from which others are copied
13
Q
assonance
A
the repetition of similar sounds that are close together, created by the same vowels, or the same consonants and different vowels
14
Q
asyndeton
A
where conjunctions are left out between words or parts of a sentence, often creating a list-like style
15
Q
ballad
A
a type of poem that tells a narrative which was traditionally set to music and usually written in quatrains
16
Q
bildungsroman
A
a narrative or novel about events and experiences in the life of the main character as they mature and become an adult
17
Q
blank verse
A
a type of poetry that does not rhyme, usually with ten syllables in each line
18
Q
caesura
A
a pause within a line of poetry
19
Q
caricature
A
a highly exaggerated representation of a character in a text, often for comic effect
20
Q
catharsis
A
the release of strong or repressed emotions, usually by an audience
21
Q
characterisation
A
the act of creating and describing characters in literature, including their traits and psychological make-up
22
Q
chiasmus
A
when words, grammatical constructions or concepts are repeated in reverse order
23
Q
cliché
A
something or someone that is not at all original, surprising or interesting because it has very often been seen before
24
Q
climax
A
the highest point of tension or drama in a piece of writing
25
colloquialism
the use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech
26
connotation
a feeling or idea that is implied by a word that is separate from its dictionary meaning
27
consonance
the same consonant sound repeated within a group of words
28
couplet
a pair of consecutive lines of poetry that create a complete thought or idea
29
denotation
the literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word
30
denouement
the resolution of conflict in a narrative plot structure
31
deus ex machina
an unnatural or very unlikely end to a story or event, that solves or removes any problems easily
32
dialogue
the exchange of spoken words between characters in a piece of writing
33
direct characterisation
when an author explicitly tells a reader directly what a character is like
34
dramatic irony
when the audience or reader knows something the characters in the story do not
35
dramatic monologue
a poem written as if someone is speaking to an unseen listener about important thoughts
36
dystopian
an cruel or unfair society, especially an imaginary society in the future, in which there is a lot of hardship or suffering
37
elegy
a serious, melancholic poem, often written to mourn the loss of someone who has died
38
end rhyme
when the last syllables or words in two or more lines rhyme with each other
39
end-stopped line
a line of poetry ending in a grammatical break, for example with a full stop
40
enjambment
the continuing of a sentence from one line of a poem into the next line
41
epigraph
a poem, quotation, or sentence, usually placed at the beginning of a piece of writing
42
ethos
an argument that appeals to an audience’s morality by highlighting the speaker’s credibility or trustworthiness
43
euphemism
a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word
44
exposition
the description or explanation of background information within a work of literature
45
extended metaphor
a metaphor that is further developed throughout all or part of a piece of writing
46
falling action
the part of the plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the major conflict has happened
47
fiction
literature in the form of prose that describes imaginary events and people
48
figurative language
the use of non-literal phrases or words to elicit an emotional response from a reader or audience
49
first person
when a story is narrated by one character from their own perspective, usually using the pronouns “I”, “me” and “my”
50
flashback
a device that moves the reader from the present moment in a chronological piece of writing to a scene in the past
51
foreshadowing
a device used by a writer to provide hints or clues to the reader or audience about what will happen later on in the text
52
form
the type or genre of a text that a writer has chosen to use
53
formal verse
a poem which uses a strict metre, rhyme and form, especially in fixed forms such as sonnets, villanelles, etc.
54
free verse
a poem that does not use a strict metre or rhyme scheme
55
genre
a specific literary style that involves a particular set of characteristics
56
haiku
a specific type of Japanese poem which has 17 syllables divided into three lines of five, seven, and five syllables
57
hamartia
the flaw in character which leads to the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy
58
heroic couplet
a verse form found in epic poetry, where the lines are in rhyming pairs
59
hubris
excessive pride or self-confidence
60
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration used for effect
61
iambic pentameter
a verse line consisting of ten syllables, organised into five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables
62
idiom
a short expression or phrase that means something more than just its literal meaning
63
imagery
the use of words to describe ideas or situations
64
indirect characterisation
revealing details about a character without explicitly or directly stating what they are like
65
in medias res
a story which begins in the middle of events, without any introduction
66
internal rhyme
rhyme that occurs between words within a verse line
67
intertextuality
the relationship a text may have with other texts
68
irony
when there is a noticeable, often humorous, difference between what is written and its intended or expected meaning
69
juxtaposition
the placement of two or more things side by side, often in order to bring out their differences
70
language
the words, phrases and literary devices a writer uses for effect
71
litotes
understatement used for rhetorical effect
72
logos
an argument that appeals to someone's sense of reason
73
malapropism
the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one of similar sound, often with humorous results
74
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison by relating one thing to another unrelated thing
75
metonymy
a figure of speech that refers to something by using a word that describes its qualities or is closely associated with it
76
metre
the regular and rhythmic arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables according to a particular pattern
77
monologue
an extended speech uttered by one character, either to others or as if alone
78
motif
a recurring image or idea in a piece of writing
79
narrative
the description of a series of events, usually in a novel
80
ode
a poem, especially one that is written in praise of a particular person, thing, or event
81
omniscient narrator
a narrator who is all-knowing about plot, characters as well as characters’ motivations and emotions
82
onomateopoeia
words whose pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe
83
oxymoron
a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements
84
paradox
a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time
85
parallelism
where similar ideas are arranged in phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that balance one element with another of equal importance and similar wording
86
parody
a humorous piece of writing, drama, or music which imitates the style of a well-known person or represents a familiar situation in an exaggerated way
87
pathetic fallacy
the use of inanimate objects, most commonly the weather, to reflect human feelings and tone
88
pathos
an appeal to an audience’s emotion, often evoking pity, sadness, or tenderness
89
persona
the narrative voice that a writer adopts for a specific piece of writing
90
personification
giving human characteristics to an inanimate object, abstract thing or an animal
91
perspective
the narrator’s point of view in a story
92
plot
the sequence of events that make up a narrative
93
polysyndeton
the overuse of the same connective (for example, using “and” in between every item in a long list)
94
prolepsis
where the order of events in a narrative is disrupted so that a future plot point is told earlier in the narrative than it actually occurs
95
prose
written language in its ordinary form (structured in sentences and paragraphs) rather than set out as poetry
96
protagonist
the chief character in a literary work
97
pun
the humorous use of a word or phrase that has several meanings or that sounds like another word
98
quatrain
a stanza of four lines
99
refrain
a word, line, or phrase repeated in a poem
100
repetition
the intentional repeating of certain words, phrases or other literary devices in a text
101
rhetoric
speech or writing intended to influence or persuade people
102
rhetorical question
a question that is used for dramatic effect that does not expect an answer
103
rhyme
a word that has the same last sound as another word
104
rhyme scheme
a poet's chosen pattern of lines whose last syllables rhyme with other lines in a poem (for example ABAB, or CDCD)
105
rhyming couplet
a pair of rhyming lines of poetry, typically of the same length, next to each other
106
rhythm
a strong pattern of sounds or words in verse or prose, determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables
107
rising action
the section of the narrative that leads towards its climax
108
satire
the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity or vices
109
second person
using the pronouns “you”, “your” and “yours” to refer to someone
110
sibilance
words which make a “s”, “z” or “sh” sound
111
simile
a description that uses “like” or “as” to compare two things that are not obviously similar, but share a common quality
112
soliloquy
a dramatic speech uttered by one character speaking aloud while alone on the stage (or while under the impression of being alone)
113
sonnet
a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter with a strict rhyme scheme
114
stanza
one of the parts into which a poem is divided
115
stream of consciousness
a type of narration where a character’s every thought and feeling is expressed directly to the reader
116
structure
the deliberate organisation of a text by an author
117
symbol
any image or thing that stands for something else
118
symbolism
a literary device in which a writer uses one thing to represent something more abstract
119
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
120
tautology
the use of different words to say the same thing twice in the same statement
121
tercet
a set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together or connected by rhyme with an adjacent triplet
122
theme
a central idea or topic in a literary or non-fiction text
123
third person
when the narrator of a story stands outside of the world of the story and relates the events using the pronouns “he”, “she”, “it” and “they”
124
tone
the attitude that a character, narrator or writer takes towards a given subject
125
trope
an idea, phrase or image that is recurrent in a writer's work
126
villanelle
a 19-line poetic form consisting of five tercets (made up of three lines) followed by a quatrain (consisting four lines)
127
volta
a change in mood or focus in a poem
