literary devices Flashcards
when a series of words begins with the same consonant sound
alliteration
A reference to another part of text
allusion
Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of each line of a poem
anaphora
Repeating vowel sounds in words close together in a sentence or phrase
assonance
Actor talks to themselves or directly to the audience
aside
Character faces problem/obstacle in story
conflict
Authors word choice
diction
Introduction of story that gives us background information
exposition
Phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a point across
figurative language
An insight to what may happen later in the story
foreshadowing
Exaggerated statement
hyperbole
What you expect to happen, the opposite happens
irony
Effect of the tone
mood
Symbol that repeats itself throughout a text
motif
Something that seems to be ridiculous, but makes more sense when you think about it
paradox
Structure where the verb tense is the same
parallelism
Sentence structure
syntax
creates the mood
tone
Central idea/lesson expressed throughout the story
theme
Something is used to represent another thing
symbol
Compares two like things using “like” or “as”
simile
main character in story
protagonist
a poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities
personification
the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it
onomatopoeia
comparing two unlike things without using “like” or “as”
metaphor
placing two things side by side so as to highlight their differences
juxtaposition
play on words
pun
