literary devices

Question 1

Alliteration

Answer 1

Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other, usually on the
same or adjacent lines; to establish tone, create rhythm

Example: fast and furious

Question 2

Assonance:

Answer 2

Repeated accented vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines; to create a mood or place emphasis on important words

Example: He’s a bruisin’ loser

Question 3

Consonance:

Answer 3

Repeated stressed consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other, usually on the
same or adjacent lines. = pleasing near rhyme, emphasis, slows reader down

boats into the past

Question 4

Cacophony

Answer 4

A series of harsh, unpleasant sounds to convey disorder; a harsh and jarring scene for the readers.

Example: My stick fingers click with a snicker

Question 5

Euphony:

Answer 5

A series of musically pleasant sounds, conveying a sense of harmony and beauty, soothe a reader

Example: Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Question 6

Repetition:

Answer 6

The purposeful re-use of words and phrases for an effect. may contain a different key word each time (parallelism); emphasis/urgency

Example: I was glad; so very, very glad.

Question 7

Allegory:

Answer 7

A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning that is understood only after reading the entire poem; conveys hidden, complex meaning

Question 8

Allusion:

Answer 8

A brief reference to some person, historical event, work of art, or Biblical or mythological
situation or character; adds meaning

Question 9

Apostrophe:

Answer 9

Speaking directly to a real or imagined listener or inanimate object; addressing that person or
thing by name; conveying emotion

Example: O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done…

Question 10

Connotation:

Answer 10

A word’s associations apart from its literal meaning; can be positive, negative, or neutral

Question 11

Contrast:

Answer 11

Closely arranged things with strikingly different characteristics; emphasis

Question 12

Euphemism:

Answer 12

An understatement, used to lessen the effect of a statement; substituting something innocuous for something that might be offensive or hurtful; soften tone

Example: She is at rest. (meaning, she’s dead)

Question 13

Hyperbole:

Answer 13

An outrageous exaggeration used for effect, emphasis

Example: He weighs a ton.

Question 14

Irony:

Answer 14

A contradictory statement or situation to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true.

Example: Wow, thanks for expensive gift…let’s see: did it come with a

Question 15

Metaphor:

Answer 15

A direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one is the other or does the action of the other; establish imagery

Example: He’s a zero. Example: Her fingers danced across the keyboard.

Question 16

Oxymoron:

Answer 16

A combination of two words that appear to contradict each other, dramatic effect, emphasis

Example: a pointless point of view; bittersweet

Question 17

Paradox:

Answer 17

A statement in which a seeming contradiction may reveal an unexpected truth; causes reader to pause & consider meaning

Example: The hurrier I go the behinder I get.

Question 18

Personification:

Answer 18

Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or abstract idea, adds emotion

Example: The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.

Question 19

Simile:

Answer 19

A direct comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as.”

Example: He’s as dumb as an ox.

Question 20

Symbol:

Answer 20

An ordinary object, event, animal, or person to which we have attached extraordinary meaning and
significance

a flag to represent a country, a lion to represent courage, a wall to sy

Question 21

Synesthesia:

Answer 21

An attempt to fuse different senses by describing one kind of sense impression in words normally used to describe another.

Example: The sound of her voice was sweet.