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Grade 12 English > Literary Devices > Flashcards

Literary Devices Flashcards

1
Q

Allegory

A

a story in which characters and events have a continuing underlying message

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2
Q

Alliteration

A

repetition of initial consonants in a sequence of words

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3
Q

Allusion

A

a brief reference to something

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4
Q

Analogy

A

an extended metaphor (comparison of 2 things)

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5
Q

Anachronism

A

Placing a person, thing or event out of its correct time or period

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6
Q

Anecdote

A

a brief, illustrative, usually humorous narrative

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7
Q

Anti-climax

A

let-down of expectations at the end of a build-up

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8
Q

Anti-hero

A

main character who nevertheless displays no traditional noble virtues

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9
Q

Aside

A

remark made by a stage character which others on stage do not hear

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10
Q

Atmosphere

A

a feeling the writing creates by words, symbols, setting

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11
Q

Cacophony

A

use of harsh sounds to create an unpleasant effect

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12
Q

Catharsis

A

purging of emotions like pity and fear

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13
Q

Characterization

A

methods by which characters traits of fictional people are suggested (flat, dynamic)

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14
Q

Citing authority

A

referring to important people to support ideas

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15
Q

Colloquialism

A

an expression used in informal conversation but not accepted universally in formal speech or writing

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16
Q

Comic Relief

A

amusing material inserted in serious plays

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17
Q

Complication

A

event which sends the plot in a new direction

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18
Q

Connotation

A

the felt meaning of word, what is suggests

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19
Q

Contrast

A

juxtaposition of 2 elements to emphasize their differences

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20
Q

Denotation

A

the primary dictionary definition of a word

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21
Q

Diction

A

choice of words for a particular purpose

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22
Q

Direct address

A

directing comments to the reader

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23
Q

Drama

A

a literary form designed for the theatre

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24
Q

Dramatic Irony

A

situation in which the audience knows more than at least one character

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25
Euphony
use of sweet sounds to create a pleasant effects
26
Exaggeration
to make something seem greater than it actually is; to overstate
27
Exposition
type of writing in which the writer explains, informs or persuades
28
Figurative language
language using figures of speech such as metaphors, simile and personification
29
First Person narrative
telling a story from "I" or "we" point of view
30
Foreshadowing
hint of future occurrences
31
Genre
a literary form such as a play, novel or poem
32
Hamartia
error of judgement or tragic flaw which leads to the downfall of a tragic hero
33
Hook
what grabs the readers attention
34
Hubris
pride which leads to fall
35
Humor
the quality of anything that is funny or appeals to the comic sense
36
Iambic Pentameter
pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables repeated 5 times in a line of poetry
37
Imagery
sensual mid-pictures created by authors words, something forming clusters when similes/metaphors are repeated, 5 types: visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic and gustatory
38
Irony
the recognition of a reality different that appearance
39
Juxtaposition
placing side by side
40
Leitmotif
a recurring word, image or theme that unifies a literary work
41
Loose sentence
a sentence grammatically complete at some point before the end
42
Lyric
usually short, non-narrative poem showing single speaker, in presence of another, delivers a speech which becomes a poem
43
Metaphor
implied comparison
44
Monologue
speech by one person
45
Onomatopoeia
meaning of a word is suggested by its sound
46
Oxymoron
2 words side by side but opposite in meaning
47
Paragraph hook
device in topic sentence of paragraph connecting new topic to what has gone on before
48
Parallelism
the arrangement of parts of a sentence, sentences, paragraphs and larger units of composition such that one element of equal importance with another is similarly developed and phrased
49
Paradox
apparently contradictory, but true upon closer inspection
50
Pathetic Fallacy
natural phenomena seem to respond emotionally to human situations
51
Pathos
sympathy created by writing devices
52
Periodic sentence
a sentence not grammatically complete before its end, its construction throws the mind forward to the idea that will complete its meaning
53
Persona
put-on or assumed personality
54
Personification
giving human traits to a non-human
55
Plot
sequence of plot events
56
Poetic license
poets freedom to depart from strict rules of grammar, style and fact
57
Protagonist
main character in a play, novel, or other work
58
Pun
a play on words
59
Resolution
tie-up at the end of the story
60
Repetition
repeating of a key word or phrase to give emphasis and rhythm
61
Rhetorical devices
techniques used to persuade, emphasize or create a stylistic effect
62
Rhetorical question
a question to which the answer is obvious and implied
63
Rhyming couplet
a pair of rhymed lines, usually showing the end of an act or scene
64
Rhyme
recognizable pattern in the beats or stresses in poetry
65
Rising action
series of events leading towards a climax
66
Sarcasm
saying the opposite of what you mean, intending to wound the target
67
Satire
critical writing which holds society up to ridicule in order to improve it
68
Sentence structure
using loose and periodic sentences, using abnormal word order
69
Sentence variety
length (short vs long), kind (simple, complex, compound, compound complex) to gain variety in prose
70
Setting
time and place of the action
71
simile
comparison using like or as
72
Soliloquy
speech made by character alone on the stage
73
Sonnet
14 line poem with a problem and a solution
74
Stanza
grouping of lines into a verse paragraph
75
Statistics
quantitative data, pertaining to a subject or group, especially when systematically gathered and collated
76
Symbol
making something stand for something else
77
Theme
statement of meaning
78
Thesis
statement of what the author attempts to prove
79
Third person narrative
telling a story from he, she, it, or they point of view
80
Tone
the speakers of writers attitude to the audience, character or material
81
Tragic hero
a person in a drama with good and bad traits who falls from a high position
82
Typography
the style and appearance of printed matter
83
Understatement
a figure of speech in which the literal sense of what is said falls detectably short of the magnitude of what is talked about
84
Verbal irony
the gap between what is said and what is meant
85
Wit
surprise in language or idea

Grade 12 English (1 decks)

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