Literary Devices Flashcards
person, place, thing, or event used to represent something else
Symbolism
a figure of speech in which apparent contradictory terms appear in conjunction
Oxymoron
long rhetorical list or inventory
Catalogue
a sudden revelation, frequently inspired by a seemingly trivial incident
Epiphany
A character technique in which a character is duplicated, usually in the form of an alter ego or two distinct personalities
doppelganger
attempts to depict the mental/emotional reactions of the characters to external events rather than the evens themselves
Stream of Consciousness
a direct address to absent or dead person or nonhuman thing as if it could understand
Apostrophe
to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses
Imagery
the repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants
Assonance
a reference in a work of literature to something outside of the work, especially to a well-known historical or literary event, person, or work
Allusion
used in literary discussions to refer to the correspondence of consonants, repetitive consonant sounds
Consonance
a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea or generalization about life
Allegory
an explicit comparison between two things frequently using “like” or “as”
Simile
A character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character
Foil
occurrence when a previously unsolvable problem is suddenly solved with the introduction of a new character ability, or object
Deus Ex Machina
verbal or dramatic hints that suggest events to come
Foreshadowing
figure of speech in which emphasis is achieved by deliberate exaggeration
Hyperbole
word or phrase that is used to make a comparison between two people, things, animals, or places
Metaphor
the use of words whose sounds express or suggest their meaning, frequently natural elements
Onomatopoeia
A statement that appears illogical or contradictory on the surface but may point to a deeper meaning
Paradox
a speaker communicates something that is intentionally contradictory to the meaning contained in the words the speaker uses
Verbal Irony
a discrepancy between what is expected and what happens
Situational Irony
situation where the character is unaware of something the audience knows
Dramatic irony
A terse, frequently memorable, statement which expresses a general truth or a moral principle
Aphorism
the giving of human characteristics to a non-human object
Personification
an interruption in the current sequence of events of a story that shows a past event in order to clarify or amplify the current event
Flashback
a repetition of sounds, usually consonants, in two or more words of a phrase, line of poetry, or sentence.
Alliteration
