Literary Devices

Question 1

Inference

Answer 1

a rational deduction based on premises assumed to be true

Question 2

Flashback

Answer 2

an interruption in the chronological order of the narrative

Question 3

Internal Rhyme

Answer 3

when a middle word and the end word of a line rhyme with each other

Question 4

Allusion

Answer 4

a figure of speech that refers to well known stories, events, people, or objects in order to make a comparison in the reader’s mind

Question 5

Imagery

Answer 5

using figurative language to show actions, objects, and ideas that appeal to our physical senses

Question 6

Syntax

Answer 6

the order in which words are spoken, sentence structure

Question 7

Hyperbole

Answer 7

an over exaggeration of ideas to show how someone feels about something else

Question 8

Consonance

Answer 8

repetitive sounds produced by contestants within a sentence or a phrase generally in a quick succession, “pitter patter”

Question 9

Mood

Answer 9

evokes a certain feeling in readers through the words and description of the author, the overall atmosphere of a literary piece

Question 10

Metaphor

Answer 10

comparison made between two unrelated objects to show similar traits, a direct comparison without using like or as

Question 11

Meter

Answer 11

the rhythm or syllabic pattern in a line or a verse

Question 12

Symbolism

Answer 12

the act of using a word or object to represent a complex idea or emotion

Question 13

Foreshadow

Answer 13

a literary device where an author uses an advance hint of what is to come in a future event

Question 14

Diction

Answer 14

the style of speaking/writing determined by the choice of words by the speaker/writer

Question 15

Paradox

Answer 15

self-contradictory, may hold a concealed truth

Question 16

Onomatopoeia

Answer 16

the sound of a word echoes the meaning

Question 17

Point of View

Answer 17

the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers hear and see what takes place in a literary piece

Question 18

Assonance

Answer 18

the occurrence of a series of repeating, stressed vowel sounds that are close enough to one another to resemble an echo

Question 19

Connotation

Answer 19

the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning

Question 20

Denotation

Answer 20

a word’s literal meaning or main definition, absent of emotion, opposite of connotation

Question 21

Alliteration

Answer 21

when a number of words that have the same first consonant sound occur close together

Question 22

Personification

Answer 22

an idea, object, or animal is given human attributes

Question 23

Pacing

Answer 23

speeds up or slows down a sentence

Question 24

Speaker

Answer 24

the narrative voice that speaks of a writer’s feelings or situation, not necessarily the author

Question 25

Tone

Answer 25

speaker’s attitude toward a subject

Question 26

Simile

Answer 26

a comparison using like or as

Question 27

Free Verse

Answer 27

poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhyme with fixed form

Question 28

Theme

Answer 28

the central idea, topic, or point of a literary piece