Literary Devices Flashcards
Alliteration
Words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group.
Allegory
Symbolism or rhetorical device, suggests a meaning via metaphorical examples
Analogy
Helps establish a relationship based on similarities between two concepts or ideas.
Characterization
Step-by-step process wherein a character of a story is brought to notice and then detailed upon fr the reader.
Examples: character’s words, thoughts, actions, etc.
Diction
A distinctive tone or voice of an author’s writing.
Can set the mood, attitude, dialect and style of writing.
Dialect or Slang
A form of informal communication or specific to a particular region.
Simile
A comparison of two things using “like” or “as”
Hyperbole
Use if extreme exaggeration
Personification
Figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics
Foreshadowing
Author’s use of hints or clues to give the reader an idea of what may happen
Imagery
Words or phrase that appeal to the five senses
Help create a vivid description for the reader
Mood
The atmosphere or feeling the author creates within the piece if writing
Point of view
The perspective from which a story is told.
1st person vs 3rd person objective vs 3rd person omniscient
Setting
The time and place of the events described in a literary work
Symbolism
Anything that stands for or represents something else
Tone
The attitude of the author toward the subject that he/she us writing
Metaphor
An implied comparison of two things by directly identifying one with the other
Ambiguity
Not clear in meaning
Onomatopoeia
Word that sounds like what it describes
Oxymoron
Combining two apparently contradictory elements, often humorous
Allusion
A figure of speech that refers to a well known person or thing.
Cliche
A common phrase used by everyone.
