Literary Devices/Techniques Flashcards
Bildungsroman (genre)
A novel that deals with the development of a young person, usually from adolescence to maturity; it is frequently autobiographical
Parallel Structure (Parallelism)
rhetoric figure that accentuates or emphasizes ideas or images by using grammatically similar constructions
Setting
combination of place, historical time, and social environment that provides background for characters and plot of a literary work
Anaphora
exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences; type of parallelism
Point of View
the vantage point from which a narrative is told
First person participant
major character tells the story, chiefly about himself
First person observer
minor character tells a story that focuses on someone than himself
Third person omniscient
author tells the story and can enter the mind of any and all characters, thus a reader knows what any and/or all of them think
Third person limited omniscient
an author tells the story with the focus on one character. Readers know the thoughts of only this one character and only can know of the scenes where this character is present
Third person dramatic objective
extremely limited point of view where the narrator is a mere observer and can only tell the actions and words of characters
Polysyndeton
repetition (3 or more) of one of the FANBOYS
Puns
rhetorical figure involving a play on words that capitalizes on a similarity in spelling and/or pronunciation between words that have multiple meanings
Metaphor
One things is spoken of as though it were something else; an implied comparison (DOES NOT use like or as)
Antithesis
rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed; juxtaposition of contrasting ideas and tone
Simile
a figure of speech which uses like, as, than, or resembles to make a comparison between two basically unlike subjects
Hyperbole
obvious and deliberate exaggeration or overstatement
Personification
human characteristics are given to non-human things
Tone
attitude of the author toward the reader, audience, or subject
Mood
synonymous with atmosphere - feeling created in the reader - and tone - author’s attitude toward the reader, the subject, or the audience
Plot
sequence of events in a narrative
- Exposition
setting the scene. The writer introduces the characters and setting, providing description and background.
- Inciting Incident
something happens to begin the action. A single event usually signals the beginning of the main conflict. The inciting incident is sometimes called ‘the complication’.
- Rising Action
the story and tension between characters builds and gets more exciting.
- Climax
the moment of great tension in a story. This is often the most exciting event. It is the event that the rising action builds up to and that the falling action follows.
- Falling action
follows the climax; represents the working out of the decisive action of the climax
- Denouement
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the ending of a story; the disengaging of characters, the unraveling of the plot; main character resolves the confilct
- Conflict
a struggle between opposing forces. This may be internal or external.
Internal conflict
is when a character struggles with some part of himself
External conflict
is when a character struggles with some outside force, such as another character, society as a whole, nature, or a supernatural force.
