LITERARY TECHNIQUES Flashcards
Absurdism
focuses on the characters in a situation where they cannot add any meaning or purpose, which questions the truth and value of life.
Allegory
An allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device.
Analogy
Analogy is a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Anaphora
Is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of every clause.
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Anomaly
In a text, an anomaly is something which deviates from what is normal or expected
Apostrophe
Apostrophe refers to a speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together in a sentence or verse.
Cliché
An over-used, common expression
Diacope
Is the repetition of words or phrases with one or more new words in between.
Consonance
Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sounds in a line of text.
Dialect
A dialect is a form of English spoken by a particular group, such as a group of people from a particular region.
Dialogue
A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film.
Diction
Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
Emotive language
Words that stir the readers emotions
Enjambment
A poetic technique is when a sentence or phrase runs over more than one line(or stanza). Enjambment is an interesting technique. Visually, this gives the sense that the poem flows between lines. However, in utterance, enjambment leads to a pause between the lines when spoken aloud. This effect is known as REJET. Composers often use this to disrupt the flow of a poem or contrast distinct images or ideas.
Epistrophe
Is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several sentences or clauses in a row.
Form
Purpose and features of a text influence its construction and will suggest its structure
Flashback
A flashback is a scene appearing in a text that occurs earlier than the main narrative. Flashbacks can have many effects.
Fragmented/Truncated sentences
Incomplete sentences used to increase tension or urgency, or reflect the way people speak to each other. Sentence fragments are sentences that cannot stand on their own.
Free Verse
No set structure or rhyme.
Hyperbole
A literary term for exaggeration. This is a simple technique, so refer to it sparingly
Visual Imagery
It uses qualities of how something looks visually to best create an image in the reader’s head.