Literary Techniques Flashcards
Allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a phrase
e.g. “…o brawling love, o loving hate, o anything, of nothing first created!”
Paradox
A contradiction or dilemma
Assonance
Repetition of similar vowel sounds
Situation Irony
Contrast between what we expect to happen and what really happens
Dramatic Irony
A circumstance in which the audience or reader knows more about a situation than a character
Connotation
All the meanings, associations or emotions that a word suggests
Irony
A statement that means the opposite of what it seems to mean
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds (creates mood)
Verbal Irony
A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant
Symbolism
A person, place, thing or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself. (Universal symbols: dove=peace, heart=love)
Metaphor
Compare objects by directly identifying one thing as another
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor that continues over a long span of time or throughout a piece of poetry
Indirect Metaphor
Makes a comparison, but does so indirectly
Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.
