Literary Techniques Flashcards
To memorise literary techniques
Story with a double meaning: one primary (on the surface) and one secondary. An allegory is an extended metaphor where objects, persons and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings outside of the narrative. The meaning of an allegory can have moral, social, religious, or political significance, often relatable to the context of the author.
Allegory
A subtle or indirect reference to another thing, text, historical period, or religious belief.
Allusion
the repetition of sounds at the start of a word in two or more words in close proximity.
Alliteration
A statement or aspect of a text that lacks a clear or singular meaning.
Ambiguity
The act of attributing human qualities to a non-human figure.
Anthropomorphism
occurs when similar vowel sounds appear close together. This repetition can occur anywhere in the word, not only at the start.
Assonance
An over-used, common expression.
Cliché
Repetition of consonants throughout a sentence or phrase.
Consonance
the deliberate positioning of two or more objects/events/characters who have different characteristics. This is often done to accentuate their unique individual qualities.
Contrast
Any text that instructs the reader or is obviously delivering a moral message.
Didactic
Words that stir the readers’ emotions.
Emotive language
A poetic technique, when a sentence or phrase runs over more than one line (or stanza). _______ is an interesting technique. Visually, this gives the sense that the poem flows between lines. However, in utterance, enjambment leads to a pause between lines when spoken aloud. This effect is known as a Rejet. Composers often use this to disrupt the flow or a poem or contrast distinct images or ideas.
Enjambment
Mild expression used to replace a harsh one.
Euphemism
Exclamatory sentence ending in “!” to convey high emotion.
Exclamation
Metaphor, metonymy, hyperbole, simile, personification, assonance, alliteration, consonance, onomatopoeia, etc. These devices have a powerful impact as they work on our senses to strengthen the subject matter of the text.
Figurative language
Purpose and features of a text influence its construction and will suggest its structure.
Form
an allusion to something that will happen later in the narrative.
Foreshadowing
a scene appearing in a text that occurs earlier than the main narrative. Flashbacks can have many effects.
Flashback
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.
Truncated/fragmented sentences
A literary term for exaggeration. This is a simple technique, so refer to it sparingly.
Hyperbole
What is not said; whose voice isn’t heard and whose voice dominates?
Gaps & silences
Vivid pictures created by words. Reader visualises character/setting clearly.
Imagery
Comparison of 2 objects where one becomes another – adds further layers of meaning about the object being compared.
Metaphor
Human characteristics given to a non-human object. Inanimate objects take on a life.
Personification
the attribution of human emotions to nonhuman objects, particularly objects of nature. Note that the term should just apply to the ascription of emotions, not thoughts or other properties.
Pathetic fallacy
A statement that is self-contradictory or logically unacceptable but has valid reasoning based on a true premise. It is a juxtaposition of contradictory-yet-interrelated ideas which have a hidden truth.
Paradox
The repetition of words or syntax (order of words) for emphasis or persuasion. Repetition does matter, but it is an extremely easy technique to identify, so you should refer to it sparingly, and always analyse it further. Never point out that repetition of a term emphasises the term. Instead, think critically about what the repetition actually suggests.
Repetition
