Literary Techniques Flashcards
What is an analogy? Give an example
A comparison made between something that is known and something less familiar (Time is money so spend it wisely)
What is the Exposition?
Writer introduces characters, setting, conflict
What is the RA?
Series of events develop a problem or conflict
What is the climax?
Characters succeed or fail at solving conflict (turning point). An event or choice made by the protagonist that changes the ending of the story.
What is the resolution?
All conflicts in the story are wrapped up
What are the 2 types of conflicts? What is the difference?
Internal - involves insight into a character’s motivations and inner turmoil
External - involves a character battling against a force outside of them (Another person or nature itself)
What are the seven main literary conflicts?
Person vs. Self, Person vs. Society, Person vs. Nature, Person vs. Technology, Person vs. Person, Person vs. Supernatural (God), Person vs. Destiny
When does the conflict occur in a story?
Conflicts occur during the Rising Action, right before the Climax
Can the protagonist of the story also be the antagonist of the story?
Yes, if they are dealing with inner turmoil against themselves
What is Foreshadowing?
A reference that hints about an event that will happen later on in the story
What is a flashback?
An interruption in a work of fiction that presents an earlier event
What is the antagonist?
Whomever or whatever the protagonist comes into conflict with
What is Assonance?
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, enhancing rhythm and creating musicality (Bright night lights, Quick Flicks)
What are the 4 types of characters?
Tragic, Pathetic, Static, and Dynamic
What is a Tragic character? Give me an example.
A character who makes errors in judgement or actions which leads to their downfall. (Romeo’s love for love, he falls too fast)
What is a Pathetic character?
Invokes “pathos” a feeling of pity, which is created due to the character’s deep suffering
What is a Static Character?
A character that doesn’t change throughout the story, never learning the life lesson the audience intends them to.
What is a Dynamic Character?
A character that changes before the end of the story and learns the life lesson through conflict
What is diction?
Word choice or sentence structure that makes up a distinct tone of voice (Formal, Informal, Slang, Poetic)
What is an Allusion?
A figure of speech that refers to a famous person, place or event (He was the “Good Samaritan” who funded the orphanage)
What is a Fable?
A fictional story with a direct and clear moral (General truth, Rules of conduct, and appropriate behaviours) such as the Scorpion and the Frog
What is a Simile?
A phrase or sentence which compares an object or person with something else to make a description (She was as sharp as a pencil)
What is a Metaphor?
A figure of speech that compares two things by stating one thing is another (The exam was a piece of cake)
What is Alliteration?
A series of words that begin with the same constant sound (Peter’s piglet pranced priggishly) Constant: no a,e,i,o,u,y
What is Imagery?
Visually descriptive or figurative language in a literary work (Auditory, Visual, Tactile)
What are the two types of Imagery?
Tactile (texture, Gustatory-sour, Olfactory - Fragrance or odor) and Taste (one bite of the sour lemon caused my lips to pucker)
What are the 3 Ironies?
Dramatic, Verbal, Situational
What is Dramatic irony?
When the reader or audience knows something that the character does not (LTTS where Mary cooks the lamb and feeds it to the officers)
What is Verbal irony?
When the speaker says something different from what they mean (Boy, this skin rash is a pleasure to experience)
What is Situational irony?
When an event or outcome takes place which is the opposite of what we expect (A blizzard of snow on the first day of spring)
What is the setting?
Time, place, and mood the story is written in
What is Pathetic Fallacy?
When the settings represent human emotion (Character is sad and it is raining, sadness is reflected by gloomy day)
What is another Pathetic Fallacy?
Gives emotion to something that is non-human (Angry storms began to roll in)
What is Oxymoron?
Placing two opposite words together (The food was awfully good)
What is Anthropomorphism?
The attribution of human traits, feelings, and behaviours to inanimate objects or nature (The trees reached out with dangly arms)
What is Onomatopoeia?
When words sound like the noise being described (Crunch went the leaves, the cars smashed into each other)
What is Symbolism?
When one thing is meant to represent something else (The colour black symbolizes death)
What is point of view?
How the story is told and the characters’ beliefs
What is 1st person
The narrator talks about themselves (I, me, my, we, our, us, mine)
What is 2nd person?
The narrator talks to the reader directly (She thought the boy liked her) (You, your, yourself)
What is 3rd person?
The narrator talks about other people (he, she, it, they, their)
What is Omniscient?
No bias or preference, full knowledge of all characters and situations
What is Limited?
Only knowing what is going on inside the heart and mind of one person
What is Characterization?
A combination of direct and indirect descriptions regarding a character’s inner and outer appearance
What is the difference between Direct and Indirect Characterization?
Direct - direct information about the character from the author
Indirect - when the author makes readers infer information and draw their own conclusions.
