Literary Terms

Question 1

Superlative

Answer 1

Highest degree or most extreme level of a quality or characteristic

Emphasise a quality or characteristic, make it stand out, create comparison, create importance, add drama and excitement, more engaging and interesting

Question 2

Pathetic Fallacy

Answer 2

Human emotions, feelings or traits are attributed to objects, animals or nature

Create deeper emotional impact enhance overall mood, create empath and connection between reader and subject matter, convey symbolism, reflect human emotions, foreshadowing

Question 3

Juxtraposition

Answer 3

Two or more contrasting/opposing ideas, words or images are placed next to each other

Creates emphasis, highlights differences, makes comparison, adds tension, irony, humour, makes text more engaging, adds surprise or shock, provoke a deeper understanding, adds complexity or ambiguity

Question 4

Tricolon

Answer 4

.

Creates emphasis, rhythm, sense of completeness, balance and power, memorable and persuasive, create a progression or climax, builds momentum or anticipation

Question 5

Allegory

Answer 5

A story can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (moral or political), uses symbolism to represent abstract concepts, ideas or values

Draw connection to human/social issues, creates a second layer of meaning, communicates/critiques society, invokes emotion, inspiration and provides guidance

Question 6

Alliteration

Answer 6

Sequence of words in a phrase or sentence begin with the same letter or sound

Makes language more memorable, pleasing and rhythmic sound, sense of cohesion, emphasis on ideas, emphasise a mood of playfulness, melancholy or urgency

Question 7

Anaphora

Answer 7

A word or group of words is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses of sentences

Creates a powerful, memorable and persuasive message, draws attention, creates urgency, sense of unity, shared experience

Question 8

Anthopomorphism (Personification)

Answer 8

Non-human or non-living things are portrayed as having human-like characteristics

Creates a sense of familiarity with characters, helps the reader empathise, engaging

Question 9

Archetype

Answer 9

A universal symbol or pattern that appears across different cultures and time periods, represents a shared human experience

Creates familiarity with audience/reader, can evoke powerful emotional response and resonate with people from different backgrounds, accessible and engaging, creates depth and meaning

Question 10

Colloquialism

Answer 10

A word or phrase that is commonly used in informal conversation or writing

Create sense of familiarity, convey a particular mood, create sense of identity, unprofessional or inappropriate in a formal setting

Question 11

Cumulative sentence

Answer 11

Multiple clauses in a sentence

Makes a sense of buildup or progression, creates a flowing descriptive style, presents a vivid image, creates anticipation or suspense

Question 12

Dramatic Irony

Answer 12

Audience or reader knows something that the characters do not

Creates tension for audience, anticipation

Question 13

Flashback

Answer 13

Takes the reader or audience back to a previous time in the story, used to provide background information or add depth and complexity

Add tension and suspense

Question 14

Foreshadowing

Answer 14

Hints at or suggests future events in a story

Creates a sense of anticipation, suspense, adds complexity

Question 15

Hyperbole

Answer 15

Exaggeration for emphasis or effect

Emotional, humorous or dramatic impact, emphasising intensity or importance, make a point more memorable, impactful and vivid

Question 16

Hypophora

Answer 16

The speaker or writer asks a question and then immediately answers it

Used to anticipate and address the concerns of the audience or to emphasise a particular point, creates a sense of engagement, clarity and coherence

Question 17

Imagery

Answer 17

Use of figurative language to create sensory experiences by engaging the readers senses and emotions uses vivid and descriptive language to paint a mental picture or evoke a sensory experience

Engages the senses, creates a vivid and memorable experience, adds depth and richness, connection between reader and text, overwhelming, distracting

Question 18

Irony

Answer 18

Contradiction between what is expected and what actually happens

Creates humorous, sarcasm, emphasis. Used to challenge assumptions or expectations or to highlight contradictions, adds depth and complexity

Question 19

Isocolon

Answer 19

Phrases of clauses that have an equal or parallel structure in terms of length and rhythm

Creates a balanced, harmonious effect, symmetry, rhythm, makes it memorable and effective, adds clarity, adds emphasis by highlighting important ideas

Question 20

Juxtraposition

Answer 20

Two contrasting things are placed side by side for comparison or contrast

Creates a deeper meaning by highlighting differences, creates tension and interest by emphasising differences, used to create humorous or irony, create surprising effect

Question 21

Litotes

Answer 21

Understatement is used to emphasise an idea be negating its opposite

Creates irony or makes the point more strongly, subtle and indirect way of emphasising a point, can soften the impact of a statement, less aggressive, adds depth and complexity

Question 22

Metaphor

Answer 22

Implied comparison between two things that are not actually alike

Creates a vivid, imaginative description of something by drawing comparison, provides a fresh perspective, deeper understanding, creates emotional impact, easier to relate

Question 23

Motif

Answer 23

Ruccuring image, symbol, theme or idea

Helps unify a work and give it meaning, unity, coherence, highlights key ideas, adds depth and richness, helps reinforce meaning or message, create anticipation

Question 24

Onomatopoea

Answer 24

Use of words to imitate the sounds they describe

Creates a sensory experience for the reader using an auditory element, makes language more vivid and dynamic, more engaging

Question 25

Oxymoron

Answer 25

Two contradictory words are combined to create a single phrase

Create a contrast or tension between two ideas, add humorous or emphasise a point, creates unique imagery, vivd, makes the reader think more deeply, memorable

Question 26

Polysyndeton

Answer 26

Several conjunctions (and, or, not) are used in close succession with no commas or punctuation to separate them

Creates a sense of urgency or intensity, never-ending stream of thoughts, creates a rhythm or cadence, engaging and memorable, highlights significance

Question 27

Asyendeton

Answer 27

Conjunctions are deliberately omitted

Creates a sense of spontaneity and urgency, rapid progression, emphasis, power

Question 28

Repetition

Answer 28

Repetition of a phrase or sentence

Creates emphasis or reinforces a theme, emphasise ideas or importance, creates rhythm or pattern, more memorable or engaging, unity or cohesion, monotonous and boring, loses meaning

Question 29

Satire

Answer 29

The use of humour, irony or exaggeration to criticise or ridicule a person, group or society

tool of social commentary, calls for attention on important issues, can be controversial, offensive or misunderstood

Question 30

Simile

Answer 30

Compares two different things using ‘like’ or ‘as’

Creative, memorable, vivid images, make unfamiliar more familiar, helps readers better understand abstract concepts, adds depth and richness, makes the text more engaging

Question 31

Soliloquy

Answer 31

A character speaks their thoughts out loud, usually when alone on stage

Powerful tool for character development, creates a sense of intimacy between audience and the character, reveals important plot information

Question 32

Tautology

Answer 32

Same statement is repeated using different words

Makes the statement seem redundant and unnecessary, creates sense of confusion and frustration in readers

Question 33

Zoomorphism

Answer 33

Animal tributes are given to human or inanimate objects. A type of metaphor that uses animal characteristics to describe human behaviour or characteristics

Critique or satirise, create a sense of objectivity and distance when depicting humans as animals