Literary Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Allegory

A

A fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts
Ex) “Mr. Wordly Wiseman”

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2
Q

Allusion

A

Reference to another thing, idea, or person

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3
Q

Analogy

A

Asks the reader to think about the correspondence or resemblance between two things that are essentially different

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4
Q

Antithesis

A

An opposition or contrast of ideas that is often expressed in balanced phrases or clauses

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5
Q

Apostrophe

A

When a character or a thing is elevated to such a high status that it appears godlike

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6
Q

Elegy

A

Work of music, literature, dance, or art that expresses sorrow. Mourns the loss of something.

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7
Q

Euphemism

A

A mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh, indelicate, or simply a less pleasant idea
Ex) using “departed” rather than “dead”

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8
Q

Hyperbole

A

Exaggeration used to emphasize

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9
Q

Irony

A

When a situation produces an outcome that is the opposite of what is expected

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10
Q

Alliteration

A

Repetition of constant sounds, usually at the beginning of words

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11
Q

Litotes

A

A special form of understatement, where the surface denial serves, through ironic contrast, to reinforce underlying assertion.
Exs) “He’s no fool” means “He is wise” or “Not uncommon” means “frequent”

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12
Q

Metaphor

A

Comparison without using like or as

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13
Q

Metonymy

A

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
Ex) “The Crown forbids grazing in the commons”

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14
Q

Mood

A

The prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event

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15
Q

Oxymoron

A

Combines two contradictory words in one expression

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16
Q

Onomatopoeia

A

An effect created by words that have sounds that reinforce their meaning

17
Q

Paradox

A

A seeming contradiction that in fact reveals some truth

Ex) “he lifted himself up by his bootstraps”

18
Q

Parallelism

A

Repetition of similar grammatical components

19
Q

Personification

A

Ideas or objects are described as having human qualities

20
Q

Rhetorical question

A

A question that is asked for the sake of argument

21
Q

Simile

A

Comparison using like or as

22
Q

Synecdoche

A

A form of a metaphor. A part of something used to signify the whole
Ex) “all hands on deck”

23
Q

Tone

A

AKA: attitude- the way the author presents a subject.

Ex) can be serious, scholarly, humorous, mournful or ironic

24
Q

Loose sentences

A

When a main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units. A loose sentence makes sense if brought to a close before the period.

25
Q

Periodic sentences

A

Has main clause at the end of the sentence with additional grammatical units leading up to the point. A periodic sentence does not make sense until the end.

26
Q

Anaphora

A

The use of a word referring to or replace a word used earlier in a sentence, to avoid repetition

27
Q

Aphorism

A

A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner

28
Q

Asyndeton

A

Absence of conjunctions

29
Q

Inverted syntax

A

A reversal of normal word order

Ex) “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

30
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Absence of conjunctions

31
Q

Polysyndeton

A

Lots of conjunctions