Literary terms Flashcards
Allusion
a figure of speech that references a historical event, object or person
Theme
the central idea of a literary work
Simile
when a similarity between two objects is directly expressed with like or as
Metaphor
an anology giving the first object one or more qualities of the second object through some image
Personification
gives inanimate objects, animals, ideas or abstractions humanlike qualities
Irony
the recognition of reality different than apperance
Synesthesia
concurrent respone of two or more senses to the stimulation of one
Verbal Irony
figure of speech where the actual intent is opposite of what is expressed in words
Dramatic Irony
knowledge held by the audience but hidden from the characters
Alliteration
repition of initial identical consonant sounds in words close together
Consonance
when the final consonant in words agree with each other but their preceding vowels do not
Assonance
the patterning of vowel sounds without regaurds to consonants
Apostrophe
when someone, usually but not always absent, is addressed through the present
Hyperbole
an exaggeration usually used to heighten effect or add humor
Synecdoche
a trope where the part signifies the whole and vice versa
Setting
the background for which any action takes place
Trope
figure of speech involving a turn or change of senses
Onomatopoeia
words whose sounds suggest their meaning (buzz, boom, pop)
Imagery
the collection of images in a literary work
Tone
attitude toward the subject and audience implied in a literary work
Foreshadowing
presentation of material in a work that later events are prepared for
Aethetics
the study or philosophy of beauty in nature and art
Anaphora
when the same expression is repeated at the beginning of two or more sentences
Ethos
the qualites or set of emotions a speaker has to affect an audience
