Literary Terms & Devices Flashcards
Alliteration- example: peter piper picked….
The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words.
Allusion- example: My Achilles’ heel is ice cream
A reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Analyze- ex: we found out that he was shy because he blushed when his name was called.
Discover or reveal something through detailed examination.
Assonance- ex: she seems to beam sunshine with her eyes of green
The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose.
Consonance- ex: The rat wore a hat to sit on the mat
Repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines.
Diction- ex: yo, what up dog.
Diction- The choice of words, their arrangement, and the force, action, and distinction as to which they are used.
Figurative Language- ex: I slept like a log
Using language to convey something other than the literal meaning.
Hyperbole- ex: I´m going to kill you
An outrageous exaggeration used for effect
Imagery- sticky, juicy, rotten, buzz
Descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five senses.
Literal Language- you are being so rude
A form of language in which writers and speakers mean exactly what their words denote (dictionary definition).
Metaphor- ¨heart of gold¨
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else.
Mood- Happy, depressing, bitter-sweet
The overall feeling the poem or literature creates for the reader.
Onomatopoeia- ¨tik-tok¨
The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.
Paraphrase- In his Ted Talk he talked about how life is hard and we can get through it.
The act or process of restating or rewording.
Personification- The jelly donuts were so good normal donuts would get jealous.
Assigning human qualities to nonhuman things.
Point of View- pov of a heartbroken teenager
The voice or persona in a piece of writing.
Repetition- she said that she really ,really , really wanted to hang out.
The purposeful re-use of words and phrases for an effect.
Repetition- you are so fun , I love your hair in a bun, especially when it is hot in the sun.
Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, esp. when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.
Rhythm- you are NOT my mom and you CANNOT tell me what to do
The pattern of long and short syllables in a poetic line. In modern poetry, some words receive greater vocal emphasis than others.
simile- He is as quite as a mouse
an expressed comparison between two distinctly different things, especially using like or as.
Summarize- In conclusion she was old and didn´t have any family when she past so we had to give all of her stuff away.
A brief statement or restatement of the main points.
Symbolism- a blanket can represent warmth
using an object to represent an idea. A symbol means what it is and also something more.
Theme- never give up on your dreams
A unifying idea/message that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work.
Tone- saddened - it was a terrible tragedy that will be in our hearts forever
The speaker’s attitude about the topic.
