Poetic and literary devices Flashcards
metaphor
A figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in ortder to suggest a ressemblance. Ex:
Henry was a lion on the battlefield.
A mighty fortress is our god.
Simile
A comparison marked by the use of the words as or such as or like.
Ex
quiet as a mouse
Allusion
A reference to something related to common knowledge in history or literature.
Ex:
She had a cinderelle wedding.
I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s.
Alliteration
The repetition of the first consonant sound at the beginning of a series of following words.
Ex:
Seven steaks sizzled.
The wicked witch of the west went her own way.
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds.
Ex:
My word like silent raindrops fell.
Get the flour in an hour, and if it’s sour, throw it in the shower.
Personification
Giving human characteristics to an animal, object or idea.
Ex:
The hours crawled by like years.
Paradox
An apparent contradiction, which is nevertheless somehow true. Paradoxes in literature can be used to take aim at the overall theme of a story.
Ex:
Winners know how to lose.
If I know one thing, it’s that I know nothing.
Here are the rules; ignore all the rules
Expect the unexpected
My advice to you, is to never listen to other people’s advice.
Sometimes we cherish things of little value.
Oxymoron
The setting together, for effect, of two words of contradictory meaning.
Ex: burning cold
screaming whisper
silent scream
bright darkness
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration used for effect.
Ex:
I’ve told you a hundred times.
I’m starving.
The suspense is killing me.
Symbolism
Used to signify ideas and qualities by givong them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Ex:
A wedding ring is a symbol of commitment
Pun
Play with words.
Ex:
I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
He drove his expensive car into a tree and fout out how is Mercedez bent.
He had a photographic memory that was never developped.
A horse is a very stable animal.
An elephant opinions carries a lot of weight.
Euphemism
Downsizing the matter. Used to refer to the literary practice of using a comparatively milder or less abrasive form of a negative description instead of its original, unsympathetic form.This device is used when writing about delicate subjects such as sex, violence, death, crimes and embarrassing things.
ex:
Gone to heaven (polite way of saying he is dead).
You aren’t poor, you are economically disadvantaged.
Collateral damage (civilians)
Adult entertainment
Friendly fire (shot by another soldier of his team by accident.)
Chiasmus
A figure of speech containing two phrases that are parallel but inverted to each other.
Ex:
He should put less fire in his speech, and more of his speech in the fire.
One should eat to live and not to live to eat.
You can take the patriot out of the country but you cannot take the country out of the patriot.
Verbal irony
constrast between what is said and what is meant
Ex:
Nice weather (It’s storming outside)
Dramatic irony
Constrast between what a character thinks to be true and what we know to be true.
Ex:
Romeo and Juliet
Situational irony
Contrast between what happens and what was expected.
Ex:
Looking for a knife but all you can fin are spoons.
Satire
Making fun of people by using silly or exaggerated language. Politicians are easy targets for it, especially when they’re acting self-righteous or hypocritical.
Ex:
Simsons mock America Way of Life
Truman show mocks reality show
Charlie Chaplins critic Hitler
Parody
Imitates a particular writer, artist or genre. It exaggerates it deliberately to produce a comic effect. The humorous effect in parody is achieved by overstressing noticeable features of a famous piece of literature, as in caricatures, where certain peculiarities of a person are highlighted to achieve a humorous effect.
Ex:
The Scary Movie (horror movies)
Airplane (disaster movies)
Metonymy
A figure of speech that replace the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated.
Ex:
sword (military might)
Hollywood (movie industrie)
the White House (the U.S. government)
Analogy
Literary technique in which two unrelated things are compared for their shared qualities. It’s a string rhetorical devices used to make rational arguments and support ideas by showing connections and comparisons between dissimilar things that have the same qualities.
Ex:
Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.
Just as a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon, so we must come out of our comfort zone.
Archetype character
Refers to a concept, a person or an object that has served as prototype of its kind and is the original idea that has come to be used as an example. Whereas many think that they are mainly defining characters, this term can be used to describe structural patterns found in plot lines; the problem, the quest, the final action or through the theme of a story; Romeo and Juliet are thematic archetypes of eternal love or dramatic irony.
Ex:
The Hero: wonder women, Harry potter
The magician: gandalf
The outlaw: Han solo, batman
The sage: Obi Wan Kenobi, Yoda
Foil character
Is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the protagonist). He somehow provides a reflective contrast to the reader. As a result, the foil highlights the qualities (good or bad) of the main character.
Understatement
Saying less than what is meant, for effect. Helps develop other figures of speech such as irony and sarcasm by deliberately decreasing the severity of a situation when an intense response is expected:
Ex:
It rained a bit more than usual (while the area was flooded after a heavy rainfall)
It is a bit cold today (it is below -30 degree celcius)
