Quarter 3 Vocab Flashcards
What is Anaphora?
The deliberate repetition of the first part of a sentence for emphasis and rhythm.
Examples:
“I have a dream that one day… I have a dream that one day…” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” – Charles Dickens
“Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
What is Apostrophe?
A literary device in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, concept, or object as if it were present and capable of responding.
Examples:
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” – The Bible
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!”
“Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” – Shakespeare
What is Asyndeton?
The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence for effect, creating a sense of speed and urgency.
Examples:
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” – Julius Caesar
“He was a bag of bones, a floppy doll, a broken stick, a maniac.” – Jack Kerouac
“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe.” – John F. Kennedy
What is Polysyndeton?
The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions to slow down rhythm and add emphasis.
Examples:
“Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses and schools and lawns like carpets, and books, and mostly—mostly—let them have their whiteness.” – Maya Angelou
“We have ships and men and money and stores.” – Shakespeare
“And it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights and windows broke and boats all up in the town.” – Ernest Hemingway
What is Colloquial?
Informal, everyday language or slang used in literature to create realism or regional speech.
Examples:
“I ain’t got no money, and I don’t care none.”
“Y’all better come quick before he gets away!”
“We was havin’ us a real fine time, just sittin’ on the porch.”
What is Inversion?
A literary technique where normal word order is reversed for emphasis or poetic effect.
Examples:
“In the night sky shimmered the stars.”
“Strong he was in the force.” – Yoda, Star Wars
“Shocked, I was, to hear the news.”
What is Juxtaposition?
The placement of two contrasting ideas, characters, or images close together to highlight their differences.
Examples:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” – Charles Dickens
“All’s fair in love and war.”
“Darkness and light fought for control of the sky.”
What is Assonance?
The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, creating a musical or rhythmic effect.
Examples:
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”
“Try to light the fire.”
“Hear the mellow wedding bells.” – Edgar Allan Poe
What is Tautology?
The unnecessary repetition of the same idea in different words.
Examples:
“I personally think that this is the best choice.”
“It was a free gift.”
“The reason why is because…”
