Quotes - Terms + Analysis Flashcards
Terms - Quotes
Question
Answer
“He was as brave as a lion.”
Simile
Highlights similarities between two things, creating vivid imagery or emphasizing a key quality.
“Time is a thief.”
Metaphor
Creates strong imagery, conveys complex emotions or ideas in a compact form.
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
Personification
Brings inanimate objects or abstract ideas to life, making the text more relatable or vivid.
“She sells seashells by the seashore.”
Alliteration
Draws attention to specific phrases, creates rhythm or mood.
“The early bird catches the worm.”
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds within words.
Creates internal rhyme, enhances the musical quality of the text.
“The bees buzzed in the garden.”
Onomatopoeia
Brings the scene to life by mimicking real sounds, engaging the reader’s senses.
“He was so hungry he could eat a horse.”
Hyperbole
Exaggeration for effect.
Emphasizes a point, evokes strong emotions or humour.
“Deafening silence.”
Oxymoron
Contradictory terms placed together.
Creates tension, highlights conflicting emotions or situations.
“Love and hate.”
Juxtaposition
Placing contrasting ideas or images next to each other.
Highlights differences, creates tension or irony.
“The dove is a symbol of peace.”
Symbolism
Adds depth to meaning, links objects or ideas to broader themes.
“The fire station burned down.”
Irony
When the opposite of what is expected occurs.
Highlights contrast between appearance and reality, adds humour or critique.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Rhetorical Question
Engages the reader, makes them reflect on the issue being raised.
“The golden sun set over the shimmering sea.”
Imagery
Paints vivid pictures, immerses the reader in the scene or emotion.
“The dark clouds loomed on the horizon.”
Foreshadowing
Builds suspense, creates expectations for the reader.
The writer’s attitude or mood in the text.
Tone
Reveals emotions or opinions, shapes the reader’s emotional response.
“The gloomy setting cast a mood of despair.”
Mood
The atmosphere created by the text.
Influences how the reader feels, complements the themes.
“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
Repetition
Reinforces key ideas, builds tension or creates rhythm.
“Wanna” instead of “want to.”
Colloquialism
Use of informal language or slang.
Makes the text more relatable, reflects character or setting.
Conversation between characters.
Dialogue
Reveals character traits, advances the plot, or adds realism.
“When I was younger, I used to play in these fields.”
Anecdote
A short, personal story.
Adds credibility, makes the text more engaging or personal.
“The snake slithered silently through the grass.”
Sibilance
Creates a hissing effect, evokes calm, menace, or tension.
“He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”
Allusion
A reference to another text, event, or person.
Connects the current text to broader ideas or themes, adds depth.
“He thought back to the day he first met her.”
Flashback
Provides background information, develops characters or themes.
“He passed away” instead of “he died.”
Euphemism
A mild or indirect way of saying something harsh.
Softens the impact of harsh realities, creates understatement.
“The moment the door swung open, everything changed.”
Climax
Builds to a peak of action or emotion, grabs the reader’s attention.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Antithesis
Contrasting ideas placed side by side.
Highlights the differences, creates emphasis or drama.
“The innocent children were brutally attacked.”
Emotive Language
Words used to provoke an emotional response.
Evokes specific emotions, influences how the reader feels.
“I walked down the street, lost in thought.”
First-Person Narration
Story is told from the narrator’s perspective using “I”.
Creates intimacy, lets the reader experience the character’s thoughts.
“She stared out of the window, lost in thought.”
Third-Person Narration
The narrator describes events using “he,” “she,” or “they”.
Provides a broader view of the events or characters.
“The recurring image of the moon symbolizing change.”
Motif
A recurring element that has symbolic significance.
Reinforces themes or ideas throughout the text.
“The storm raged as he felt anger rising inside him.”
Pathetic Fallacy
Mirrors the emotional tone, sets the mood.
“Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.”
Anaphora
Repetition of words at the beginning of successive sentences.
Creates emphasis, builds momentum or emotional intensity.
“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
Epistrophe
Repetition of words at the end of successive sentences.
Stresses a point, creates rhythm or emphasis.
The battle was already raging as the hero arrived.
In Medias Res
Beginning a narrative in the middle of action.
Engages the reader immediately, creates intrigue or urgency.
“Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.”
Foil
A character who contrasts with another character.
Highlights key traits of the main character by contrast.
“Hamlet’s˜To be or not to be” speech.”
Monologue
A long speech by one character.
Reveals the character”s thoughts, emotions, or motivations.
“Hamlet’s soliloquy on death.”
Soliloquy
A speech where a character speaks their thoughts aloud.
Provides insight into the character’s inner thoughts.
“A horse is a very stable animal.”
Pun
A play on words, often humorous.
Adds humour, highlights double meanings or clever wordplay.
“What goes around comes around.”
Cliche
An overused phrase or idea.
Can reveal laziness in thought or reflect common attitudes.
“The footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing closer.”
Tension
Builds anticipation, keeps the reader engaged.
“I wonder… what could it be?”
Ellipsis
Creates suspense or indicates unfinished thoughts.
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Tricolon
Three parallel clauses, phrases, or words.
Adds rhythm, emphasizes key points, memorable.
“With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder.”
Polyptoton
Repetition of the same root word in different forms.
Highlights different meanings or nuances of the same word.
“Snake” (often connotes deceit or danger).
Connotation
Adds layers of meaning, influences how the reader interprets the text.
“Happy I am” (inverted syntax).
Syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases.
Affects tone, pace, and emphasis within a sentence.
“We lived and laughed and loved and left.”
Polysyndeton
Repetition of conjunctions in quick succession.
Creates a sense of overwhelming, slows down the pace.
“She eats, sleeps, drinks.”
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions between phrases or clauses.
Speeds up the pace, creates a sense of urgency or impact.
“He’s such a waste of space.”
Derogatory
Language used to belittle or insult someone or something.
Creates a negative tone, emphasizes contempt or judgment, may reveal character attitudes.
“She bought apples, oranges, pears, bananas, and grapes.”
Cumulative Listing
Listing items to build up information or detail.
Creates a sense of abundance or overwhelming detail, draws attention to the extent of something.
“He was calm; she was frantic.”
Contrast
Highlights differences, emphasizes conflict, adds drama or tension.
“We need to stand together.”
Collective Pronouns
Pronouns like “we”, “our”, “us” that group people together.
Fosters unity or inclusivity, creates a sense of shared responsibility or identity.
“She walked with confidence, her head held high.”
Characterisation
The process by which a writer develops a character.
Reveals character traits, motivations, or changes, helps to build empathy or distance.
“Her laugh was melodious.”
Diction
The choice of words used by the writer.
Affects tone, mood, and clarity, reveals the writer’s or character’s style.
“As a doctor, I believe this treatment is the best.”
Ethos
Appeal to the writer’s credibility or character.
Builds trust, makes the argument more persuasive by establishing authority.
“The patient is in V-fib.”
Jargon
Specialized language used by a particular group.
Can show expertise or alienate readers, adds realism to specific fields.
“According to statistics, 90% of people agree.”
Logos
Appeal to logic and reason.
Persuades through logical argumentation, appeals to rationality.
“She will definitely pass the exam.” (high modality)
“She might pass the exam.” (low modality)
Modality
The degree of certainty expressed in language (high or low modality).
Reveals the speaker’s confidence or doubt, impacts the level of assertiveness.
“Think of the children left behind.”
Pathos
Appeal to emotions.
Evokes an emotional response, creates empathy or sympathy.
“Less is more.”
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.
Encourages deeper thinking, highlights complex or ironic truths.
“The big bang shattered the silence.”
Plosives
Harsh consonant sounds (p, b, t, d).
Creates emphasis, can add aggression, abruptness, or tension to the tone.
“The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room.”
Sensory Imagery
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
Engages the reader’s senses, immerses them in the scene.
“No more.”
Truncated Sentences
Short, incomplete sentences.
Creates tension, urgency, or abruptness, can reflect a character’s emotional state.
“He snarled at his opponent.”
Zoomorphism
Attributing animal characteristics to humans.
Conveys primal instincts, suggests power, aggression, or vulnerability.
“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.”
Anadiplosis
Repetition of the last word of a sentence at the beginning of the next.
Creates emphasis and links ideas together, builds momentum.
“He ran, jumped, leaped.”
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions in a list.
Speeds up the rhythm, creates urgency, emphasizes action.
“Marley was dead, to begin with.”
Epigraph
A short quotation at the beginning of a text, hinting at its theme.
Sets the tone, introduces key themes, adds depth through intertextual reference.
“Sweet, she was not.”
Hyperbaton
Inversion of the normal order of words.
Creates emphasis on specific words, alters the rhythm or flow.
“Why do we fight? Because we must.”
Hypophora
Asking a question and then immediately answering it.
Engages the reader, allows the writer to guide the argument, reinforces key points.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (pen = writing, sword = military force)
Metonymy
Replacing the name of something with something closely related.
Adds symbolic meaning, makes connections between ideas or concepts.
“The loud colours of the room.”
Synaesthesia
Describing one sense in terms of another.
Blends sensory experiences, creates a richer, more vivid description.
“All hands on deck.” (hands = sailors)
Synecdoche
A part is used to represent the whole.
Emphasizes a key part of something, adds symbolism, creates concise imagery.
