U, V, W, and Z Lists Literary Devices Flashcards
the idea that a play should be limited to a specific time, place, and story line; the events of the plot should occur within a 24-hr period, should occur within a given geographic locale, and should tell a single story
unities
the presentation or framing of something as less important, urgent, awful, good, powerful, and so on, than it actually is, often for satiric or comical effect; the opposite of hyperbole, it is often used along with this technique and for a similar effect
understatement
a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant
verbal irony
a broad term that refers to a piece of writing that is metered and rhythmic
verse
a short narrative scene or description, often one in a series; if a story or novel is composed of a series of these, it often relies on a thematic, rather than a plot-driven, structure
vignette
a 19-line lyric poem that relies heavily on repetition; the first and third lines alternate throughout the poem, which is structured in six stanzas–five tercets and a concluding quatrain; much of the power of this form lies in its repeated lines and their subtly shifting sense or meaning over the course of the poem
villanelle
key turning point in the end of the poem; last stanza, last/next to last line
volta
techniques by which writers manipulate language for effect; ex: puns, or double entendres (expressions with two meanings)
wordplay
a technique in which one verb is used with multiple (and often incongruous) objects, so that the definition of the verb is changed, complicated, or made both literal and figurative; ex: “they covered themselves with dust and glory;” he was alternatively cudgelling his brains and his donkey when, passing the workhouse, his eyes encountered the bill on the gate”
zeugma
