Literary Analysis of Fables and Poetry Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, literary devices, and moral themes from the fable 'The Boy and the Wolf' and Paul Chidyausiku's poem 'The Porcupine'.

Moral of 'The Boy and the Wolf'

Nobody believes a liar, even when they are telling the truth.

Paul Chidyausiku

The author of the poem 'The Porcupine'.

Porcupines

Animals that admit to being slow and clumsy compared to rabbits and antelopes, but possess quills as a defense mechanism for survival.

Quills

A defense mechanism of porcupines that protects them from danger, causes pain to hunting dogs, and cannot easily be removed by humans.

"Flesh-eating masters"

A negative phrase used in 'The Porcupine' to describe humans and criticise human cruelty towards animals.

Enjambment

A poetic device where lines continue without stopping, creating flow.

Personification

A poetic device where porcupines are given human abilities like teaching and speaking.

Simile (in 'The Porcupine')

A poetic device comparing quills to a jungle ('Quills stand out like a jungle of spikes').

Metaphor (in 'The Porcupine')

A poetic device comparing humans to 'flesh-eating masters'.

Imagery

A poetic device that creates pictures of sharp quills, animals, and danger.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration used to emphasise speed, danger, or strength.

Irony (in 'The Porcupine')

A literary element where porcupines seem weak because they are slow, but their defence makes them powerful.

Tone of 'The Porcupine'

Confident, critical of humans, and slightly sarcastic.