Literary Devices and Concepts

Flashcards covering key literary devices and concepts for exam preparation.

Juxtaposition

The intentional placing of two things close together to highlight the contrast.

Mood

A literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers.

Parallel Structure

Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.

Pathetic Fallacy

Attribution of human feelings and emotions to inanimate things.

Faulty Reasoning

Offers a conclusion that is not logically supported by data.

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language to evoke a mental image.

Irony

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.

Personification

Attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman.

Allusion

An expression designed to call something to mind without explicitly mentioning it.

Simile

A figure of speech comparing one thing with another using 'like' or 'as'.

Understatement

A situation presented as being smaller or less important than it actually is.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses.

Counter Argument

Acknowledging standpoints against your argument while reaffirming your own.

Synecdoche

A kind of metonymy where a part of something is used to represent the whole.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word.

Denotation

The strict, literal definition of a word.

Figurative Language

Writing that does not carry literal meaning, often imaginative.

Complex Sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and one dependent clause.

Chronological Sequence

The arrangement of events or ideas in the order they occurred.

Refute

To prove a statement to be wrong.

Compound Sentence

A sentence with two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A sentence with three clauses: two independent and one dependent.

Polysyndeton

A list of items separated by conjunctions.

Asyndeton

A construction in which conjunctions are omitted from a series.

Cumulative Sentence

A type of parallel sentence that builds upon itself after a main clause.

Periodic Sentence

A type of parallel sentence where the main clause comes last.

Colloquialism

A common or familiar type of saying.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked only for effect, not to elicit a reply.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear together.

Allegory

A narrative that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

Zeugma

Using one word to modify two other words in different ways.

Antithesis

Two opposite or contrasting ideas presented in parallel structure.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation.

Anecdote

A short, amusing, or interesting story about a real incident.

Synaesthesia

A rhetorical device that associates one sensory experience with another.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely placed words.

Concrete

Observable or physical words used to describe something.

Abstract

Words that intend a secondary meaning beneath the surface.

Subjective

Based on individual perspectives and opinions.

Objective

Based on verifiable data and evidence.

Literal

Taking words in their most basic and usual meaning.

Figurative

Describes something often through comparison with something else.

Warrant

Justification or authority for an action, belief, or feeling.

Claim

To state or assert that something is the case.

Rebuttal

A statement that says something is not true.

Extended Metaphor

A detailed comparison that extends throughout a work.

Interrogative Question

A question that gathers information.

Imperative Sentence

A sentence that gives an instruction or command.

Apostrophe

Speaking to a non-present person or personified thing.

Concession

Yielding to an opposing perspective during an argument.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Parallel Syntax

Repetition among adjacent sentences or clauses.

Expert Testimony

The use of statements from recognized authorities to support a claim.

Quantitative Data

Information that can be measured or expressed numerically.

Fallacy

An error in reasoning that weakens an argument.

Antimetabole

Repetition of a phrase with the order of words reversed.

Amplification

The process of enlarging or adding detail to a story.

Inversion

The action of reversing something.

Litotes

Ironic understatement where an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary.

Epigram

A clever saying or remark expressing an idea.

Reflection

Throwing back light or heat without absorbing it.

Archetype

A very typical example of a certain person or thing.