Literary Devices and Their Examples

These flashcards cover key literary devices discussed in the lecture, including definitions and examples for better understanding and retention.

What is Comic Relief?

A literary device that introduces humor or an amusing scene to provide a break in the intensity of a drama or tragedy.

What is a Conceit in literature?

A literary device that uses a surprising or elaborate metaphor to compare two unlike things.

Define Connotation.

The emotional, cultural, or implied meaning of a word beyond its literal definition.

What literary device is characterized by the repetition of consonant sounds within a group of words?

Consonance.

Define Couplet.

A literary device consisting of two consecutive lines of poetry that often rhyme and share the same meter.

What is Diction?

A writer’s choice of words and style of expression.

What is a Dactyl?

A metrical foot in poetry consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

Define Denotation.

The literal, dictionary definition of a word with no emotional associations.

What is Denouement in a story?

The final part where the plot's conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.

Explain Deuz ex Machina.

A plot device where a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved by the unexpected introduction of a new character, object, or event.

What is Dialect?

A specific form of language characterized by unique vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation used to reflect a character’s background.

What does Dramatic Irony mean?

A literary device where the audience knows something that a character in a play or story does not.

Define Dystopia.

An imagined society with severely bad or oppressive conditions, the opposite of a utopia.

What is an Elegy?

A literary work that laments a death or expresses sorrow for a loss, usually found in poems.

What is an Ellipsis?

A rhetorical device that omits words or phrases to create a pause or allow the reader to infer meaning.

Define Epanalepsis.

A rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated after intervening text for emphasis.

What is Enjambment?

A line of poetry that does not end with punctuation, causing the sentence to continue onto the next line.

What is Epiphany in literature?

A sudden, profound moment of realization or insight that changes a character's understanding.

What is an Epistolary Novel?

A literary work written in the form of letters, diaries, emails, or blog posts.

Define Epistrophe.

A rhetorical device that repeats a word or phrase at the end of successive sentences for emphasis.