enlgish literary devices quiz

Literary Devices

Specific aspects of literature where readers can identify and recognize components of language.

Literary elements

particular identifiable characteristics of a whole text (theme, setting, conflict, POV, etc)

Literary techniques

any specific, deliberate constructuions or choices of language an author uses to convey meaning in a particular way.

Literary terms

words which we identify and designate literary elements and techniques; not “used” by authors

Allegory

where every aspect of story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually revealing a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds within close proximity, usually in consecutive words within the same sentence of line

Antagonist

Counterpart to the main character and source of a story’s main conflict. The person may not be “bad” or “evil” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in some way

anthropomorphism

where animals or inanimate objects are portrayed in a story as people with human actions/characteristics (personification)

Blank verse

non-rhyming poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter

character

the people who inhabit and take part in a story (look at the essential function of the character as a whole in the story)

Characterization

author’s means of conveying to the reader a character’s personality, life history, values, personal attributes, etc.

climax

turning point of a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable; usually the point where suddenly something goes terribly wrong

conflict

struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story; there is a resolution to the story

creative license

exaggeration or alteration of objective facts or reality, for the purpose of enhancing meaning in a fictional context