English 10H: Literary Elements and Devices

Flashcards for English 10H: Literary Elements and Devices

Theme

The message conveyed through the piece of literature.

Setting

Where and when the story takes place.

Characterization

The method by which the author builds or reveals a character through their relationships, physical appearance, actions, thoughts, or words.

Allusion

A reference to another literary work.

Personification

Giving human attributes to an inanimate object.

Diction

A writer’s choice of words.

Anaphora

Repetition of initial word or words for emphasis.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in a sequence of words.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which exaggeration or overstatement is used for special effect.

Rhyme

Repetition of the same (or similar) vowel or consonant sounds.

Repetition

Purposeful repetition of a word or phrase to achieve an effect.

Malapropism

The usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase.

Pun

Purposeful use of a word that sounds the same.

Double Entendre

Playing with two different meanings of the same word.

Dramatic Irony

Tension created by the contrast between what a character says or thinks and what the audience or readers know to be true.

Irony (situational)

A pointed discrepancy between what seems fitting or expected in a story and what actually happens.

Irony (verbal)

A figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says one thing but means something else, or when what is said is the opposite of what expected.

Stream of Consciousness

A technique in which the writing attempts to imitate a natural thought process.

Vignette

A short and descriptive piece of writing that captures a brief period in time; more focused on vivid imagery and meaning rather than plot.

Story Cycle

A fragmentary novel, or a set of stories connected so that the reader's experience of each one is modified by the experience of the others.

Stage Directions

Used in drama to identify and describe the actions of characters, how lines should be delivered, and important details of setting.

Flashback

A scene in a narrative that is set in an earlier time than the main action.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side for sake of comparison and contrast.

Conflict

The tension, problem, or struggle which drives the plot (can be internal or external).

Symbol

One thing used to represent another.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory).

Foreshadowing

Something which hints at something to come later.

Structure

The organization of a piece of literature.

Monologue

In a play, a speech given by one person.

Motif

A recurring pattern of images, words, or symbols that reveals a theme in a work of literature.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but actually is not.

Simile

A comparison between two similar things using 'like' or 'as'.

Metaphor

A comparison between two things directly stated in the text.

Point of View

The perspective from which the story is told.

Narrator

The person telling the story.

Unreliable Narrator

When the text presents clear questions regarding the believability of the narrator.

Mood

The feeling created for the reader by a literary work.