Literary Devices Overview

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering essential literary devices and their definitions.

Motif

A recurring image, word, or idea that reinforces a theme.

Theme

The central message or insight about life.

Conflict

An internal or external struggle (character vs. self, society, etc.).

Foreshadowing

Hinting at future events.

Allegory

A story or image with a hidden, often moral or political meaning.

Connotation

Emotional meaning of a word.

Denotation

Literal meaning of a word.

Ambiguity

Deliberate uncertainty or multiple meanings.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting ideas or images side by side.

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structure.

Contrast

Difference between ideas, tones, or characters.

Refrain

A repeated line or phrase in poetry.

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word(s) at the beginning of successive lines.

Syntax

Sentence structure: long vs. short, complex vs. simple, fragmented.

Diction

Word choice, including formal/informal, simple/complex, emotional/neutral.

Point of View

The perspective from which the story is told (first person, second person, third person).

Tone

The writer's attitude towards the subject.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere created for the reader.

Voice

The distinct style or personality in the writing.

Unreliable narrator

A speaker whose perspective may be biased or false.

Monologue

A character's extended speech revealing inner thoughts.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.

Symbolism

Using an object or image to represent a larger idea.

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to the five senses.

Allusion

Reference to another work, event, or person.

Irony

When the opposite of what's expected occurs.

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words side by side.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sound.

Rhyme

Pattern of end sounds in poetry.

Meter

Rhythmical pattern of a poem.

Enjambment

When a line of poetry continues without a pause onto the next line.