Literary Devices, Voice & Theme Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key literary terms, devices, and distinctions from the English 2 review sheet.

Alliteration

Repetition of beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, story, or work.

Diction

An author's choice of words.

Figurative Language

Language that goes beyond the literal meaning to create an effect.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Metaphor

A direct comparison of two unlike things without using like or as.

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere a text creates for the reader.

Motif

A recurring image, idea, object, or concept that helps develop a larger idea.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates or suggests a sound.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a possible truth.

Personification

Giving human qualities or actions to something nonhuman.

Punctuation

Marks an author uses to control pacing, emphasis, rhythm, and voice.

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

Symbolism

When an object, person, place, or image represents a larger idea.

Syntax

The way words and sentences are arranged.

Theme

A defensible, universal message about life or human experience supported by evidence.

Tone

The author's or speaker's attitude toward the subject.

Voice

The distinctive personality or style of the writer/speaker, created through choices such as diction, syntax, punctuation, and tone.