Flashcards Literary Devices Study Guide

Allegory

an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances

allusion

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event

ambiguity

unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning

anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase as the beginning of successive clauses

anecdote

short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

antagonist

the character who works against the protagonist in the story

antihero

a protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine)

antithesis

a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced

antithetical

sharply contrasted in character or purpose

aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

asyndeton

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions

chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")

cliche

a trite or obvious remark or idea

colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

conceit

a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

conflict

opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

dialect

the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

diction

Word choice

didactic

Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing

elliptical construction

a sentence containing a deliberate omission of words. In the sentence "May was hot and June the same," the verb "was" is omitted from the second clause

epithet

any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality

explication

the interpretation or analysis of a text

figurative language

Writing or speech that is used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things, [examples are metaphor, simile, and personification.

flashback

a transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story

foreshadowing

the act of providing vague advance indications

hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration

imagery

language that appeals to the senses

irony

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually happens

juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

local color

The use of specific details to re-create the language, customs, geography, and habits of a particular area.

metaphor

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

metonymy

substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in 'they counted heads')

motivation

The reasons for a character's behavior

onomatopoeia

using words that imitate the sound they denote

oxymoron

conjoining contradictory terms (as in 'deafening silence')

paradox

(logic) a self-contradiction

parody

a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way

personification

the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.

plot

the sequence of events in a story

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

protagonist

the main character, who must overcome obstacles and resolve the conflict

pun

a humorous play on words

rhetorical question

a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered

satire

form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly

stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people

symbol

an object that is used to represent something else (usually a larger, philosophical and more important idea)

theme

a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work

understatement

the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.

warrant

underlying assumption in an argument