Literary devices papaer 1

In preparation for IB English Paper 1A

Allegory

A work that conveys a hidden meaning - usually moral, spiritual or political - through the use of symbolic characters and events.

Alliteration

A figure of speech in which the sound sound repeats in a group of words

Allusion

An unexplained reference to something or someone outside of the text.

Anachronism

A person or object placed in the wrong time period - e.g. a move theatre in Medieval England. Is usually used for comedic or satiric effect.

Analogy

A comparison that aims to explain a thing or an idea by likening it to something else.

Anaphora

A figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases or sentences.

Antanaclasis

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated within a sentence, but the word or phrase means something different each time it appears - e.g., we must all hang together, or assuredly, we will all hang separately.

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of human characteristics, emotions and behaviours to non-human things

Antithesis

A figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually with parallel grammatical structures.

Aporia

A rhetorical device in which a speaker expresses uncertainty or doubt (which can be used falsely for effect) as a way of making a point.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly adresses someone that is not present or cannot respond in reality. The entity being addressed can be absent, dead, or imaginary.

Assonance

A figure of speech in which the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words.

Asyndeton

A figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions (and/or/but) that usually usually unite words or clauses are omitted. This omission can transform a sentence from one that merely states something to one that implies exasperation or fatality.

Blank verse

The name given to poetry that lacks rhyme but that does follow a specific meter - which is almost always iambic pentameter.

Cacophony

A combination of words that sounds harsh or unpleasant together, usually because they involve a lot of percussive or explosive consonants into relatively little space.

Catharsis

The process of releasing pent-up emotions through art. It means ‘to cleanse’ or ‘to purge’ describing the release of emotional tension that a spectator will feel.

Characterisation

The traits, emotions or psychology of a character in a narrative.

Climax

Refers to a figure of speech in which successive words, phrases, clauses or sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance.

Colloquialism

The use of informal words or phrases placed within writing or speech.

Conceit

A highly elaborate or extended metaphor, in which an unlikely or far-fetched comparison is made between two things.

Connotation

The array of emotions or ideas suggested by a word in addition to its dictionary definition.

Consonance

A figure of speech in which the same consonant sound repeats within a group of words.

Diacope

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated with a small number of intervening words.

Dramatic Irony

A plot device used to highlight the difference between a character’s understanding of a given situation, and that of the audience’s.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break.

Epanalepsis

A figure of speech in which the beginning of a clause or sentence is repeated at the end of that same clause or sentence, with words intervening.

Epigram

A short and witty statement, usually written in verse, that conveys a single thought or observation.

Epistrophe

A figure of speech in which one or more words repeat at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Euphony

The combining of words that sound pleasant together or are easy to pronounce, usually because they contain lots of consonants with soft or muffled sounds (like L, M, N, and R) instead of consonants with harsh, percussive sounds (like T, P, and K).

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines or even paragraphs of a text, making use of multiple, interrelated metaphors within an overarching one.

Foreshadowing

A literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don’t occur until later in the story.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which the writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis.

Imagery

Refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses.

Irony

A literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are.

Juxtaposition

Occurs when an author places two things side by side as a way of highlighting their differences.

Litotes

A form of understatement in which a sentiment is expressed ironically by negating its contrary - e.g., it’s not the best weather today.

Logos

One of the three modes of persuasion - it appeals to the audience’s sense of logic or reason.

Metaphor

Compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other.

Metonymy

A type of figurative language in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it.

Motif

An element or an idea that recurs throughout a work of literature - often collections of related symbols.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point - ‘proud humility.’

Paradox

A figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which contains an element of truth. ‘Life is much too important to be taken seriously.’

Parallelism

A figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure - usually to intensify the rhythm or to draw a comparison.

Pathetic fallacy

Occurs when a writer attributes human emotions to things that aren't human, such as objects, weather, or animals. It is often used to make the environment reflect the inner experience of a narrator or other characters. ‘The flowers on the grave dropped in sadness.’

Pathos

One of the three modes of persuasion which appeals to the audience’s emotion.

Personification

A type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes. It helps writers to powerfully capture the human experience of the world.

Polysyndeton

A figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and," "or," and "but" that join other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of equal importance—are used several times in close succession, particularly where conjunctions would normally not be present at all.

Repetition

Where a word or phrase is repeated two or more times.

Satire

Satire is the use of humour, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Usually involves exaggeration to help make a point about an issue or concept.

Sibilance

A figure of speech in which a hissing sound is created within a group of words through the repetition of "s" sounds.

Similie

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also use other words that indicate an explicit comparison.

Synecdoche

When a part of something is used to refer to its whole.

Denotative

Exact meaning

Connotative

Suggested meaning

Monosyllabic

one syllable

Polysyllabic

Many syllables

Jargon

Vocabulary for a profession

Homespun

Folsy, homey, nativeE

Trite

cannon, banal, stereotype

pedantic

bookish, scholastic, dictatic

Aphorism

Unvversal comment, sayings, proverbs, coveys major points.

Declarative

Assertive a statment

Imperative

a command

Simple sentace

one subject one very

Loose sentence

details after subject and verb

Periodic sentence

Details after subject and verb

Ellipses

Trailing off dream like state

Colon

list

Dash

used to interrupt thoughts

Semicolon

parallel ideas

Anecdotal Evidence

a tale involving a real life story to back up claims

Invective

Emotionally violent, abusive language

Expletive

a single word or phrase of emphasis interrupting normal speech. eg. I suppose, in fact, in deed.

Synthetic personalization

Addressing mass audiences as through they were individuals, through inclusive language,

Inclusive language

we, you, us

Undertone

Attudide that lies under the survive

Abbiguity

Many interpretations are possible.

Appeal to authority

referencing a person or event to add credibility.

Tricolor

groups of 3

Bandwagon

Hop on to this trend

Testimonial

Indorsed by a celebrity

Plainfolk

everyday manp

Snob appeal

Need to be better than others

Glittering generalization

assummed idea