IB English A: Literary Techniques

tone

attitude of the narrator or speaker

diction

word choice

Mode

what is the form of the text? [Text only?] [Multimodal = text & visual, for example]

Imperative language

an authoritative command

allusion

a reference to something outside of the text, e.g. history, literature, culture

metaphor

direct comparison of an object to something else

simile

indirect comparison of an object to something else (uses "like" or "as")

personification

human-like description of a non-human object

pathetic fallacy

The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature; for example angry clouds; a cruel wind.

visual imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight

auditory imagery

details that appeal to the sense of sound

gustatory imagery

imagery descriptions that invoke the sense of taste

olfactory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell

kinesthetic imagery

language that creates a sense of motion

symbol

something that stands for an abstract idea

alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds (not aeiou) at the beginning of words

assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds (middle or end)

sibilance

hissing sounds represented by s, z, sh

rhyme

A pattern of the repetition of sounds at the end of words

cacophony

Harsh sounds (opposite of rhyme and melody)

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

repetition

again and again! Anything can be repeated: words, lines, techniques, sounds, metaphors, symbols, etc.

anaphora

The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

enjambment

A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next.

endstop

the poetic line which ends with a punctuation mark

caesura

A pause or sudden break within a line of poetry

verbal irony

saying one thing but meaning another

dramatic irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

hyperbole

An exaggeration

paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but actually contains a hidden truth

oxymoron

A combination of contradictory terms, Awfully good

syntax

Arrangement of words in phrases and sentences

asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses.

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

internal monologue

Private sensations, thoughts, and emotions of a character

dramatic monologue

text in which a speaker addresses a silent listener

foil character

A character who is used as a contrast to another character; the contrast emphasises the differences between the two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each.

characterization

Actions, dialogue, and narrative description that reveal a sense of a character's personality to the reader.

Charactonym

when a character's name defines the personality traits [Ex: "Sir Toby Belch", from Twelfth Night; "Boo" from To Kill a Mockingbird]

Foreshadowing

Flashback

Cliffhanger

Cumulative Sentence

Sentence structure where the main clause is followed by dependent/partial clauses, adding information and creating a more complex and nuanced sentence.

Epigraph

Quote at begining which hints at the theme

Epistrophe

Repetition of word or phrase at end of sentence

Extended Metaphor

Metaphor talked in detail

Hypophora

Ask Q and immediatelly answers it

Motif

Suspense

Tautology

involves saying the same thing twice, but phrasing it differently the second time.

so gently you came rapping and so faintly you came tapping

Zoomorphism

animal personification on humans

Vignette

A short, descriptive scene that focuses on a particular moment or aspect of a larger story