Literary Devices and Concepts

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key literary devices, concepts, and definitions.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same beginning sound in nearby words.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses.

Conflict

The struggle in a story, such as Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Fate/Supernatural.

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known person, place, event, or text.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; types include dramatic, situational, and verbal.

Denotation

The literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning associated with a word.

Metaphor

A direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as'.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Analogy

A comparison used to explain or clarify an idea.

Pathetic Fallacy

Giving human emotions to nature or weather to reflect mood.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Mood

The feeling the reader gets from a piece of literature.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject.

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas close together for effect.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds (e.g., buzz, crash).

Oxymoron

A phrase that combines two contradictory terms (e.g., 'jumbo shrimp').

Pun

A play on words using multiple meanings or similar sounds.

Archetype

A universal character or idea (e.g., hero).

Stereotype

An oversimplified and fixed idea about a group.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight their traits.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word used instead of something harsh.

Litotes

An understatement using negatives (e.g., 'not bad').

Diction

An author’s choice of words.

Allegory

A story where characters and events represent deeper meanings or ideas.

Perspective (POV)

The point of view a story is told from (1st, 2nd, 3rd limited or omniscient).

Character

Types include static (does not change) and dynamic (changes over time).

Protagonist

The main character in a story.

Antagonist

The opposing force in a story.

Ethos

An appeal to credibility or trust.

Logos

An appeal to logic and reasoning.

Pathos

An appeal to emotions.

Synecdoche

A part represents the whole (e.g., 'wheels' for car).

Portmanteau

A word formed by blending two words (e.g., 'smog' from smoke + fog).