Literary Terms QUIZ #3: Diction, alliteration, juxtaposition, paradox, parallelism, repetition, syntax

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed ideas and sentences

Repetition

The use of the same word or phrase multiple times for emphasis on a significant point or idea

Paradox

A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but upon closer inspection, does not

Diction

Word choice, particularly as an element of style.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds of several words in a group

Juxtaposition

The arrangement of two ideas for the purpose of comparison, contrast, or rhetorical effect

parallelism/parallel structure

Similar patterns of grammatical structure and length to create rhythm, order, and/or emphasisGrammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. It involves an arrangement of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased.

parallel structure

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This is an example of what?

Paradox

"If I know one thing, it's that I know nothing."
"This is the beginning of the end." These statements are examples of what?

Alliteration

"Please put away your paints and practice the piano." This is an example of what?

Diction

1. The banality of this argument is evident from the use in untoward circumstances.
2. The general feature of this argument is clear when applied to this difficult situation.
These two sentences say the same thing but are examples of different ________________.

Repetition

"I have a dream that my four little children will [...] I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia [...] I have a dream today!" MLK's speech uses what literary technique to emphasize his message?

Paradox

Often confused with an oxymoron (an oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words). Examples of oxymorons included "jumbo shrimp" and "plastic silverware."

Parallelism

Grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. It involves an arrangement of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased.

Justaposition

Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Authors often use this in order to make a point. (For example, an author may compare the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world in order to make a point of social commentary).

Syntax

As David Smith defines it, "The orderly arrangement of words into sentences to express ideas." The standard word order and sentence structure of a language. This includes sentence length, sentence focus, and punctuation.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true. For example, "You can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without getting a job."