Untitled Flashcards Set

Diction: choice of words 

Juxtaposition: the placing of words, phrases, clauses, or images next to one another frequently in order to heighten similarity or contrast 

Motif: a recurring element that is elaborated or developed and traced throughout a work; the element can be an image, idea, feature, action, or thing 

Anaphora: repetition of a word, usually at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

Imagery: a word or group of words that refers to a sensory experience 

Metaphor: a figure of speech that directly compares two things that are thought to be dissimilar 

Metonymy: figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept

Archetype: a constantly recurring symbol, motif, or character type that appears throughout seemingly unrelated stories in the history of a culture (or even across cultures)

Personification: a figure of speech in which non-human things are given human qualities 

Allegory: a literary form or approach in which objects, persons, and actions make coherent sense on a literary level but also are equated in a sustained and obvious way with (usually) abstract meanings outside the story 

Allusion: echoes of or brief reference to a literary work or a historical figure, event, or object 

Connotation: the associations and emotional implications a word may carry in addition to its dictionary definitions 

Figurative language: use of language that departs from customary construction, order, or significance in order to achieve a special effect of meaning; devices that communicate something beyond the literal like similes or metaphors  

Mirroring: the author’s use of images, actions, or features in one part of a story that reflects another moment with similar images, actions, or features 

Paradox: when a writer combines two seemingly opposing ideas in order to create a larger meaning 

Simile: a comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as” 

Syntax: the way an author constructs sentences 

Chiasmus: a literary device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order

Hyperbole: exaggeration; a figure of speech in which something is stated more strongly than is logically warranted 

Foreshadowing: words, gestures, or other actions that hint at future events, outcomes, or themes in a literary work