Copy of Copy of Updated Honors Devices Full List 23-24

Absolute

existing without limitations or qualifications

Ad Hominem

Attack on the person rather than the argument

Adage

short wise saying

Allegory *

thing that represents an abstract

Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words

Allusion

Reference to a well known

Analogy

comparison between two different things

Anachronism *

thing that is out of it’s appropriate period

Anaphora

repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of sentences

Anecdote

short story, narrative

Antecedent

word that pronoun refers to

Aphorism

observation that represents a general truth

Apostrophe

addressing absent or imaginary person

Archetype

character type often found in literature

Argument

point of view

Assonance

repetition of similar sounding vowels

Asyndeton

without conjunctions (she jumps, falls, runs)

Cacophony

rough sounding words

Cliche

expression that is overused

Colloquialism

informal words (gonna, wanna, yall)

Conceit

cleverly extended metaphor

Connotation

implied meaning of a word

Denotation

literal meaning

Deus ex Machina

plot device where a problem is suddenly solved with unexpected intervention

Didactic

negative connotation, primary purpose is teaching

Dramatic Irony

when the audience is aware of critical information that the characters are not

Elegy

poem about death, loss, mourning

Ellipsis

omission of a word or phrase

Epic

long narrative poem

Epigram

paradoxical saying

Epigraph

statement title of a work, chapter or section

Epitaph

inscription on a tombstone

Epithet

characteristic of a person

Ethos

appeal based on character of the speaker

Eulogy

tribute given to dead person at their funeral

Euphemism

less offensive way of saying something

Euphony

pleasant sounding words

Expletive

interjection to lend emphasis, often a profanity

Figurative Language *

simile, metaphor, imagery

Flat Character

single quality, does not develop during story

Frame Device

story within the story

Genre *

major category of literature

Hyperbole

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

Hubris *

excessive amount of pride or arrogance

Idiom

expression (it’s raining cats and dogs)

Implication

suggestion an author makes without stating it directly

Inference

conclusion drawn based on premise or evidence

Invective

intensely, highly emotional attack

Jargon

specialized language of a particular group of people

Juxtaposition

when two objects are placed together for comparison

Legend

narrative handed down from the past

Limited Narrator

narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a singular character

Literary License

deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect

Logos

appeal based on logic or reason

Malapropism

mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar

Maxim

concise statement, adage, aphorism, short catchy phrase

Metonymy

figure of speech where a object or idea takes the place of another that has close association (Hollywood - movie industry, turf - area of residence or expertise)

Mood

emotional atmosphere of a work

Motif

standard element or theme that recurs in various or specific works

Narrative

story

Non Sequitur

inference that does not follow logically from the premises

Onomatopoeia

word that imitates the sound it represents

Oxymoron

two words that contradict are joined together (bittersweet, friendly fire)

Parable

simple story that illustrates a moral

Paradox

statement that appears to be contradictory but on closer inspection makes more sense

Parody

humorous imitation of a serious work

Pathos

appeal based on emotion of the audience

Pedantic

excessive display of learning or scholarship

Personification

nonliving thing is given living attributes

Philippic

strong verbal denunciation, similar to an invective

Polysyndeton

more conjunctions than is necessary

Prose

fiction or nonfiction writing, writing that is not poem

Repetition

repeated language for emphasis

Rhetoric

analyzing how an author get their argument across

Romantic

term for characteristics of Romanticism

Rhythm

occurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables

Situational Irony

what happens is different from what’s expected to happen

Stream of consciousness

continuous flow of thoughts of a person

Surreal

bizarre or dreamlike

Syllepsis

a word that is understood differently in relation to two other words (he lost his coat and his temper - ‘lost’ is used in two different ways)

Synecdoche

figurative language in which a word or idea is expressed by using aspects of that word or idea (wheels - signifies a vehicle, behind bars - signifies being in jail)

Tautology

needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding (free gift, short summary, new innovation)

Verse

poetry

Verbal Irony

when a character says one thing but means another