Literary Devices and Techniques Quiz

The order in which words are arranged in a sentence, often following the Subject-Verb-Object pattern in English.

A recurring theme, idea, or element in a literary work that helps develop the main message.

A comparison between two things that are different but share some similarities, used to explain or clarify an idea.

A literary device where the normal word order is reversed. Example: 'To market went she.'

A formal, strong condemnation against a person or institution.

A contrast or opposition of ideas or words in a balanced structure. Example: 'Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.'

A short, memorable saying that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

A literary device where the speaker addresses someone or something not present. Example: 'Oh, Death, be not proud.'

A conceit is a particularly imaginative and often far-fetched metaphor that compares two very different things.

An epithet is a descriptive word or phrase used to characterize someone or something, often used as part of their name. For example, 'Ivan the Terrible' or 'Homer's wine-dark sea.'

Inversion is a literary technique used to shift emphasis in a sentence by changing the usual order of words. It's often used to highlight a specific word or phrase.

Litotes is a form of understatement where you emphasize something by denying its opposite. It can either create a subtle effect or intensify the statement depending on context.

Meiosis is a rhetorical term for understatement, which implies a reduction or diminishment.

Metonymy is a figure of speech where a word is substituted for another word that it closely relates to or suggests. For example, 'He is a man of the cloth' refers to a priest.

A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory or absurd but reveals a hidden truth. For example, 'Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.'

A pun is a play on words that uses multiple meanings of a word or sound-alike words for a humorous effect.

A funeral song that expresses sorrow and lamentation for someone who has died.

A type of literature that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for someone who has died. It often reflects on loss and mortality.

A poem written in the form of a letter.

An inscription carved on a gravestone, often summarizing the deceased's life or expressing grief.

A sermon or a short, exhortatory work read before a group to instruct them spiritually or morally.

A short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker's personal emotions and feelings.

A literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting or changing the subject of the satiric attack.

A pattern of words with similar sounds, creating a matching recurrence.

The use of words that imitate the sounds they represent, like 'buzz' or 'click'.

Repeating the last word of a clause at the beginning of the next one.

Repetition of words in reverse order, switching sentence structure.

The artistic removal of conjunctions in a sentence.

A type of sonnet with 14 lines divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines), with a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDECDE or CDCDCD or CDECDE.

A type of sonnet with 14 lines divided into three quatrains (4 lines) and a final couplet (2 lines), with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

The repetition of vowel sounds within a phrase or sentence, without repeating consonant sounds.

A pattern of sound that includes the repetition of consonant sounds, often at the beginning of successive words.

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, with lines containing ten syllables where every other syllable is stressed.

A natural pause or break in a verse, often used to create rhythm or emphasize a point.

The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity within a phrase or sentence.

A line that ends in a full pause, often indicated by punctuation like a period or semicolon.

A rhetorical device where words or phrases are repeated in a mirrored or reversed pattern, creating a crisscross effect. It's like saying something twice, but with the order flipped.

Similar to chiasmus, antimetabole involves repeating words or phrases in a reversed order. The difference is that antimetabole focuses on the exact same words or phrases, while chiasmus just involves a similar structure.

A literary technique where words or phrases are intentionally omitted, creating a sense of implied meaning.

A sentence where the main clause is interrupted by a subordinate clause or phrase. Think of it like someone getting interrupted while speaking.

A loose sentence has the main thought come first, and then other information is added, while a periodic sentence has the main thought come last, building up to it.

Parallelism is a way to make writing flow better by creating a sense of balance and repetition in the structure of the sentence. It involves using similar grammatical structures for similar parts of the sentence.

Polysyndeton is using many conjunctions, often repeating the same one, to create a sense of overwhelming abundance or emphasis.

Colloquial language is informal, casual, and conversational language that is typically used in everyday speech.