16 Questions
What is the definition of anaphora?
Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines
Explain the concept of asyndeton.
Omission of normally occurring conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words
What is the purpose of apostrophe in literature?
Turning away from the audience to address someone not present
Define antithesis as a literary device.
Opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction
What does alliteration refer to in literature?
Repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence
Explain the concept of analogy in literature.
A kind of extended metaphor or long simile in which an explicit comparison is made between two events, ideas, people, etc.
What is the figure of speech that involves deliberate exaggeration for rhetorical effect?
Hyperbole
What is the term for a figure of speech that substitutes the name of one thing for another to which it is closely related?
Metonymy
What is the grammatical structure in which the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words?
Chiasmus
What is the term for the representation of abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities?
Personification
What is the figure of speech that involves the intentional employment of a series of conjunctions not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses?
Polysyndeton
What is the term for a comparison made by speaking of one thing in terms of another?
Metaphor
What is the figure of speech that involves the intensification of an idea by understating it?
Litotes (Understatement)
What is the term for a two-word paradox that binds together two words that are ordinarily contradictory?
Oxymoron
What is the term for a similarity in the syntactical structure of a set of words in successive phrases, clauses, or sentences?
Parallelism
What is the term for a figure used to transform an unpleasant, distasteful, or repulsive expression into more socially acceptable terms?
Euphemism
Study Notes
Rhetorical Devices and Literary Terms
- Anaphora: A rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
Literary Devices
- Asyndeton: A literary device where conjunctions are omitted between words, phrases, or clauses, creating a sense of urgency or excitement.
Apostrophe
- Apostrophe: A literary device where a speaker addresses a person, abstract entity, or inanimate object as if it were present, often to express emotions or ideas.
Literary Devices
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Antithesis: A literary device where two contrasting ideas or phrases are used in close proximity to highlight their differences.
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Alliteration: A literary device where words that start with the same sound are repeated in close proximity, often to create a memorable effect.
Literary Devices
- Analogy: A literary device that compares two unlike things to highlight their similarities or relationships.
Rhetorical Devices
- Hyperbole: A rhetorical device that involves deliberate exaggeration for rhetorical effect, often to emphasize a point or create a strong impression.
Literary Devices
- Metonymy: A literary device where the name of one thing is substituted for another thing to which it is closely related, such as using "crown" to refer to a monarch.
Grammatical Structure
- Chiasmus: A grammatical structure where the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words.
Literary Devices
- Personification: A literary device that represents abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities, giving them life-like characteristics.
Rhetorical Devices
- Polysyndeton: A rhetorical device that involves the intentional employment of a series of conjunctions not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses.
Literary Devices
- Metaphor: A literary device that compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as," often to create a vivid and evocative description.
Rhetorical Devices
- Meiosis: A rhetorical device that involves the intensification of an idea by understating it, often to create irony or humor.
Literary Devices
- Oxymoron: A literary device that combines two words that are ordinarily contradictory, creating a paradoxical effect.
Literary Devices
- Isocolon: A literary device where there is a similarity in the syntactical structure of a set of words in successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
Rhetorical Devices
- Euphemism: A rhetorical device used to transform an unpleasant, distasteful, or repulsive expression into more socially acceptable terms.
Test your knowledge of literary devices with this quiz covering alliteration, analogy, anaphora, and antithesis. Identify and understand these key elements of literature through this quiz.
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