Literary Devices Quiz

Literary Devices in Writing

• Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning or within words; establishes mood and rhythm. True alliteration involves three words. Examples: "bucking bronco," "miserable morning," "Bed, Bath, and Beyond."

• Allusion: A reference to a well-known character, event, or historical context. Examples: "a real Cinderella story" for a baseball team's rise; needing "the wisdom of Solomon" for difficult decisions.

• Ambiguity: A single expression that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Example: A father’s comment about a new baby suggests money issues to him, while his son fears sharing his toys and room.

• Analogy: Comparison of two dissimilar things to clarify a concept. Examples: A school as a garden nurturing children; "the rabbit shot from its hole like a rocket"; confetti falling "like snow in a blizzard."

• Aphorism: A concise statement reflecting a general truth or moral. Examples: "Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched," "Everyone is afraid of something."

• Atmosphere: The emotional tone established through sensory descriptions. Example: Camping evokes a heavy, oppressive feeling from the thick air and irritating mosquitoes.

• Caricature: Exaggeration of physical traits or behavior for comedic effect. Example: A character described with "needle sharp" nose and tiny nostrils.

• Character: Refers to individuals (or creatures) in a story, as well as their traits. Example: Discussing the personality of the Big Bad Wolf.

• Circular Story: Begins and ends in the same place but shows character growth through experiences. Example: A farmer learns the temporary nature of wealth after witnessing a funeral.

• Climax: The peak of excitement where the main character faces a significant challenge. Example: In Cinderella, the tension peaks as the clock strikes midnight, and she must flee the ball.

• Conflict: The main problem or challenge faced by the protagonist. Examples include competition with other characters, struggles against nature, or internal conflicts like fear.

• Dialogue: Conversations between characters marked by quotation marks; change in speaker requires a new paragraph. A long speech from one character is called a monologue.

• Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something that the characters do not. Example: Readers know Mary likes Frankie, while Frankie is unaware and hesitant to ask her to the dance.

• Episode: A smaller event within a narrative, often self-contained. Example: The wolf's three attempts to blow down the pigs' houses in "The Three Little Pigs."

• Event: An action that propels the story forward, significant for character development. Example: Ruby copying her friend's dress and stories in "Ruby the Copycat," indicating pivotal moments in the plot.

• Evidence: Information cited from the text supporting claims or conclusions.

Literary Devices and Their Definitions

• Evidence: Information that supports an inference or fact; e.g., actions or statements indicating a character's intent.
• Flashback: A narrative technique that interrupts the current timeline to provide background context; e.g., recalling past experiences influencing character behavior.
• Flash-Forward: A leap into the future to skip over less significant events; e.g., revealing future actions related to present circumstances.
• Foreshadowing: Clues hinting at future events, creating suspense; e.g., an optimistic statement that leads to unforeseen consequences.
• Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements for emphasis, not meant to be taken literally; e.g., claiming extreme hunger.
• Imagery: Descriptive language that evokes sensory experiences, helping readers visualize the scene vividly; e.g., descriptions of environmental conditions.
• Inference: Conclusions drawn by readers from implicit cues within the text; encouraging personal interpretation without explicit guidance.
• Internal Rhyme: Rhyming within the same line of poetry; e.g., "fresh showers to the thirsting flowers."
• Irony: A discrepancy between what is expected and what actually occurs; e.g., a character's situation versus others' perceptions.
• Metaphor: A direct comparison between dissimilar things to reveal similarities, without using “like” or “as”; e.g., comparing wolves’ eyes to bright coals.
• Motive: The underlying reason behind a character's actions; e.g., the internal struggles of a character faced with bullying.
• Onomatopoeia: Words that evoke the sounds they represent; examples include "bang" and "hiss."
• Outcome: The concluding event that resolves the narrative and showcases characters' journeys; often encapsulated in moral statements.
• Paradox: A seemingly contradictory statement that contains a truth; e.g., expressions reflecting lessons learned from mistakes.
• Parallel Story: A dual narrative structure where two equally important stories unfold simultaneously; e.g., both onstage and backstage actions in a play.
• Parody: A humorous imitation of another story, modifying elements for comedic effect; e.g., retelling familiar tales from a different perspective.
• Personification: Attributing human traits to non-human entities; e.g., describing nature as if it possesses human emotions or actions.
• Plot: The sequential arrangement of events in a story; follows a clear chronological order to guide the reader through the narrative.

Poetic Justice

• Defined as an outcome in a story where good is rewarded and evil is punished.
• Examples include:
  • The wolf meets its demise in the pot at the end of "The Three Little Pigs."
  • Cinderella ultimately marries the handsome prince.
  • The lazy grasshopper endures a harsh winter due to his lack of preparation compared to the hardworking ant.

Point of View

• Refers to the perspective from which a story is told; three main forms exist:
  • First Person: Uses "I" and "me," narrator is part of the story. E.g., “I woke up first…”
  • Third Person: Uses "he" and "she," narrator presents the story without being involved. E.g., “Pete woke up first…”
  • Omniscient: Narrator has insight into characters' thoughts and feelings. E.g., “Pete woke up first, feeling somewhat alarmed…”

Portmanteau Word

• A word formed by blending two words, deleting some letters to create a new term.
• Example combinations include:
  • Smog: fog + smoke
  • Drizzle: drip + sizzle
  • Horrendous: horrid + tremendous
• Coined by Lewis Carroll, also seen in brand names like Gogurt (go + yogurt).
• Distinct from compound words, which do not eliminate letters. E.g., dog + house = doghouse.

Pun

• A humorous expression using a word with multiple meanings or similar-sounding words.
• Examples:
  • “If you really want to keep warm, try bear skin”, followed by a boy’s question about “bare skin.”
  • Joke about an elephant carrying its own trunk.

Repetition

• A literary technique where words or phrases are intentionally repeated for effect, creating rhythm or suspense.
• Example: “It was all gone. Burned to ashes…” emphasizes loss.

Setting

• Refers to the time and place of a story, which can range from specific historical contexts to modern-day scenarios.

Simile

• A figure of speech comparing two unlike things using "like," "as," or "than."
• Examples:
  • “The leaf spun to the ground like a descending helicopter.”
  • “More nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”

Stereotype / Reverse Stereotype

• Stereotype: Fixed portrayal of a person or group. Example: an old woman portrayed with gray hair and a cane.
• Reverse Stereotype: Challenges typical perceptions. Example: Bobby’s grandmother as a boxer, defying traditional expectations.

Symbol

• Represents something beyond its literal meaning, often providing deeper context to a story.
• Example: A basketball in a classroom symbolizing summer fun and memories.

Theme

• The underlying message or meaning of a story relating to human nature, distinguished from the plot.
• Example:
  • Plot: A young soldier's first battle.
  • Theme: War is futile; violence does not resolve issues.

Tone

• Reflects the author's attitude towards a subject, conveyed through word choice and detail.
• Example: A sad portrayal of a girl feeling isolated compared to her peers.

Trait

• Describes a character's personality backed with evidence from the narrative.
• Example: Beatrice's patient behavior towards her stubborn sister Ramona is illustrated by her clever strategies to manage her sister's misbehavior.

Understatement

• Presents a situation as less serious or important than it is.
• Example: A teacher’s casual remark about identical test answers being a “little problem.”