Literary Devices Flashcards PDF

Syntax refers to the sequence in which words Define syntax in the context of sentence are put together to form sentences, with the structure. usual sequence in English being Subject-Verb-...

Syntax refers to the sequence in which words Define syntax in the context of sentence are put together to form sentences, with the structure. usual sequence in English being Subject-Verb- Object (SVO). A theme is a message that is prevalent in a Describe the concept of a theme in literature. text, conveying an underlying idea or moral. A motif is a recurring subject, theme, idea, or What is a motif in literary works? element in a literary work that helps to develop the theme. An analogy is a comparison of two different How does an analogy function in writing? things that are alike in some way, often used to explain or clarify an idea. Anastrophe is the inversion of the normal Explain anastrophe and provide an example. syntactic order of words, such as in the phrase 'To market went she'.  Anathema refers to a formal solemn What does anathema mean in a literary denunciation against an individual or context? institution. Antithesis is the opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel Define antithesis and give an example. construction, such as 'Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.' An aphorism is a brief saying that embodies a What is an aphorism? moral or a concise statement of a principle or precept. Apostrophe is a literary device where the speaker addresses someone or something Describe the use of apostrophe in literature. that is not present, such as in 'Oh, Death, be not proud'. An archetype in poetry is an idea, character, action, object, institution, event, or setting What is an archetype in poetry? that contains essential characteristics that are primitive, general, and universal.  Conceit is a term for a particularly fanciful metaphor, often involving a far-fetched Define conceit in literary terms. comparison between two highly dissimilar things. An epithet is a word or phrase that describes a noun or functions as part of someone's What is an epithet and provide an example. name, such as 'Ivan the Terrible' or 'Homer’s wine-dark sea'. Inversion is the changing of the usual order of Explain inversion in the context of sentence words to shift emphasis to more important structure. words, as seen in phrases like 'Yet know I how the heather looks'. Litotes is a particular form of understatement generated by denying the opposite or Define litotes. contrary of the word which otherwise would be used. Depending on the tone and context of the usage, litotes either retains the effect of How does litotes function in language? understatement or becomes an intensifying expression. Provide an example of litotes. "Heat waves are not rare in the summer." Meiosis is a rhetorical term for What is meiosis? understatement, derived from the Greek word 'meioun' meaning to diminish. Metonymy is the substitution of one word for Explain metonymy. another which it suggests. Give an example of metonymy. "He is a man of the cloth." A paradox reveals a kind of truth which at What is a paradox? first seems contradictory.  "Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron Provide an example of a paradox. bars a cage." Describe a pun. A pun twists the meaning of words. Synecdoche is a type of metaphor in which a What is synecdoche? part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, or any portion or quality for the whole. "Farmer Jones has two hundred head of cattle Give an example of synecdoche. and three hired hands." Tone is the quality of something that reveals Define tone in literature. the attitudes and presuppositions of the author.  A dirge is a funeral song lamenting What is a dirge? someone’s death; a brief funeral hymn or song. An elegy is a type of literature that expresses Explain what an elegy is. sorrow or lamentation, usually for someone who has died. An epistle is a poem written in the form of a What is an epistle in poetry? letter. An epitaph refers to an inscription carved on Define epitaph. a gravestone or the final statement spoken by a character before his death. A homily is a sermon or a short, exhortatory What is a homily? work read before a group to instruct them spiritually or morally.  Lyric poetry refers to a short poem, often with Describe lyric poetry. songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker’s personal emotions and feelings. A parody is a creative work designed to What is a parody? imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satirical or ironic imitation. Prose should tell a story, whether fictional or non-fictional, and have a clear beginning and end. It should be a creative work worthy of Describe prose and its characteristics. publication in a creative writing anthology, dealing with universal themes that affect all of humankind. Satire is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often Define satire in literature. with the intent of correcting or changing the subject of the satiric attack. A sonnet is a lyric poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with specific rhyme patterns. There are two common forms: the How is a sonnet structured? Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet, which has an octave and a sestet, and the Shakespearean sonnet, which consists of three quatrains followed by a couplet.  The Italian sonnet has an octave with two Explain the rhyme scheme of the Italian quatrains rhyming abba, abba, followed by a sonnet. sestet that can be arranged in various patterns such as cdecde, cdcdcd, or cdedce. The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean What is the rhyme scheme of a sonnet is abab, cdcd, efef, gg, with a final Shakespearean sonnet? couplet that provides a unifying climax. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in Describe the concept of assonance. a phrase or sentence, without the repetition of consonant sounds. Alliteration is a pattern of sound that includes the repetition of consonant sounds, which can What is alliteration? occur at the beginning of successive words or within the words. Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter, consisting of lines with ten syllables each, Define blank verse. where the even-numbered syllables bear the accents. It is considered the most natural verse form for dramatic works.  A caesura is a natural pause or break in a What is a caesura in poetry? verse, often used to create a rhythm or emphasize a point. Consonance is the repetition of consonant Explain consonance in literature. sounds in close proximity within a phrase or sentence. End-stopped rhyme is a line that ends in a full pause, often indicated by punctuation such as What is end-stopped rhyme? a period or semicolon, contrasting with enjambment. Enjambment, also known as a run-on line, is a line that has no pause or end punctuation, Define enjambment in poetry. allowing the grammatical meaning to continue into the next line. Rhyme is a pattern of words that contain Define rhyme. similar sounds, involving a recurrence and matching of sounds.  Syntax refers to word order and sentence Describe syntax in the context of language. structure, contrasting with diction, which is the actual choice of words. How does standard English syntax typically Standard English syntax prefers a Subject- arrange sentences? Verb-Object pattern. Onomatopoeia consists of echoic words that Explain the concept of onomatopoeia. create an auditory effect similar to the sound they represent, such as 'buzz' or 'click'. Anadiplosis is the repetition of the last word What is anadiplosis? of a clause at the beginning of the next clause. Provide an example of anadiplosis from Nietzsche's quote: 'Talent is an adornment; an literature. adornment is also a concealment.'  Anaphora is the intentional repetition of Identify the purpose of anaphora in writing. beginning clauses to create an artistic effect. Churchill repeats 'We shall...' to create a How does Winston Churchill use anaphora in rhetorical effect of solidarity and his speech? determination. Anaphora involves repeating the beginning of Differentiate between anaphora and clauses, while epistrophe involves repeating epistrophe. the concluding phrase. Antimetabole is a rhetorical scheme involving What is antimetabole? repetition in reverse order, using the same words but in a different structure. An example is 'One should eat to live, not live Give an example of antimetabole. to eat.'  Asyndeton is the artistic elimination of Define asyndeton and its effect. conjunctions in a sentence to create a particular effect. An example is 'Veni. Vidi. Vici.' meaning 'I Provide an example of asyndeton. came. I saw. I conquered.' Chiasmus is a rhetorical device that takes What is chiasmus? parallelism and deliberately turns it inside out, creating a 'crisscross' pattern. An example of chiasmus is 'I lead the life I Illustrate chiasmus with an example. love; I love the life I lead.' Chiasmus often overlaps with antimetabole, How does chiasmus relate to antimetabole? as both involve a form of repetition and reversal.  Ellipsis is the artful omission of a word implied by a previous clause, often indicated by three Define ellipsis in writing. periods to show material missing from a quotation. An interrupted sentence features subordinate Describe the structure of an interrupted elements that come in the middle, often set sentence. off by dashes. A loose sentence has the main clause first How does a loose sentence differ from a followed by subordinate clauses, while a periodic sentence? periodic sentence has the main clause at the end, preceded by subordinate clauses. Parallelism involves balancing a sentence by ensuring that similar parts of speech or Explain the concept of parallelism in writing. sentence elements carry the same 'weight' and are structured similarly. Polysyndeton is the use of many conjunctions What isyndeton and its effect in writing? to create an overwhelming effect, emphasizing the abundance of items or ideas.  Colloquial language is characteristic of or Define colloquial language. appropriate to spoken language, often informal and conversational. Didactic refers to writing that is preachy or What does didactic mean in the context of instructive, aiming to teach or convey a moral writing? lesson. Invective is a direct verbal assault on someone or something, serving as an insult or Describe invective in literature. denunciation, which can be witty or straightforward. Narrative devices refer to elements such as What are narrative devices? style, tone, diction, and detail that shape the storytelling process. Pedantic language is marked by the use of big How can pedantic language be characterized? words for little purpose, often resulting in unnecessary complexity or babble.  An example of epanalepsis is the phrase 'Year chases year,' where the word 'year' is Provide an example of epanalepsis. repeated at both the beginning and end of the clause. The purpose of an interrupted sentence is to What is the purpose of using an interrupted create emphasis or add additional information sentence? in a way that disrupts the flow for effect. An unbalanced sentence might say, 'I enjoy Illustrate the difference between balanced biking and to walk down by the pier,' while a and unbalanced sentences. balanced version would be, 'I enjoy biking and walking down by the pier.' A periodic sentence enhances writing by How does a periodic sentence enhance building suspense or interest, as the main writing? idea is revealed only at the end.