LITERARY TERMS Flashcards

Uses symbols, characters, or events to represent abstract ideas or themes. Have a second, symbolic meaning

its literal meaning.

A suggested meaning beyond the dictionary definition; an implied meaning. Ex; "Home"

the sensory details of a work; the figurative language of a work.

Non-literal language which usually evokes strong images.

When two seemingly contradictory words are put together, they make an oxymoron. To highlight a yet undiscovered complexity. Ex; “Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.”—W.B. Yeats

When authors make a statement that seems contradictory but actually is not. Typically, the contradiction reveals a kind of failing in logic or human understanding. Ex; “Cowards die many times before their deaths”

Placing two entities side by side for the purpose of comparison and contrast.

Reference to another known work of literature, art, history or current events.

A setting, object or event winds up carrying more than a literal meaning and represents something greater to the reader’s understanding of the meaning of the literature.

Making a point by negating its opposite. Ex;“he was not the noblest of men”

Using too much language and surplus words “to convey a meaning that could otherwise be conveyed with fewer words and in a more direct manner.

a form of literary device wherein the order of the noun and the adjective in the sentence is exchanged.

Giving non-human objects human qualities.

When a thing refers to something else that it's closely associated with. Ex; “The pen is mightier than the sword.” In this example, the “pen” refers to the written word while “sword” refers to an act of military aggression.

A literary scheme in which the author introduces words or concepts in a particular order, then later repeats those terms (or similar ones) in reversed or backwards order.” Ex; you can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the boy.

A similar grammatical structure within a sentence or within a paragraph. Repeating a specific structure emphasizes the need or desire to accomplish the task.

The “repetition of identical or similar consonant sounds, normally at the beginning of words.

An instance in which identical final consonant sounds in nearby words follow different vowel sounds.

When vowel sounds are repeated in a sequence of words.

The repetition of an initial word or words to add emphasis. The key is to look at why that specific word gets repeated and the effect it has on the reading of the text.

Sometimes called epiphora, s the repetition of a word or words at the end of lines. It is more specific than merely “rhyme” as that has to do with repeated sounds. Again, look at why that specific word is repeated.

figure of speech that features a comparison between two disparate things that are not literally the same.

a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as."

Using exaggeration to add more power to what you're saying, often to an unrealistic or unlikely degree.

when a writer presents a situation or thing as if it is less important or serious than it is in reality. ( opposite of hyperbole)

Happens when the opposite of what you'd expect actually occurs.