Terms : Hide Images
| 10931807801 | Alliteration | The repetition of close intervals of initial identical consonant sounds which mirror or mimics the plot of mood of the text. Ex: "With Blue, Bumbling and emboldened Buzz" Note: The repetition of "B" sounds mirrors the erratic and annoying drone of a fly. | 0 | |
| 10931840990 | Allusion | An indirect reference to something with which the reader is expected to be familiar. Allusions are usually literary, historical, Biblical, or mythological. Allusions should be for comparative purposes: "Manny was the Romeo of the class" Reference to Romeo and Juliet | 1 | |
| 10931879002 | Ambiguity | An event of situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. | 2 | |
| 10931897321 | Anaphora | Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences/lines in a row. This device is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent. Ex: "It is too rash/ Too unadvised/ Too sudden/ Too like the lightning" Note: The repetition of "Too" at the beginning of the line emphasizes how very rushed Romeo and Juliet's love is." | 3 | |
| 10931957034 | Antithesis | A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses. Ex: "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." | 4 | |
| 10931974410 | Apostrophe | Addressing an inanimate thing/object, speaking directly as if it were alive. Talking to an object as if it were a person. | 5 | |
| 10931996823 | Assonance | Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity to mirror or mimic the plot or mood. Ex: "They trudge through thick, sucking sludge." Note: The "U" sounds mirror the heavy, slow process of the characters. | 6 | |
| 10932018620 | Asyndeton | A series of words separated by commas (With no Conjunction). Ex: "I came, I saw, I conquered." Notes: The parts of the sentence are emphasized equally; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. | 7 | |
| 10932063076 | Atmosphere/Mood | Refers to emotions or feelings an author conveys to his/her readers through description of objects and settings. | 8 | |
| 10932074798 | Chiasmus | Arrangement of repeated thought in the pattern X Y Y X. It is often short and summarizes a main idea. Ex: "Ask not what your country can do for you; Ask what you can do for your country." | 9 | |
| 10932101269 | Connotation | Rather than the dictionary definition, the feelings and ideas associated by a word. Implied meaning rather than the literal meaning or denotation. Ex: Mommy, Mother, Mama, and Mom all have the same denotations, but each has a different feeling attached. | 10 | |
| 10932191067 | Diction | Word choice, particular as an element of style. Different types of arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning. | 11 | |
| 10932200935 | Epiphany | A major character's moment of realization or awareness. | 12 | |
| 10932207027 | Epithet | A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title or a person, such as The Great Emancipator for Lincoln. Also, a descriptor following a name: Catherine the Great or Ivan the Terrible. | 13 | |
| 10932228458 | Euphemism | The use of a word or phrase that is less direct, but is also considered less distasteful or less offensive than another. Ex: "He is at rest" instead of "He is dead." Also consider "Technicolor Yawn" for "Vomiting." | 14 | |
| 10932258591 | Figurative Language | A word or words that are inaccurate literally, but describe by calling to mind sensations or responses that the thing describe evokes. | 15 | |
| 10932277467 | Hyperbole | Conscious exaggeration used to heighten effect. Not intended literally, it is often humorous. Ex: "And fired the shot heard round the world." | 16 | |
| 10932296319 | Consonance | The repetition of identical or similar consonants in the MIDDLE or END of words that mirrors the plot or mood of the text. Ex: "The clickety clack of the quick picking of typewriter keys was the only sound in the office." Note: The "-ck" sounds in the words mimic the sounds of the keyboard. | 17 | |
| 10933169538 | Imagery | The use of images, or any of the five senses to create vivid impression with words. | 18 | |
| 10933176188 | Irony | When a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a character's perception of reality (Dramatic Irony). The literal meaning of a writer's words that means something opposite (Verbal Irony). A discrepancy between expectation and reality. | 19 | |
| 10933208800 | Litotes | Opposite of hyperbole; it intensifies an idea understatement by stating through the opposite. Ex: Saying "It wasn't my best day" instead of "It was my worst day." | 20 | |
| 10933237159 | Metaphor | A comparison to two unrelated things. | 21 | |
| 10933245713 | Metonymy | The use of linked term to stand in for an object or concept. Ex: "Hollywood was disgusted by the actor's behavior." Note: "Hollywood" stands in for all of the film industry. Ex: "The White House has made no comment." Note: "White House" stands for the U.S. government as a whole. | 22 | |
| 10933463511 | Onomatopoeia | The use of a word whose pronunciation suggest its meaning. Ex: "Buzz," "Hiss," "Slam," and "Pop" are commonly used. | 23 | |
| 10933503648 | Oxymoron | A rhetorical antithesis. Juxtaposing two contradictory terms, like "Wise Fool" or "Deafening Silence." | 24 | |
| 10933530298 | Paradox | A seemingly contradictory statement or situation which is actually true. This rhetorical device is often used for emphasis or simply to attract attention. Ex: "Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." | 25 | |
| 10933599884 | Pathos | Qualities of a fiction or nonfiction work that evoke sorrow or pity. Over-emotionalism can be the result of an excess of pathos. | 26 | |
| 10933607528 | Personification | In which inanimate objects, animals, ideas, or abstractions are endowed with human traits or human form. | 27 | |
| 10933627316 | Polysyndeton | Sentence which uses conjunctions (and/or) with no commas, to separate the items in a series, stressing equally each member of the series. It makes the sentence slower and the items more emphatic than in the asyndeton. Ex: "He called me loser and disgraceful and repulsive and cheap and disgusting." Note: The "and" add to the litany of insults thus making the list seem endless. | 28 | |
| 10933675425 | Repetition | Word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity used for emphasis. | 29 | |
| 10933680361 | Rhetorical Question | A question asked for rhetorical effect to emphasize a point, no answer is expected. | 30 | |
| 10933687757 | Satire | A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. Usually targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals; its purpose is customarily to inspire change. | 31 | |
| 10933707034 | Symbol | A thing, event, or person that represents or stands for some idea or event. It also simultaneously retain their own literal meaning. | 32 | |
| 10933713559 | Synedoche | Part of something is used to stand for the whole. Ex: "Threads" for clothes; "Wheels" for cars. | 33 | |
| 10933725539 | Synesthesia | Using one of the five senses to describe a different sense for poetic effect. Ex: "The room had a light purple smell, of the glorious bounty of spring." | 34 |
