50 Literary Devices (Definitions) – BC English 12 Provincial Exam Review – Flashcards
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the repetition of the initial consonant sound in words
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alliteration
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the repetition of vowel sounds
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assonance
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the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words
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consonance
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when the writer uses line breaks meaningfully and abruptly to either emphasize a point or to create dual meanings
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enjambment
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when the writer or speaker uses their descriptions to access the senses of the reader of listener
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imagery
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when the writer or speaker knowingly repeats a word or group of words for effect
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repetition
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when the end or final sound of two or more words are identical
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rhyme
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when the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud
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rhythm
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when the words sound like what they mean
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onomatopoeia
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an accepted phrase or expression having a meaning different from the literal
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idiom
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a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')
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simile
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a comparison between two unlike things
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metaphor
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a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor
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hyperbole
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representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature
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personification
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a pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in poetry
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meter
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rhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry
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end rhyme
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a story, play, or picture in which characters or settings are used as symbols or abstract ideas
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allegory
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a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize
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allusion
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two words that have some sound in common but do not rhyme exactly
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slant rhyme
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the attitude a writer takes towards a subject, character, or the reader
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tone
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rhyme that occurs within a line, rather than at the end
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internal rhyme
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a writer's or speaker's choice of words
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diction
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an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined
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oxymoron
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loud, harsh, or disagreeable sounds
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cacophony
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poetic form written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
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blank verse
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poetic form that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
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free verse
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a type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature
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ballad
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informal language; language that is "conversational"
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colloquial language
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an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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euphemism
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A sad or mournful poem, especially one mourning the dead
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elegy
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a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens
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irony
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two characters that highlight each other by their differences
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foil
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the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
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foreshadowing
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placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
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juxtaposition
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a short poem of songlike quality
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lyric
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a speech made by one actor or speaker
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monologue
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a poem usually addressed to a particular person, object or event that has stimulated deep and noble feelings in the poet
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ode
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an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth
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paradox
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a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings
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pun
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a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer
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rhetorical question
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harsh words intended to hurt someone
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sarcasm
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a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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satire
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something that stands for or represents something else
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symbol
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saying less than one means, for effect
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understatement
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intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights
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wit
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a style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind
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stream of consciousness
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Fourteen-line poem that is usually written in iambic pentameter and has one of several rhyme schemes.
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sonnet
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a moment of sudden realization or insight
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epiphany
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an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there
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epitaph
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The emotional mood created by a literary work
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atmosphere
