Literary Devices Test Questions – Flashcards
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allegory
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The meaning of a greater, often abstract, concept is conveyed with the aid of a more corporeal object or idea being used as an example. Faith is like a stony uphill climb: a single stumble might send you sprawling but belief and steadfastness will see you to the very top.
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Alliteration
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Words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group. Also created when the words all begin with the same letter. The Wicked Witch of the West went her own way. (The 'W' sound is highlighted and repeated throughout the sentence.)
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Allusion
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A figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned. It's no wonder everyone refers to Mary as another Mother Teresa in the making; she loves to help and care after people everywhere- from the streets to her own friends. In the example the author uses the mention of Mother Teresa to indicate the sort of qualities that Mary has.
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Amplification
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Embellishing the sentence by adding more information to it in order to increase its worth and understandability. Original sentence- The thesis paper was difficult. After amplification- The thesis paper was difficult: it required extensive research, data collection, sample surveys, interviews and a lot of fieldwork.
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Anagram
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The writer jumbles up parts of the word to create a new word. When you mix the letters,"debit card" is "bad credit". By mixing the letters a bit of humor is created.
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Analogy
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Establishes a relationship based on similarities between two concepts or ideas. In the same way as one cannot have the rainbow without the rain, one cannot achieve success and riches without hard work.
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Anastrophe
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The order of the noun and the adjective in the sentence is exchanged. The noun is followed by the adjective. This reversed order creates a dramatic impact and lends weight to the description offered by the adjective. He spoke of times past and future, and dreamt of things to be.
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Anecdote
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A short telling of a funny, amusing, interesting event or incident. The story is usually a memory from the teller's life. The origin of the word comes from the Greek Byzantine period, A.D. 527 to 565 during the reign of emperor Justinian. In his court, Justinian had a historian named Procopius who was a gifted writer who wrote many witty, amusing and somewhat bawdy accounts of court life. Never intending for this stories to become public he entitled his writings as "Anecdota" which was Greek for unpublished and kept secret. After his secret writings did indeed become public and published, this term became commonly used for similar accounts.
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Anthropomorphism
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The act of lending a human quality, emotion or ambition to a non-human object or being. The raging storm brought with it howling winds and fierce lightning as the residents of the village looked up at the angry skies in alarm.
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Antithesis
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This is used when the writer employs two sentences of contrasting meanings next to each other. Used to create a balance between opposite qualities and lend a greater insight into the subject. When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon it might have been one small step for a man but it was one giant leap for mankind.
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Aphorism
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A concise statement that is made in a matter of fact tone to state a principle or an opinion that is generally understood to be a universal truth. Upon seeing the shoddy work done by the employee the boss told him to "either shape up or ship out".
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Archetype
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The original idea that has come to be used over and over again. Romeo and Juliet are an archetype of eternal love and a star-crossed love story.
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Assonance
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Repetition of sounds produced by vowels within a sentence or phrase. The opposite of consonance, which implies repetitive usage of consonant sounds. "A long song". (Where the 'o' sound is repeated in the last two words of the sentence)
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Asyndeton
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A practice in literature whereby the author purposely leaves out conjunctions in the sentence, while maintaining the grammatical accuracy of the phrase. 1. Read, Write, Learn. 2. Watch, Absorb, Understand. 3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
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Authorial Intrusion
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The author speaks directly to the reader (outside the story). In many olden novels, especially in suspense novels, the protagonist would move away from the stream of the story and speak out to the reader. This technique was often used to reveal some crucial elements of the story to the reader even though the protagonist might remain mystified within the story for the time being.
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Bibliomancy
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Refers to foretelling the future by turning to random portions of the Bible for guidance.
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Bildungsroman
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This is a very popular form of storytelling whereby the author bases the plot on the overall growth of the central character throughout the timeline of the story.
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Cacophony
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Use of words and phrases that imply strong, harsh sounds within the phrase. These words have jarring and dissonant sounds that create a disturbing, objectionable atmosphere. His fingers rapped and pounded the door, and his foot thumped against the yellowing wood
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Caesura
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This literary device involves creating a fracture of sorts within a sentence where the two separate parts are distinguishable from one another yet intrinsically linked to one another. Mozart- oh how your music makes me soar!
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Characterization
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This is the introduction of a character in a story. The initial step is to introduce the character with a marked emergence. After the arrival his behavior is discussed. This is followed by an insight into his thought-process. Then comes the part where the character voices his opinions or converses with others in the story. The last and finalizing part is when others in the plot respond to the character's presence. Michael Corleone was not jus' a mafiaso, but a family man. A man who walked the knife's edge to preserve his sanity.
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Chiasmus
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This is a figure of speech containing two phrases that are parallel but inverted to each other. You can take the patriot out of the country but you cannot take the country out of the patriot.
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Circumlocution
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Use of exaggeratedly long and complex sentences in order to convey a meaning that could have otherwise been conveyed through a shorter, much simpler sentence. Instead of writing "At 8 pm he arrived by car for the dinner party." the author writes, "Around 3 hours after sunset, it was winter at the time, the man arrived in a combustion engine driven piece of technology with for wheels to join other bipedal creatures in the ingestion of somewhat large quantities of food and drink while having discourse around a large wooden mesa designed for such a purpose".
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Conflict
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It is a literary device used for expressing a resistance the protagonist of the story finds in achieving his aims/ dreams. It is a discord that can have external aggressors or can even arise from within the self. It occurs when the subject is battling his inner discord, may be at odds with his surroundings and lastly, may be pitted against others in the story. John tried hard to convince himself that his Hollywood dreams were worth the struggle but his parents, and his inner voice of reason, failed to agree.
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Connotation
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These are the associations people make with words that go beyond the literal or dictionary definition. They create emotions or feelings in the reader. And once again, the autumn leaves were falling. This phrase uses 'autumn' to signify something coming to an end.
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Consonance
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This refers to repetition of sounds in quick succession produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. The repetitive sound is often found at the end of a word. The opposite of assonance, which implies repetitive usage of vowel sounds. He struck a streak of bad luck.
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Denotation
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The dictionary definition or literal meaning of a word. They built a house. In the above sentence, house is meant literally as in a building where a family lives. If the word "home" was used instead in the above sentence in place of "house", the meaning would not be so literal as there are many emotions associated with the word "home" beyond simply the structure where people live.
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Deus ex Machina
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A rather debatable and often criticized form of literary device. It refers to the incidence where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story in order to make the conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing solution.
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Diction
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The distinctive tone or tenor of an author's writings. It is not just a writer's choice of words it can include the mood, attitude, dialect and style of writing. Certain writers in the modern day and age use archaic terms such as 'thy', 'thee' and 'wherefore' to imbue a Shakespearean mood to their work.
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Doppelganger
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The term is derived from the German language and literally translates into 'double walker'. It refers to a character in the story that is actually a counterfeit or a copy of a real/ genuine character. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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Ekphrastic
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This refers to a form of writing, mostly poetry, wherein the author describes another work of art, usually visual. A photograph of an empty landscape can convey desolation, abandon and loss. Similarly, one can convey the same sentiments and concepts by using phrases such as 'an empty doorway' or 'a childless nursery'.
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Epilogue
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These are an inherent part of any story or poem and are essential to the structure of any written form. It is an important literary tool that acts as the afterword once the last chapter is over. The purpose of this is to add a little insight to some interesting developments that happen once the major plot is over. They often act as a teaser trailer to any possible sequels that might be created later. In a remarkably contemporary moment at the end of The Tempest, Shakespeare's wizard Prospero addresses the audience directly, breaking down the boundaries of the play. He informs them that the play is over, his powers are gone, and thus his escape from the play's island setting depends on their applause--that they, in effect, get to decide his fate.
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Epithet
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A literary device that is used as a descriptive device. It is usually used to add to a person or place's regular name and attribute some special quality to the same. "Alexander the Great" is commonly used to refer to Alexander III of Macedon.
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Euphemism
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The term is used to refer to the literary practice of using a comparatively milder or less abrasive form of a negative description instead of its original, unsympathetic form. This device is used when writing about matters such as sex, violence, death, crimes and "embarrassing" situations. Using "to put out to pasture" when one implies retiring a person because they are too old to be effective.
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Euphony
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The use of phrases and words that are noted for possessing an extensive degree of notable loveliness or melody in the sound they create. The opposite of cacophony, which refers to the creation of unpleasant and harsh sounds by using certain words/ phrases together. This literary devices is based on the use and manipulation of phonetics in literature. It has been said that the phrase "cellar door" is reportedly the most pleasant sounding phrase in the English language, and is said to be especially notable when spoken in the British accent.
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Faulty Parallelism
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In literature, the term 'parallelism' is used to refer to the practice placing together similarly structure related phrases, words or clauses. Parallelism involves placing sentence items in a parallel grammatical format wherein nouns are listed together, specific verb forms are listed together and the suchlike. When one fails to follow this parallel structure, it results in this. On the TV show The Simpsons, lead character Bart Simpson says, "they are laughing, not with me".
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Flashback
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This is a literary device wherein the writer/ author depicts the occurrence of specific events to the reader, which have taken place before the present time the narration is following, or events that have happened before the events that are currently being unfolded in the story. Devices that are commonly used are past narratives by characters, depictions and references of dreams and memories. Back in the day when Sarah was a young girl...
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Foil
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Another character in a story who contrasts with the main character, usually to highlight one of their attributes. In the popular book series, Harry Potter, the character of Hogwarts principal Albus Dumbledore, who portrays 'good', is constantly shown to believe in the power of true love (of all forms and types) and is portrayed as a strong, benevolent and positive character while the antagonist Lord Voldemort, who depicts the evil and 'bad' in the series is constantly shown to mock and disbelieve the sentiment of love and think of it as a foolish indulgence, a trait that is finally his undoing.
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Foreshadowing
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The use of indicative words/phrases and hints that set the stage for a story to unfold and give the reader a hint of something that is going to happen without revealing the story or spoiling the suspense. It is used to suggest an upcoming outcome to the story. "He had no idea of the disastrous chain of events to follow". In this sentence, while the protagonist is clueless of further developments, the reader learns that something disastrous and problematic is about to happen to/for him.
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Hubris
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Another way of saying overly arrogant. You can tell the difference of this and just regular arrogance or pride by the fact that the character has seemed to allow reality slip away from them. In writing and literature this is generally considered a "tragic flaw" and it is saved for the protagonist. The reason for this is because at the end of the story you should be able to see that it is this flaw that brings the "bad guy" down. A classic example of hubris is featured in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth, the protagonist, overfilled with ambition and arrogance, allows his hubris to think you would be able to kill the valiant Duncan without penalty so he can claim the throne of Scotland for himself. Obviously murder is highly frowned upon, so this eventually leads to Macbeth's demise as well.
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Hyperbaton
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This is a literary device wherein the author plays with the regular positioning of words and phrases and creates a differently structured sentence to convey the same meaning. This literary device is used to add more depth and interest to the sentence structure. "Alone he walked on the cold, lonely roads". This sentence is a variation of the more conventional, "He walked alone on the cold, lonely roads".
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Hyperbole
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Use of specific words and phrases that exaggerate and overemphasize the basic crux of the statement in order to produce a grander, more noticeable effect. Such sentences usually convey an action or sentiment that is generally not practically/ realistically possible or plausible but helps emphasize an emotion. "I am so tired I cannot walk another inch" or "I'm so sleepy I might fall asleep standing here".
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Imagery
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Use of words and phrases to create "mental images" for the reader. This helps the reader to visualize and therein more realistically experience the author's writings. The usage of metaphors, allusions, descriptive words and similes amongst other literary forms in order to "tickle" and awaken the readers' sensory perceptions. Not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well. The gushing brook stole its way down the lush green mountains, dotted with tiny flowers in a riot of colors and trees coming alive with gaily chirping birds.
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Internal Rhyme
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Forming a rhyme in only one lone line of verse. Also known as the middle rhyme because it is typically constructed in the middle of a line to rhyme with the bit at the end of the same metrical line. The line from the famed poem Ancient Mariner, "We were the first that ever burst".
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Inversion
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Changing the conventional placement of words. It is a literary practice typical of the older classical poetry genre. In present day literature it is usually used for the purpose of laying emphasis this literary device is more prevalent in poetry than prose because it helps to arrange the poem in a manner that catches the attention of the reader not only with its content but also with its physical appearance; a result of the peculiar structuring.
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Irony
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Playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence/word is actually different from the literal meaning derived. Often, it is used to suggest the stark contrast of the literal meaning being put forth. The deeper, real layer of significance is revealed not by the words themselves but the situation and the context in which they are placed. Writing a sentence such as, "Oh! What fine luck I have!". The sentence on the surface conveys that the speaker is happy with their luck but actually what they mean is that they are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their (bad) luck.
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Juxtaposition
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A literary device wherein the author places a person, concept, place, idea or theme parallel to another. The purpose of this is to highlight the contrast between the two and compare them. This literary device is usually used for etching out a character in detail, creating suspense or lending a rhetorical effect. In Paradise Lost, Milton has used this to draw a parallel between the two protagonists, Satan and God, who he discusses by placing their traits in comparison with one another to highlight their differences.
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Kennings
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Related to works in Old English poetry where the author would use a twist of words, figure of speech or magic poetic phrase or a newly created compound sentence or phrase to refer to a person, object, place, action or idea. The use of imagery and indicative, direct and indirect references to substitute the proper, formal name of the subject. The use of this was also prevalent in Old Norse and Germanic poetry. Battle-sweat = blood Sky-candle = sun Whale-road = ocean Light-of-battle = sword
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Litote
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Figures of rhetoric speech that imply an understated statement of an affirmative by using a negative description. Rarely talked about, but commonly used in modern day conversations, these are a discreet way of saying something unpleasant without directly using negativity. Sometimes called an ironical understatement and/or an avoidance of a truth which can be either positive or negative. Common examples: "I'm not feeling bad," or "he's definitely not a rocket scientist." The actual meanings are: "I am feeling well," and "he is not smart."
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Malapropism
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The practice of misusing words by substituting words with similar sounding words that have different, often unconnected meanings, and thus creating a situation of confusion, misunderstanding and amusement. Used to convey that the speaker/character is flustered, bothered, unaware or confused and as a result cannot employ proper diction. A trick is to ensure that the two words (the original and the substitute) sound similar enough for the reader to catch onto the intended switch and find humor in the result. In the play Much Ado About Nothing, noted playwright William Shakespeare's character Dogberry says, "Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons." Instead, what the character means to say is ""Our watch, sir, have indeed apprehended two suspicious persons."
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Metaphor
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One of the most extensively used literary devices. Refers to a meaning or identity ascribed to one subject by way of another. One subject is implied to be another so as to draw a comparison between their similarities and shared traits. The first subject, which/who is the focus of the sentences is usually compared to the second subject, which is used to convey/carry a degree of meaning that is used to characterize the first.
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Metonymy
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The practice of not using the formal word for an object/subject and instead referring to it by using another word that is intricately linked to the formal name/word. It is the practice of substituting the main word with a word that is closely linked to it.
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Mood
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A definitive stance the author adopts in shaping a specific emotional perspective towards the subject of the literary work. It refers to the mental and emotional disposition of the author towards the subject, which in turn lends a particular character or atmosphere to the work. In Erich Segal's Love Story, the relationship of the two protagonists is handled with such beauty, delicateness and sensitivity that the reader is compelled to feel the trials and tribulations of the characters.
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Motif
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Any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. This refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work. They are very noticeable and play a significant role in defining the nature of the story, the course of events and the very fabric of the literary piece. In all the famed fairytales, a 'handsome prince' falling in love with a 'damsel in distress' and the two being bothered by a wicked step-mother/ evil witch/ beast and finally conquering all and living 'happily ever after' is common.
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Negative Capability
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The use of this in literature is a concept promoted by poet John Keats, who was of the opinion that literary achievers, especially poets, should be able to come to terms with the fact that some matters might have to be left unsolved and uncertain. Keats was of the opinion that some certainties were best left open to imagination and that the element of doubt and ambiguity added romanticism and specialty to a concept.
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Nemesis
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In literature, the use of this refers to a situation of poetic justice wherein the positive characters are rewarded and the negative characters are penalized. The word also sometimes refers to the character or medium by which this justice is brought about as Nemesis was the patron goddess of vengeance according to classical mythology. In the popular book series Harry Potter, the protagonist Harry Potter is the nemesis of the evil Lord Voldemort.
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Onomatopoeia
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This refers to words whose very sound is very close to the sound they are meant to depict. In other words, it refers to sound words whose pronunciation to the actual sound/noise they represent. Words such as grunt, huff, buzz and snap are words whose pronunciation sounds very similar to the actual sounds these words represent. In literature such words are useful in creating a stronger mental image. For instance, sentences such as "the whispering of the forest trees" or "the hum of a thousand bees" or "the click of the door in the nighttime" create vivid mental images.
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Oxymoron
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This is a significant literary device as it allows the author to use contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange, and slightly complex manner. Sometimes we cherish things of little value. He possessed a cold fire in his eyes.
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Paradox
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This refers to the use of concepts/ ideas that are contradictory to one another, yet when placed together they hold significant value on several levels. The uniqueness of these lies in the fact that a deeper level of meaning and significance is not revealed at first glance, but when it does crystallize, it provides astonishing insight. High walls make not a palace; full coffers make not a king.
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Pathetic Fallacy
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This is a type of literary device whereby the author ascribes the human feelings of one or more of his/her characters to non-human objects or nature or phenomena. It is a type of personification, and is known to occur more by accident and less on purpose. The softly whistling teapot informed him it was time for breakfast.
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Periodic Structure
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In literature, this refers to a particular placement of sentence elements such as the main clause of the sentence and/or its predicate are purposely held off and placed at the end instead of at the beginning or their conventional positions. In such placements, the crux of the sentence's meaning does not become clear to the reader until they reach the last part. While undeniably confusing at first, a periodic structure lends a flair of drama and romanticism to a sentence and is greatly used in poetry. Instead of writing, "brokenhearted and forlorn she waited till the end of her days for his return" one may write, "for his return, brokenhearted and forlorn, waited she till the end of her days".
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Periphrasis
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This refers to the use of excessive language and surplus words to convey a meaning that could otherwise be conveyed with fewer words and in more direct a manner. Instead of simply saying "I am displeased with your behavior", one can say, "the manner in which you have conducted yourself in my presence of late has caused me to feel uncomfortable and has resulted in my feeling disgruntled and disappointed with you".
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Personification
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This is one of the most commonly used and recognized literary devices. It refers to the practice of attaching human traits and characteristics with inanimate objects, phenomena and animals. "The raging winds" "The wise owl" "The warm and comforting fire"
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Plot
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This usually refers to the sequence of events and happenings that make up a story. There is usually a pattern, unintended or intentional, that threads the plot together. It basically refers to the main outcome and order of the story.
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Point of View
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In literature, this literary device depicts the manner in which a story is narrated/ depicted and who it is that tells the story. In the popular Lord of the Rings book series, the stories are narrated in the third person and all happenings are described from an "outside the story" perspective. Contrastingly, in the popular teen book series, Princess Diaries, the story is told in the first person, by the protagonist herself.
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Polysyndeton
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In literature, this refers to the process of using conjunctions or connecting words frequently in a sentence, placed very close to one another, as opposed to the usual norm of using them sparsely, only where they are technically needed. "Marge and Susan and Anne and Daisy and Barry all planned to go for a picnic", instead of "Marge, Susan, Anne, Daisy and Barry..." emphasizes each of the individuals and calls attention to every person one by one instead of assembling them as a group.
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Portmanteau
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In literature, this device refers to the practice of joining together two or more words in order to create an entirely new word. The word "smog" was built combining "fog" and "smoke" and "smog" has the properties of both fog and smoke.
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Prologue
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This can be understood to be a sort of introduction to a story that usually sets the tone for the story and acts as a bit of a backgrounder or a "sneak peek" into the story. These are typically a narrative 'spoken' by one of the characters and not from the part of the author. 1. "The origin of this story is..." 2. "It all began one day when..."
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Puns
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These are a very popular literary device wherein a word is used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings. Santa's helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.
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Rhyme Scheme
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This is the practice of rhyming words placed at the end of the lines in the prose/ poetry. It refers to the order in which particular words rhyme. If the alternate words rhyme, it is "a-b-a-b", which means "a" is the rhyme for the lines 1 and 3 and "b" is the rhyme affected in the lines 2 and 4. Roses are red (a) Violets are blue (b) Beautiful they all may be (c) But I love you (b) The above is an "a-b-c-b" example.
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Rhythm & Rhyme
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This concept refers to a pattern that is created by using words that produce the same, or similar sounds. These refer to the recurrence of similar sounds in prose and poetry, creating a musical, gentle effect.
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Satire
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This refers to the practice of making fun of a human weakness or character flaw. It is often inclusive of a need or decision of correcting or bettering the character that is on the receiving end of it. In general, even though it might be humorous and may "make fun", its purpose is not to entertain and amuse but actually to derive a reaction of contempt from the reader.
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Setting
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In literature, this is used to identify and establish the time, place and mood of the events of the story. It basically helps in establishing where and when and under what circumstances the story is taking place. In the first installment of the Harry Potter series, a large part of the book takes place at the protagonist, Harry's, aunt's and uncle's place, living in the "muggle" (non-magical) world with the "muggle" folks, and Harry is unaware of his magical capabilities and blood. This establishes the background that Harry has a non-magical childhood with other "muggle" people and has no clue about his special powers or his parents and is raised much like, actually worse than, regular people, till his 11th birthday.
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Simile
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These are one of the most commonly used literary devices; referring to the practice of drawing parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things, people, beings, places and concepts. They are marked by the use of the words 'as' or 'such as' or 'like'. He is like a mouse in front of the teacher.
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Spoonerism
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The practice of interchanging the first letters of some words in order to create new words or even to create nonsensical words in order to create a humorous setting. While they are often unintentional and known as a "slip of the tongue", in literature they are welcomed as witty word-play. The phrase "flesh and blood" being spoken as a character as "blesh and flood" in urgency and heightened emotion.
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Stanza
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A single, related chunk of lines in poetry. It basically refers to one unit or group of lines, which forms one particular faction in poetry. The most basic kind is usually 4 lines per group, with the simplest rhyme scheme "a-b-a-b" being followed.
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Stream of consciousness
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The phrase refers to an uninterrupted and unhindered collection and occurrence of thoughts and ideas in the conscious mind. In literature, the phrase refers to the flow of these thoughts, with reference to a particular character's thinking process. This literary device is usually used in order to provide a narrative in the form of the character's thoughts instead of using dialogue or description.
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Suspense
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This is the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events. It basically leaves the reader holding their breath and wanting more information.
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Syllepsis
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This comes into play when a single word that influences or regulates two or more than two other words needs to be comprehended individually and in light of every particular ensuing word. It is often used for a comical, wry and witty effect. a) Jack lost his car keys and his cool. b) Mary was unable to keep a check on her children or her temper.
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Symbol
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A iterary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects/ concepts/ traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. It is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. The phrase "a new dawn" does not talk only about the actual beginning of a new day but also signifies a new start, a fresh chance to begin and the end of a previous tiring time.
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Synecdoche
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It is a literary devices that uses a part of something to refer to the whole. "Weary feet in the walk of life", does not refer to the feet actually being tired or painful; it is symbolic of a long, hard struggle through the journey of life and feeling low, tired, unoptimistic and 'the walk of life' does not represent an actual path or distance covered, instead refers to the entire sequence of life events that has made the person tired.
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Synesthesia
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It refers to a medical condition wherein one or many of the sensory modalities become joint to one another, in literature it refers to the depiction of a strong connection, link or bond between the different senses. Characters in literature are sometimes described to be experiencing this. It is the conflation of the senses.
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Syntax
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In literature it refers to the actual way in which words and sentences are placed together in the writing. Usually in the English language this should follow a pattern of subject-verb-object agreement but sometimes authors play around with this to achieve a lyrical, rhythmic, rhetoric or questioning effect.
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Theme
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the base topic or focus that acts as a foundation for the entire literary piece. It links all aspects of the literary work with one another and is basically the main subject. It can be an enduring pattern or motif throughout the literary work, occurring in a complex, long winding manner or it can be short and succinct and provide a certain insight into the story. In the play Romeo and Juliet, it was love with smaller ones of sacrifice, tragedy, struggle, hardship, devotion and so on.
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Tone
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The perspective or attitude that the author adopts with regards to a specific character, place or development. It can portray a variety of emotions ranging from solemn, grave, and critical to witty, wry and humorous. It helps the reader ascertain the writer's feelings towards a particular topic and this in turn influences the reader's understanding of the story. In her Harry Potter series, author J.K. Rowling has taken an extremely positive, inspiring and uplifting one towards the idea of love and devotion.
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Tragedy
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In literature, it refers to a series of unfortunate events by which one or more of the literary characters in the story undergo several misfortunes, which finally culminate into a disaster of 'epic proportions'. It is generally built up in 5 stages: a) happy times b) the introduction of a problem c) the problem worsens to a crisis/ dilemma d) the characters are unable to prevent the problem from taking over e) the problem results in some catastrophic, grave ending, which is the tragedy culminated.
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Understatement
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This literary device refers to the practice of drawing attention to a fact that is already obvious and noticeable. The phrase, "Oh! I wonder if he could get any later; I am free all day long". Said in a sarcastic tone it indicates that the speaker obviously means the opposite of the literal meaning.
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Verisimilitude
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It tends to be based around the appearance or proximity to being real, or the truth. "While some dislike the content of the novel due to its graphic nature, you cannot deny that the content certainly gives the book some appearance of reality."
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Verse
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A single line or stanza in poetry
