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synesthesia

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A technique adopted by writers to present ideas, characters or places in such a matter that they appeal to more than one senses like hearing, seeing, smell etc at a given time. "The smell of the colour orange."

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onomatopoeia

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"Buzz", "crack", "woof", etc. are examples on onomatopoeia

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portmanteau

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Smog, Liger, Slacktivism, Tragicomedy, Biopic, mockumentary are all examples of this.

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paradox

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In literature, this refers to the use of concepts or ideas that are contradictory to one another yet, when placed together 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. For example: In order for peace, you need to prepare for war.

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hyperbole

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"I have asked you a million times to clean up your room" is an example of what literary element?

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antagonist

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Claire Zachanassian, Tybalt, MacDuff, Lord Voldemort, and Darth Vader are all examples of

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juxtaposition

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Literary device wherein the author places a person, concept, place, idea or theme parallel to another. The purpose of placing two directly or indirectly related entities close together in literature to highlight the contrast between the two and compare them.

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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. The purpose of using this is to create a dramatic pause, which has a strong impact. POETRY!!!

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alliteration

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This term describes the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

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allegory

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A device where 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. A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation.

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satire

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In literature this refers to the practice of making fun of human weakness or character flaw. If is often inclusive of a need or decision of correcting or bettering the character that is on the receiving end. 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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colloquial language

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"When I asked her to move from her seat, she got all bent out of shape," is an example of this. "Yo, drop a beat!" - Mrs. Trudell

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simile

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When Mr. Kennedy found out about the release of the new Star Warms film, he acted like a teenaged girl at a One Direction Concert. What literary device is used here?

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metonymy

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In literature, this refers to the practice of not using the formal word for an object or subject and instead referring to it by using another word that is intricately linked to the formal name or word. IT is the practice of substituting the main word with a word that is closely lined to it. For example, calling the royal family "the crown", or when referring to the government of the US, saying "Washington, D.C"

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euphony

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This literary device refers to the use of phrases and words that are noted for possessing an extensive degree of notable loveliness or melody in the sound they create

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oxymoron

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Unconscious awareness, unbiased opinion, comfortable misery, civil war, magic realism, genuine imitation, devout theist and crash landing are all examples of which literary term?

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foil

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This term refers to another character in a story who contrasts with the main character, usually to highlight one of their attributes.

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assonance

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This refers to repetition of sounds produced by vowels within a sentence or phrase. In this regard this term can be understood to be a kind of alliteration. What sets it apart from alliterations is that it is the repetition of only vowel sounds.

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connotation

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This term refers to the associations people make with words that go beyond the literal or dictionary definition.

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analogy

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This is a literary device that helps to establish a relationship based on similarities between two concepts or ideas. By using this we can convey a new idea by using the blueprint of an old one as a basis for understanding. With a mental linkage between the two, one can create understanding regarding the new concept in a simple and succinct manner.

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verbal irony

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A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated.

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metaphor

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Henry was a lion on the battlefield." This sentence suggests that Henry fought so valiantly and bravely that he embodied all the personality traits we attribute to the ferocious animal. This sentence implies immediately that Henry was courageous and fearless, much like the King of the Jungle.

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foreshadowing

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In The Visit, Claire asks the gymnast if he has ever used two hands to strangle anyone. This is an example of?

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dramatic irony

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In Star Wars, Luke does not know Darth Vader is his father until Episode V, but the audience knows sooner. This is an example of?

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enjambment

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Examples for this term can be found in lines 1,2, and 3 in the following stanza: "April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain."

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consonance

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this refers to the 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. It is the opposite of assonance, which implies repetitive usage of vowel sounds.

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tactile imagery

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"The hot coffee burned the inside of her mouth" and "The seaweed was cold and slimy" are examples of what imagery.

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allusion

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Much like his favourite book, he went wandering around New York running into a bunch of phonies. If you read this in a book (other than the one it is referencing), this is called...

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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. Example: Blood in Macbeth

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personification

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Examples of this term are as follows: "Thee raging winds" "The wise owl" "The warm and comforting fire."

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euphemism

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This term refers 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 things "embarrassing". The purpose of these is to substitute unpleasant and severe words with more genteel ones in order to mask the harshness. Their use is sometimes manipulated to lend a touch of exaggeration or irony in satirical writing. Example: Passed away instead of died, Correctional facility instead of jail

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pathetic fallocy

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This is a type of literary device whereby the author ascribes the human feelings of one or more of his characters to nonhuman objects or nature or phenomena. It is a type of personification. Example: The sombre clouds darkened our mood.

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flashback

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A literary device wherein the 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 unfolding in the story.

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symbol

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An object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant.

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cacophony

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The 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.

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olfactory imagery

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"The smell of death hung in the air- a mix of antiseptic and flowers." This sentence is an example of __________________ imagery.

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setting

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Used to identify and establish the time, place and mood of the events of the story. It establishes under what circumstances a story is taking place.

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diction

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Not just writer's choice of words, but can also include the mood, attitude, dialect and style of writing.

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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 including solemn, grave, critical, witty, wry of humerous

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plot

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This term refers to the sequence of events and happenings that make up a story.

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protagonist

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Macbeth, Ill, Holden Caulfield, Romeo and Juliet, Michael Ondaatje are all examples of a

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theme

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This acts as a foundation for the entire literary piece. It links all aspects of the literary work with 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.

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auditory imagery

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"The bell clanged mercilessly- the sound of metal on metal piercing the air caused everyone to jump." This sentence is an example of _____________ imagery.

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free verse

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Poetry that does not adhere to regular meter of rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms.

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dynamic character

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A character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed by it.

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flat character

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A two-dimensional character who is relatively uncomplicated.

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malapropism

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The practice of misusing words by substituting words with similar sounding words that have difficult, often unconnected meanings, and thus creating a situation of confusion, misunderstanding and amusement. Examples said by George W. Bush: "It will take time to restore chaos and order." "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

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parallel structure

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Repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to shoe that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Examples: "D=Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears' I come to busy Caesar, not to praise him." -William Shakespeare

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Dues ex machina

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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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archetype

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A typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature. Also known as universal symbol, may be a character, a theme, a symbol or even a setting

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hubris

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Extreme pride or arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his or her downfall.

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synecdoche

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A literary device that uses a part of something to refer to the whole or vice versa. For example: describing a complete vehicle as "wheels"

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syntax

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Refers to the actual way in which words and sentences are places together in writing

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dysphemism

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The use of disparaging or offensive expression instead of inoffensive ones. Examples: Junk Food, Snail Mail, "shrink" for psychiatrist.

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