Literary Devices Test Answers – Flashcards
140 test answers
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Anastrophe
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the noun and the adjective in the sentence is exchanged. Ex:
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Anecdote
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means a short verbal accounting of a funny, amusing, interesting event or incident.
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Anthropomorphism
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he act of lending a human quality, emotion or ambition to a non-human object or being.
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Aphorism
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A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.
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Archetype
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A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response
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Assonance
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Repetition of vowel sounds
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Asyndeton
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Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words, speeds up flow of sentence. X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.
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Authorial Intrusion
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Discussions directed to the reader and constituting a substantial break in the narrative illusion of reality
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Bibliomancy
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prediction based on a Bible verse or literary passage chosen at random.
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Bildungsroman
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Coming of age
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Cacophony
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(n) harsh-sounding mixture of words, voices, or sounds
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Caesura
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A pause when presenting poem
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Characterization
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A graphic or vivid verbal description
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Chiasmus
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A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")
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Circumlocution
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Indirect Language
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Conflict
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A struggle between opposing forces
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Connotation
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All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests
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Consonance
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Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.
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Denotation
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Dictionary definition
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Deus ex Machina
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In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.
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Diction
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Choice of words
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Doppelganger
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A ghostly double of a living person
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Ekphrastic
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related to a literary description of or response to a visual work of art
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Epilogue
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a short passage added at the end of a literary work
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Epithet
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A word or phrase preceding or following a name which serves to describe the character. Ex: Alexander the Great. **Often it is a negative description though!
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Euphemism
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An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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Euphony
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pleasant, harmonious sound
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Faulty Parallelism
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occurs when the elements put into pairs and series "go in different directions" because they do not have the same form
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Flashback
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A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events
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Foil
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A character who is in most ways opposite to the main character (protagonist) or one who is nearly the same as the protagonist. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast only
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Foreshadowing
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A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
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Hubris
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Excessive pride
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Hyperbaton
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Reversal of normal word order (as in 'cheese I love') Yoda
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Hyperbole
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purposeful exaggeration for effect
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Imagery
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Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
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Internal Rhyme
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A word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line
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Inversion
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turning the sole of the foot toward the midline
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Irony
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A contrast between expectation and reality
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Juxtaposition
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Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
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Kennings
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Phrases that are an elaborative and indirect way of naming persons, places things (nouns). Ex "the pathless deep"= the sea; "soul's prison house"= the body; "wave-skimmer"=ship
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Litote
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A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.
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Malapropism
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the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
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Metonymy
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A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
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Mood
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How the reader feels about the text while reading.
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Motif
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(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design
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Negative Capability
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Keats: the ability to accept ambiguity and paradox without having to resolve them
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Nemesis
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opposite of archenemies- the use of a nemesis refers to a situation of poetic justice wherein the positive characters are rewarded and the negative characters are penalized.
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Oxymoron
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A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.
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Paradox
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a contradiction or dilemma
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Pathetic Fallacy
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The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature; for example angry clouds; a cruel wind.
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Periodic Structure
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A sentence in which the main clause or predicate is withheld until the end. Despite the heavy winds and nearly impenetrable ground fog, the landed safely.
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Periphrasis
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a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
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Personification
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A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
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Plot
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Sequence of events in a story
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Polysyndeton
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Deliberate use of many conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted. Hemingway and the Bible both use extensively. Ex. "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy"
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Portmanteau
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Suitcase
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Prologue
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A speech, passage, or event coming before the main speech or event
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Puns
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a play on words
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Rhyme Scheme
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A regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem
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Rhythm & Rhyme
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patterns of sound and syllables to emphasize the most important words
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Satire
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A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. It doesn't simply abuse (as in invective) or get personal (as in sarcasm). It targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals.
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Stanza
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A group of lines in a poem
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Symbol
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A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
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Synecdoche
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A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).
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Synesthesia
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describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")
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Enlglish/Shakespearean Sonnet
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a b a b c d c d e f e f g g
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Italian sonnet
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The Italian sonnet is divided into two sections by two differentgroups of rhyming sounds. The first 8 lines is called the octaveand rhymes: a b b a a b b a The remaining 6 lines is called the sestet and can haveeither two or three rhyming sounds, arranged in a variety ofways: c d c d c d c d d c d c c d e c d e c d e c e d c d c e d c
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Theme
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Central idea of a work of literature
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Tone
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A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.
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Tragedy
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A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character
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Understatement
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a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said
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Verisimilitude
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(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
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Allegory
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A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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Alliteration
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Repetition of initial consonant sounds
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Allusion
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A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
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Ambiguity
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The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
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Analogy
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A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
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Antecedent
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A preceding event; a forerunner; a precursor
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Antithesis
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the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.
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Aphorism
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A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.
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Atmosphere
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Mood, Aura
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Caricature
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A portrait (verbal or otherwise) that exaggerates a facet of personality.
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Clause
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A grammatical unit that contains bo, th a subject and a verb
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Colloquialism
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A word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.
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Literary Conceit
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A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy -Displays intellectual cleverness through unusual comparisons that make good sense
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Connotation
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All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests
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Denotation
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Dictionary definition
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Diction
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Choice of words
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Didactic
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Instructive
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Euphemism
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An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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Extended Metaphor
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A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
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Figurative Language
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Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.
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Figure of speech
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A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. Examples are apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonomy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.
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Generic conventions
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This term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre; for example, they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing.
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Genre
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A category or type of literature (or of art, music, etc.) characterized by a particular form, style, or content.
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Homily
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This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advie.
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Hyperbole
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A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. (The literal Greek meaning is "overshoot.") Hyperboles often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, hyperbole produces irony. The opposite of hyperbole is understatement.
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Invective
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abusive language
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Loose sentence/non-periodic sentence
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A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many loose sentences often seems informal, relaxed, or conversational. Generally, loose sentences create loose style. The opposite of a loose sentence is the periodic sentence. Example: I arrived at the San Diego airport after a long, bumpy ride and multiple delays. Could stop at: I arrived at the San Diego airport.
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Metaphor
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A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful.
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Metonymy
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(m?t?n? ?m?) A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" is using metonymy; Shakespeare uses it to signify the male and female sexes in As You Like It: "doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat." The substituted term generally carries a more potent emotional impact.
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Mood
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The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. Mood is similar to tone and atmosphere.
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Narrative
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The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.
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onomatopoeia
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A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. If you note examples of onomatopoeia in an essay passage, note the effect.
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Oxymoron
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From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness." This term does not usually appear in the multiple-choice questions, but there is a chance that you might find it in an essay. Take note of the effect that the author achieves with the use of oxymoron.
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Paradox
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A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. (Think of the beginning of Dickens' Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....")
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Parallelism
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Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other
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Parody
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A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
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Pedantic
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Excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules
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Periodic sentence
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A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. The independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety.
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Personification
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A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
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Prose
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One of the major divisions of genre, ___ refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech.
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Rhetoric
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effective writing or speaking
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Rhetorical modes
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exposition, description, narration, argumentation
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Sarcasm
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harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule
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Satire
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A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. It doesn't simply abuse (as in invective) or get personal (as in sarcasm). It targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals.
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Subordinate clause
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A clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb
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Syllogism
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A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.
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Understatement
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a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said
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Chisamus
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Chiasmus consists of two parallel phrases in which corresponding words or phrases are placed in the opposite order: "Fair is foul, foul is fair."
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Malapropism
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a word humorously misused: Example, he is the AMPLE of her eye... instead of ' he is the APPLE of her eye,
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Parallelism (parallel syntax)
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a pattern of language that creates a rhythm of repetition often combined with some other language of repetition. Like a train gaining momentum.
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Poisoning the Well
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Discrediting a person's claim by presenting unfavorable information (true or false) about the person. Person B attacking Person A before Person A can make his/her claim. Example: 'John, an abusive alcoholic, will now give his argument for the legalization of public drinking'.
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Slippery Slope
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This is the failure to provide evidence to support a claim that one event will lead to a catastrophic chain of events.
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straw man
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When a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak.
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Ethos
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Aristotle- Credibility
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Logos
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Aristotle- Appeal to logic
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Pathos
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An appeal to emotion. Aristotle
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Predicate Adjective
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Am adjective that follows a linking web and modifies the subject of the sentence. The gigantic whirlpool was inky black, and there was no moon.
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Rhetorical Question
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A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer
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Smile
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A comparison of two unlike things like or as
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rhetorical appeal
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The ways in which a writer can influence his/ her audience; logos, ethos, and pathos
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concrete detail
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A highly specific, particular, often real, actual, or tangible detail; the opposite of abstract.
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narrative devices
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Tools used to tell the story.
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narrative techniques
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the methods involved in telling a story; the procedures used by a writer of stories or accounts
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stylistic devices
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a general term referring to diction, syntax, tone, figurative language, and all other elements that contribute to the "style" or manner of a given piece of discourse
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