Literary Elements
Figurative Language
Poetry
Essay, the ins and outs
Rhetoric
100

A literary device that highlights the difference between what is and how things appear. 

EX: When a person says one thing but means the opposite, the opposite of what is expected to happen. 

Irony 

100

A comparison of two similar things using the words "Like" or "As" 

Example: "The water was as clear as glass." and "She ran like the wind."

Simile 

100

The basic unit of a poem. 

Stanza

100

The first sentence of a paragraph. It's that easy, there's no way you get this wrong. 

Topic sentence. 

100

What IS rhetoric?

The art of persuasive speaking or writing.

200

A method that involves drawing a comparison between two things in order to clarify or explain something.

EX: "Life is like a box of chocolates." or "Raising a child is like tending to a garden."

Analogy 

200

An exaggerated claim or statement, not meant to be taken literally.


EX: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" - Joaquin , "I've said this to you at least a million times."

Hyperbole 

200

The rhythmic structure of a line. / The regularity of the poem.

Meter 

200

The "fluff" of the essay, this is generally used to provide more details to further explain a point inside of an essay. 

Elaboration.

200

What is Logos?

The appeal to logic. 

300

Two contradictory words that describe one thing.

EX: "Sweet Sorrow" , "Passive-Aggressive"

Oxymoron 

300
A literary device that gives human qualities and or actions to otherwise nonhuman things. (Objects, animals, etc.)


EX: "The sun was smiling above him."

Personification 

300

In poetry, the repetition of a sound or vowel can occur. What is this called? 

Assonance. 

300

A word or phrase that connects each paragraph, creating a nice flow throughout the entire essay. 

Transitions 

300

What is Ethos?

The appeal to Ethics / Credibility. 

400

When an author uses symbols, sharacters, or events to represent abstract ideas or themes. 


EX: "The Lord of the Rings" by George Orwell, "The Tortoise and the Hare" - By Aesop

Allegory 

400

A literary device where the author refers to something well known without directly mentioning it. 

EX: "She already had his fifteen minutes of fame." or "He was acting like he won the golden ticket." 


Allusion

400

Often characterized by its musicality and expression of emotions (sonnets, ballads, and odes) , these poems aim to move a person's emotions rather than tell a tale. What are these kinds of poems called? 

Lyrical poem. 

400

These essays are used to provide a claim and provide reasoning for said claim. Essays like these are generally used in ARGUMENTS and DEBATES. What kind of essay are these called?

Argumentative Essays

400
What is Pathos? 

The appeal to emotion.

500

When a writer places two contrasting concepts, people, or events side by side in a sentence or paragraph. 

EX: "Night and Day" "Good and Evil"

Juxtaposition 

500

A phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from its literal definitions. 


EX: "I'm feeling under the weather.." Or "Get out there and break a leg!"

Idiom

500

Often longer than most poems, this specific poem aims to tell a story instead of focusing on emotion and reflection. What is this kind of poetry called? 

Narrative poem. 

500

These kinds of essays are used to explain a topic rather than argue for/against it. These kinds of essays are used for research papers, and generally used to demonstrate the understanding of a subject.

Expository essay. 

500

Define a Rhetorical Question. 

A question that is used to prove a point rather than to receive an answer. 

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