Literary Techniques
A brief, indirect reference to mythology, the Bible, literature, or history.
allusion
This playwright is known as the “Bard of Avon” and wrote tragedies, comedies, and histories including Macbeth and Othello.
shakespeare
This author wrote Frankenstein at age 18, pioneering early science fiction.
mary shelley
Which country uses the yen as its currency?
japan
How many continents are there on Earth?
7
Repetition of a phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.
anaphora
This American poet wrote “Still I Rise,” addressing resilience and empowerment.
maya angelou
This author of To Kill a Mockingbird explored racism, justice, and moral courage in the American South.
harper lee
What large South American country speaks Portuguese?
brazil
What is the capital of the United States?
washington DC
A form of metaphor in which a part represents the whole — e.g., “all hands on deck.”
synecdoche
This war poet wrote “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” exposing the brutality of WWI.
wilfred owen
This American writer created Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye.
JD Salinger
What European country is known as “The Land of Fire and Ice”?
iceland
Who wrote Harry Potter?
jk rowling
A rhetorical inversion of word order for emphasis, e.g., “In the night sky shimmered the stars.”
hyperbaton
This playwright created A Streetcar Named Desire, exploring illusions, desire, and the fragility of identity.
tenessee williams
This writer of Pride and Prejudice satirised class, marriage, and social expectations.
jane austen
Which African country has three capitals: Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town?
south africa
What country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
france
Using the same word or phrase with slight variations for emphasis: “The horror! Oh, the horror!”
diacope
This Japanese-American author wrote The Paper Menagerie, blending magical realism with cultural identity.
ken liu
This modernist author wrote Mrs Dalloway and used stream-of-consciousness narrative to explore interiority.
virginia woolf
Which Southeast Asian country was never colonised by a European power?
thailand
What language has the most native speakers in the world?
mandarin chinese