Literary Devices
What is alliteration?
The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are in close proximity
What is a theme?
The underlying message or main idea of a literary work.
What is argument structure?
The logical construction of ideas and evidence to support a central thesis or argument in an essay.
What is science fiction?
Literature that revolves around science and speculative futures, exploring technological and scientific advancements.
What is direct comparison?
This term describes the use of direct comparisons, contrasts, and parallels between characters, settings, themes, or other elements in two texts.
What is personification?
A figure of speech that gives human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas.
What is a motif?
A recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.
What is reader-response criticism?
Focuses on the reader's role in creating the meaning and experience of a text.
What is modernism?
The movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the inner thoughts and feelings of characters over plot.
What is contrastive analysis?
A method for analyzing two texts side by side, focusing on similarities and differences without summarizing the content.
What is apostrophe?
A direct address to an absent person or personified object as if it could respond.
What is dramatic irony?
A type of irony where the audience knows something the characters do not.
What is textual evidence?
This term refers to the credible and relevant evidence drawn from the texts to support analytical points.
What is postcolonial literature?
This term refers to literature written by authors from formerly colonized countries, focusing on their experiences and voices.
What is thematic significance?
Identifying this involves looking at the underlying themes, values, or messages in texts from different cultures or times.
What is synecdoche?
The use of a part to represent the whole.
What is a dynamic character?
The character that undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude.
What is biographical context?
The impact of the author’s life experiences on the themes, characters, and plot of a text.
What is realism?
A literary movement that focuses on detailed realistic and factual description of the ordinary, mundane, and everyday life.
What is authorial context?
A detailed examination of how authors' backgrounds influence their works, including era, personal history, and cultural context.
What is asyndeton?
The deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses.
What is an epiphany?
A sudden and profound understanding or revelation, often experienced by a character.
What is formal context?
The way in which the form and structure of a text influence its meaning and effect on the reader.
What is magical realism?
Literature that explores magical or unreal elements as a natural part of an otherwise mundane world.
What is comparative effect?
The examination of how and why certain literary elements produce different effects in various contexts.