Literary Devices
Hints or clues in a story to suggest what is about to happen
What is foreshadowing?
The sequence of events that make up a story
Information obtained through the senses
What is an observation?
A rhetorical appeal that appeals to reason or logic.
What is logos (or logical appeal?)
A literary device that occurs when what happens turns out to be quite different or opposite of what was expected
What is irony?
Words that appear to contradict each other
What is an oxymoron?
The methods a writer uses to develop characters
What is characterization?
to state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
What is a claim?
An admission in an argument that the opposing side has valid points.
What is the concession?
Evidence based on facts and a clear rationale
What is logical evidence?
A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
What is an anecdote?
A recurring image, symbol, theme, character type, subject or narrative detail that becomes a unifying element in an artistic work or text
What is a motif?
Information that supports a position in an argument such as facts, statistics, expert opinions and anecdotes.
What is evidence?
Evidence based on experiences and direct observation through research
What is empirical evidence?
A rhetorical appeal that appeals to the emotions of the reader or speaker
What is pathos (or emotional appeal)?
A literary device that uses questions to create a certain effect or point out the obvious.
What are rhetorical questions?
An archetypal hero based on the Greek concept of tragedy; this type of hero has a flaw that makes him or her vulnerable to downfall or death
What is a tragic hero?
The argument that can be made to oppose a view point.
What is a counterargument?
Evidence based on personal accounts of incidents
What is anecdotal evidence?
Something that is symbolic and not literal
What is figurative?
A reference to another author, character or work
What is an allusion?
A character whose actions or thoughts are juxtaposed against those of a major character in order to highlight key attributes of the major character
What is a character foil?
Efforts to persuade an audience that a certain concept is true by directing statements toward reasoning or logic, character, or senses and emotions
What are appeals?
A rhetorical appeal that focuses on the character or qualifications of the author or speaker.
What is ethos (or ethical appeal)?
A statement that is false because it is based on an error in reasoning.
What is a logical fallacy?