Public40 cardsby @donk

Literary Devices and Terms

Metaphor, simile, alliteration, allusion, irony, foreshadowing, symbolism, tone, mood, point of view, and more. Each card pairs a term with its definition and a short example.

Cards (40)

1
Front
What is a metaphor?
Back
A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'Time is a thief that steals our years.'
2
Front
What is a simile?
Back
A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'Her smile was like sunshine on a cloudy day.'
3
Front
What is alliteration?
Back
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words. Example: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'
4
Front
What is an allusion?
Back
An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work. Example: 'He was a real Romeo with the ladies.'
5
Front
What is verbal irony?
Back
A form of irony in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant. Example: Saying 'Oh, great!' when something goes terribly wrong.
6
Front
What is situational irony?
Back
When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what was expected. Example: A fire station burning down.
7
Front
What is dramatic irony?
Back
When the audience knows something important that a character does not. Example: The audience knows the killer is hiding in the house while the character searches for her cat.
8
Front
What is foreshadowing?
Back
Hints or clues early in a narrative that suggest future events. Example: A character's persistent cough early in a story that foreshadows a fatal illness.
9
Front
What is symbolism?
Back
The use of an object, person, place, or event to represent something beyond its literal meaning. Example: A dove symbolizing peace.
10
Front
What is tone?
Back
The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice and style. Example: A sarcastic tone in a satirical essay.
11
Front
What is mood?
Back
The emotional atmosphere a reader feels while experiencing a text. Example: A dark, stormy setting that creates a mood of dread.
12
Front
What is the difference between tone and mood?
Back
Tone reflects the author's attitude; mood reflects the reader's emotional response to the text.
13
Front
What is first-person point of view?
Back
A narrative perspective in which the narrator is a character in the story and uses 'I' or 'we.' Example: 'I walked down the empty street, afraid of what I might find.'
14
Front
What is third-person omniscient point of view?
Back
A narrative perspective in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters. The narrator uses 'he,' 'she,' or 'they.'
15
Front
What is third-person limited point of view?
Back
A narrative perspective in which the narrator uses 'he,' 'she,' or 'they' but only accesses the thoughts and feelings of one character.
16
Front
What is second-person point of view?
Back
A narrative perspective in which the narrator addresses the reader directly using 'you.' Often used in instructional writing or choose-your-own-adventure stories.
17
Front
What is personification?
Back
Giving human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human things. Example: 'The wind whispered secrets through the trees.'
18
Front
What is hyperbole?
Back
Deliberate and obvious exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Example: 'I've told you a million times to clean your room.'
19
Front
What is an oxymoron?
Back
A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms. Example: 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet.'
20
Front
What is onomatopoeia?
Back
A word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes. Examples: buzz, crash, sizzle, hiss.
21
Front
What is an idiom?
Back
A phrase whose figurative meaning differs from its literal meaning. Example: 'It's raining cats and dogs' means it's raining heavily.
22
Front
What is assonance?
Back
The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'
23
Front
What is consonance?
Back
The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in close proximity. Example: 'The lumpy, bumpy road.'
24
Front
What is an extended metaphor?
Back
A metaphor that is developed over several lines, paragraphs, or an entire work. Example: Comparing life to a journey throughout an entire poem.
25
Front
What is a motif?
Back
A recurring element—image, phrase, idea, or symbol—that has thematic significance throughout a literary work.
26
Front
What is theme?
Back
The central message, insight, or universal truth explored in a literary work. Example: 'Power corrupts' as a theme in Animal Farm.
27
Front
What is an allegory?
Back
A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. Example: Animal Farm as an allegory for Soviet communism.
28
Front
What is a paradox?
Back
A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth. Example: 'I must be cruel only to be kind' (Shakespeare's Hamlet).
29
Front
What is an anaphora?
Back
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. Example: 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields...' (Churchill).
30
Front
What is juxtaposition?
Back
Placing two contrasting elements side by side to highlight their differences. Example: Describing a lavish feast next to a scene of poverty.
31
Front
What is imagery?
Back
Descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five senses to create vivid mental pictures. Example: 'The air was thick with the sweet smell of ripe peaches.'
32
Front
What is diction?
Back
An author's deliberate choice of words to convey a specific meaning, tone, or effect. Formal diction vs. colloquial diction are common contrasts.
33
Front
What is syntax in literature?
Back
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences, used by authors to control pace and emphasis.
34
Front
What is an apostrophe as a literary device?
Back
Directly addressing an absent or imaginary person, or an abstract idea, as if it were present. Example: 'O Death, where is thy sting?' (not the punctuation mark)
35
Front
What is euphemism?
Back
A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt. Example: Saying 'passed away' instead of 'died.'
36
Front
What is understatement?
Back
Deliberately describing something as less significant than it is. Example: Calling a hurricane 'a bit of bad weather.'
37
Front
What is a flashback?
Back
A scene that interrupts the chronological narrative to depict an earlier event, providing background or context.
38
Front
What is satire?
Back
Writing that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock human folly, vice, or social institutions. Example: Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal.'
39
Front
What is an epiphany in literature?
Back
A sudden moment of profound insight or realization experienced by a character. Commonly associated with James Joyce's short stories.
40
Front
What is a foil character?
Back
A character whose contrasting traits highlight the qualities of another character, usually the protagonist. Example: Draco Malfoy as a foil to Harry Potter.

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