Literary Critical Vocabulary

40 useful words for AS or A2 English students for use when talking about literary techniques used by authors in their writing.

?
  • Created by: cg97
  • Created on: 16-09-14 11:22
Alliteration
The use of the same letter to begin a succession of words.
1 of 40
Amplification
The act and the means of extending thoughts or statements to increase rhetorical effect, to add importance, or to make the most of a thought or circumstance.
2 of 40
Anadiplosis
Repeating the last word of one clause or phrase to begin the next.
3 of 40
Analogy
The use of a similar or parallel case or example to reason or argue a point.
4 of 40
Anastrophe
Inversion of the natural word order.
5 of 40
Anaphora
The repetition of a word of phrase at the beginning of successive sentences; when applied to a succession of phrases it is called epanaphora.
6 of 40
Anthropomorphic
Where something is treated as if it human - be sure to distinguish it from personification where it is used a stylistic device.
7 of 40
Antithesis
Two statements in quick succession, the second modifying or positing another case like the first.
8 of 40
Aposiopesis
A rhetorical device where a sentence is deliberately left unfinished.
9 of 40
Bdelgymia
A heap of insults.
10 of 40
Chiasmus
Reversal of an idea.
11 of 40
Congeries
A list of adjectives of names - very unlikely in natural speech.
12 of 40
Ecphonesis
A sentence consisting of a single word or short phrase ending with an exclamation point.
13 of 40
Enallage
A deliberate grammatical error.
14 of 40
Epanallepsis
Where a portion of writing begin and ends with the same word.
15 of 40
Epistrophe
A succession of clauses, phrases or sentences that all end with the smae word or group of words.
16 of 40
Epizeuxis
Repetition of words in immediate succession for vehemence or emphasis.
17 of 40
Hyperbaton
Using odd or unusual syntax.
18 of 40
Irony
Where a speaker expresses an idea by stating its opposite.
19 of 40
Isocolon
Two clauses that are grammatically parallel and structurally the same.
20 of 40
Jargon
The use of highly specialist language.
21 of 40
Litotes
Emphasising something through a double negative.
22 of 40
Merism
Not naming a thing but its parts instead.
23 of 40
Metaphor
A comparison intended to draw out particular aspects of the thing being compared.
24 of 40
Mythopeic
Myth-making.
25 of 40
Parataxis
A sequence of simple, direct sentences.
26 of 40
Paroemion
Excessive use of alliteration.
27 of 40
Pleonastic
Using more words than are necessary to convey the sense.
28 of 40
Ploce
Where a word is repeated but with other words between.
29 of 40
Plosives
The use of letters where the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases.
30 of 40
Polyptoton
The repeated use of one word as different parts of speech.
31 of 40
Polysyndeton
The use of lots of conjuctions.
32 of 40
Prolepsis/Proleptic
The anticipation and answering of objections in rhetorical speech or the use of a pronoun before it is known what it refers to.
33 of 40
Rhetorical Question
A question that does not invite an answer from a listener but more of an internal reaction.
34 of 40
Scesis Onamaton
A sentence withou a main verb.
35 of 40
Synaesthesia
One sense described in terms of another.
36 of 40
Synecdoche
A type of metonymy referring to body parts.
37 of 40
Transferrred Epithet (Hypallage)
An adjective applied to the incorrect noun.
38 of 40
Tricolon
Making points in three - a pattern of three.
39 of 40
Banal
Something that is useless or pointless.
40 of 40

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The act and the means of extending thoughts or statements to increase rhetorical effect, to add importance, or to make the most of a thought or circumstance.

Back

Amplification

Card 3

Front

Repeating the last word of one clause or phrase to begin the next.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The use of a similar or parallel case or example to reason or argue a point.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Inversion of the natural word order.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all Literary-Critical Vocabulary resources »