Literary Terms & Devices - Definitions (Pack 2)

Terms in this set (12)

The effect created when a considered or serious subject matter descends into the trivial or silly.

A medieval Italian lyric poem, with five or six stanzas and a shorter concluding stanza.

A fanciful poetic image or metaphor that likens one thing to something else that is seemingly very different.

The meaning that is suggested or implied by a specific word as a result of its typical associations. Connotations are often personal and can vary significantly depending on a reader's own experiences and interpretation..

The use of harsh sounds that are unpleasant and usually disruptive to the flow of speech and text.

Dramatic Monologue

A type of poetry written in the form of the speech of an individual character - a poem in which an imagined speaker (not the poet) addresses a silent listener, usually not the reader.

End-stopped line

Where a line ends with a piece of grammar, usually a full-stop or another common form of punctuation such as a semi-colon. As a result, there is usually a natural pause at the end of the line.

Words that have different spellings but are pronounced in the same way. For instance, "write" and "right."

A word that, when pronounced, seems similar to another word, but has a different spelling and meaning.

Iambic pentameter

A line where there are five sets of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

The arrangement of a line of poetry by the number of syllables and the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Pathetic fallacy

A literary device in which nature is described as having human emotions, feelings or characteristics..

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