Literary Terms and Devices
Literature in English · 50 practice questions
Literary terms common across genres, in addition to those specific to drama, prose and poetry — foreshadowing, suspense, theatre, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, satire, stream of consciousness, synecdoche, metonymy and related figures of speech.
- Identify literary terms specific to drama, prose and poetry.
- Identify areas of overlap across the genres, e.g. verse in drama and poetry, and narration across all genres.
Try a few questions
- Practice question 1
A 'pastiche', unlike a parody, imitates the style of another work or author mainly
- A.To eliminate all traces of the original style entirely
- B.To mock or critically undermine the original
- C.To provide a strictly factual biography of the original author
- D.As a genuine tribute or affectionate imitation, without necessarily intending satire or mockery
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D. As a genuine tribute or affectionate imitation, without necessarily intending satire or mockery
A pastiche is typically an affectionate or admiring imitation, without the mocking intent of parody.
- Practice question 2
A 'malapropism' occurs when a character
- A.Uses a word correctly and precisely in context
- B.Directly addresses the audience while other characters cannot hear
- C.Deliberately repeats a phrase for rhythmic emphasis
- D.Mistakenly uses an incorrect word in place of a similar-sounding correct one, often for unintentionally comic effect
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D. Mistakenly uses an incorrect word in place of a similar-sounding correct one, often for unintentionally comic effect
A malapropism is the mistaken use of an incorrect word for a similar-sounding one, often for comic effect.
- Practice question 3
'Cacophony', the opposite of euphony, refers to language that sounds
- A.Harsh, jarring or discordant to the ear, often through a deliberate clustering of harsh consonant sounds
- B.Completely silent with no sound at all
- C.Identical in every case to euphony
- D.Pleasant and melodious
Show the answer
A. Harsh, jarring or discordant to the ear, often through a deliberate clustering of harsh consonant sounds
Cacophony refers to language that sounds harsh, jarring or discordant, often through clustered harsh consonants.
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