Literary Devices
In our class, not only do we read to find out what a book is about, we also read to analyze how it was written. As a guide, we use literary terms (called Literary Devices) to help us interpret what we read. It is important to know what they mean and how to recognize them.
Below is a list of terms we'll study this school year as we read. It is important that you write these terms in your Interactive Notebook and review them often. They should be defined in alphabetical order.
In your IN, please leave space after each term so that we can add information and examples of the term from another book, short story, poem, film or article throughout the school year.
Below is a list of terms we'll study this school year as we read. It is important that you write these terms in your Interactive Notebook and review them often. They should be defined in alphabetical order.
In your IN, please leave space after each term so that we can add information and examples of the term from another book, short story, poem, film or article throughout the school year.
Literary Terms
A
Allegory – abstract ideas and principles described in terms of characters, figures and events.
Alliteration – a number of consecutive words have the same first consonant sound.
Allusion – person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Ambiguity-the state of being unclear/difficult to understand.
Analogy - a comparison of a familiar idea to explain an idea that is unfamiliar.
Anaphora – a word or group of words repeated at the beginning of two or more successive sentences.
Appositive - a noun phrase renames another noun phrase directly before or after it.
Assonance – a vowel sound repeated in a phrase.
B
Bathos – the sudden appearance of a silly idea/event in a book, movie, etc., that is serious in tone.
C
Characterization – details about a character’s physical attributes and personality.
Climax – particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point.
Colloquialism – the use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing that is geographic in nature.
Conflict – the struggle between two opposing forces.
Connotation – the emotional or cultural association with a word .
Contradiction - expresses the opposite of a statement.
D
Denotation – the literal or dictionary meanings of a word.
Dialect – the speech patterns of people from specific area, classes, districts or regions.
Dialogue – a conversation between two or more characters.
Diction – the author’s or poet’s choice of words.
E
Ethos- ethical and credible appeal.
Exposition –introduction of background information about events, settings, characters etc.
F
Figurative Language – a non-literal figure of speech.
Flashback – reflecting on an earlier event that happened before the current point in a story.
Flash Forward - the plot of a story goes ahead of time and interrupts the current time.
Foreshadow – an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
H
Hyperbole – an exaggerated statement.
I
Idiom/Cliché – an expression known only through common use.
Imagery - descriptive language that helps readers “see” what the author is trying to show.
Irony – create meaning that seems to contradict the literal meaning or events.
J
Juxtaposition – two or more ideas, places, characters or actions placed side by side for the purpose of developing stark comparisons and contrasts.
K
Kairos – a sense of urgency; immediacy.
L
Logos – logical appeal.
M
Metaphor – a comparison between things that are unalike without using “like” or “as”.
Mood – the emotional and/or psychological effect a story has on the reader/audience.
Motif – a reoccurring object, language or idea with symbolic meaning that repeats throughout a story.
O
Onomatopoeia – words that sound like what they represent.
Oxymoron – two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect.
P
Parable – a short, didactic story that is meant to teach a moral or principal.
Paradox – a seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
Parallelism – components of a sentence that are grammatically the same in construction, sound, meaning, order or meter.
Parody – an imitation of a writer, artist or genre, exaggerated deliberately for a comedic effect.
Pathos – emotional appeal.
Persona – the role or character played by an author or an actor.
Personification –human attributes to inanimate objects, animals, deities, or forces of nature.
Plot – the storyline or events that make up a story.
Prose – written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical/rhythmic structure.
R
Repetition – repeating a word, phrase, or sentence.
Resolution – the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter in a plot.
Rhetoric – using language to persuade, motivate, or inform an audience via writing or speech.
Rhetorical Question – a question that’s not asked to get an answer, but to emphasize a point.
S
Simile – make a comparison using “like” or “as”.
Sarcasm – a bitter form of irony, intended to taunt or hurt.
Setting – the time and place in which the story takes place.
Subtlety – not open or direct.
Symbolism – a noun used to represent an idea, quality, etc.
Synechdoche/Metonymy – using a word/words that represent a whole.
Syntax – how words are put together in order to convey a complete thought.
T
Theme – the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.
Tone – the author’s attitude toward the work.
U
Understatement – make a situation seem less important than it really is.
Allegory – abstract ideas and principles described in terms of characters, figures and events.
Alliteration – a number of consecutive words have the same first consonant sound.
Allusion – person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Ambiguity-the state of being unclear/difficult to understand.
Analogy - a comparison of a familiar idea to explain an idea that is unfamiliar.
Anaphora – a word or group of words repeated at the beginning of two or more successive sentences.
Appositive - a noun phrase renames another noun phrase directly before or after it.
Assonance – a vowel sound repeated in a phrase.
B
Bathos – the sudden appearance of a silly idea/event in a book, movie, etc., that is serious in tone.
C
Characterization – details about a character’s physical attributes and personality.
Climax – particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point.
Colloquialism – the use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing that is geographic in nature.
Conflict – the struggle between two opposing forces.
Connotation – the emotional or cultural association with a word .
Contradiction - expresses the opposite of a statement.
D
Denotation – the literal or dictionary meanings of a word.
Dialect – the speech patterns of people from specific area, classes, districts or regions.
Dialogue – a conversation between two or more characters.
Diction – the author’s or poet’s choice of words.
E
Ethos- ethical and credible appeal.
Exposition –introduction of background information about events, settings, characters etc.
F
Figurative Language – a non-literal figure of speech.
Flashback – reflecting on an earlier event that happened before the current point in a story.
Flash Forward - the plot of a story goes ahead of time and interrupts the current time.
Foreshadow – an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
H
Hyperbole – an exaggerated statement.
I
Idiom/Cliché – an expression known only through common use.
Imagery - descriptive language that helps readers “see” what the author is trying to show.
Irony – create meaning that seems to contradict the literal meaning or events.
J
Juxtaposition – two or more ideas, places, characters or actions placed side by side for the purpose of developing stark comparisons and contrasts.
K
Kairos – a sense of urgency; immediacy.
L
Logos – logical appeal.
M
Metaphor – a comparison between things that are unalike without using “like” or “as”.
Mood – the emotional and/or psychological effect a story has on the reader/audience.
Motif – a reoccurring object, language or idea with symbolic meaning that repeats throughout a story.
O
Onomatopoeia – words that sound like what they represent.
Oxymoron – two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect.
P
Parable – a short, didactic story that is meant to teach a moral or principal.
Paradox – a seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
Parallelism – components of a sentence that are grammatically the same in construction, sound, meaning, order or meter.
Parody – an imitation of a writer, artist or genre, exaggerated deliberately for a comedic effect.
Pathos – emotional appeal.
Persona – the role or character played by an author or an actor.
Personification –human attributes to inanimate objects, animals, deities, or forces of nature.
Plot – the storyline or events that make up a story.
Prose – written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical/rhythmic structure.
R
Repetition – repeating a word, phrase, or sentence.
Resolution – the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter in a plot.
Rhetoric – using language to persuade, motivate, or inform an audience via writing or speech.
Rhetorical Question – a question that’s not asked to get an answer, but to emphasize a point.
S
Simile – make a comparison using “like” or “as”.
Sarcasm – a bitter form of irony, intended to taunt or hurt.
Setting – the time and place in which the story takes place.
Subtlety – not open or direct.
Symbolism – a noun used to represent an idea, quality, etc.
Synechdoche/Metonymy – using a word/words that represent a whole.
Syntax – how words are put together in order to convey a complete thought.
T
Theme – the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.
Tone – the author’s attitude toward the work.
U
Understatement – make a situation seem less important than it really is.
Literary Techniques Examples
These techniques help readers feel what they are reading.
Ambiguity-My student’s question was ambiguous. Therefore, I gave an incorrect response.
Contradiction – I know, but I don’t know.
Subtlety – You might want to rethink wearing that dress.
Paradox - No one goes to that restaurant. It’s always too crowded.
Irony – A few years ago, fast car driver, Paul Walker, was killed in a car accident.
Sarcasm - I asked if I could write on the paper, the teacher said, “No, write on the paper.”
Overstatement – He talks a mile a minute.
Understatement – The President was shot, but what’s for lunch.
Oxymoron – For lunch, we ate jumbo shrimp.
Foreshadow – At the end of a season, TV shows give clues to what’s coming next season.
Contradiction – I know, but I don’t know.
Subtlety – You might want to rethink wearing that dress.
Paradox - No one goes to that restaurant. It’s always too crowded.
Irony – A few years ago, fast car driver, Paul Walker, was killed in a car accident.
Sarcasm - I asked if I could write on the paper, the teacher said, “No, write on the paper.”
Overstatement – He talks a mile a minute.
Understatement – The President was shot, but what’s for lunch.
Oxymoron – For lunch, we ate jumbo shrimp.
Foreshadow – At the end of a season, TV shows give clues to what’s coming next season.
Literary Elements Examples
These elements help readers see what they are reading. (The way to remember? You see with your eyes. Eyes start with "E.")
Plot - sequence of events that make up a story.
Setting – the environment where a story takes place.
Characterization – details that highlight the personality traits of a character.
Conflict - a struggle between two opposing forces.
Imagery – mental pictures that help readers see stories as images.
Dialogue - conversations between characters.
Mood – evokes certain feelings in readers about a story.
Theme – the main idea of a story.
Point of View – the reflection of an opinion of a writer or speaker.
Rhetorical Appeal – four elements that define the art of persuasion.
Setting – the environment where a story takes place.
Characterization – details that highlight the personality traits of a character.
Conflict - a struggle between two opposing forces.
Imagery – mental pictures that help readers see stories as images.
Dialogue - conversations between characters.
Mood – evokes certain feelings in readers about a story.
Theme – the main idea of a story.
Point of View – the reflection of an opinion of a writer or speaker.
Rhetorical Appeal – four elements that define the art of persuasion.