Literary Devices: Writer’s Tools

What are Literary Devices?• Literary devices are tools that writers use to

“build” meaning in a story or book. • Not all writers will use all of the different

literary devices in a given text, but chances are good that you’ll find at least one or two in almost every piece of writing you encounter.

LITERATURE

SIMILE

• Whether you realize it or not, you use literary devices every, like, day.

• When you, like, compare things that are like, different by like, saying “like”, and stuff, you’re actually using a SIMILE. : )

• Definition: A simile is a figure of speech which compares two unlike things using “like” or “as”.

METAPHOR

• Metaphors are supermen of literary devices. • Sometimes, you may not want to use “like” or

“as” when comparing two things. When you do this, it’s called a METAPHOR.

• Although they are one of the most commonly used lit devices, they can sometimes be the hardest to spot.

• Definition: a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as”.

FORESHADOWING…Dun dun dunnnnn……..

Definition: A hint of what is to come in the future.

A young Anakin Slkywalker (who will

someday turn into Darth Vader)

Suspense

• Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions

• Think Jaws Music

Prediction

• Making a guess about the future or what is to happen.

• I am predicting a 100% on the Literary Terms quiz!

Inference

• Making an EDUCATED guess about the future

• Drawing a conclusion based on what you know as fact and what the author has told you.

• EDUCATED, EDUCATED, EDUCATED!!!!

Conflict

• Person vs. Self Internal conflict or fight

with your self. Happens in your mind.

• Person Vs. Person– External conflict with

another person

• Person vs. Supernatural– External Conflict– Robots, tornadoes

something non-human

PERSONIFICATION

Definition: giving human qualities to non-human objects or things

SYMBOL(ism)

Definition: A person, thing, etc., that stands for something else. (In writing, a symbol may not be as obvious as some visual symbols.)

CHARACTERIZATION

• Definition: the many ways in which a character is revealed.

• The way the character speaks• Physical descriptions• The way other characters speak about a character• Actions/reactions of the character

FLASHBACK

Definition: a retelling or remembrance of a past

event or occurence

ALLUSION• Definition: a reference to something else (like

a piece of literature, art, music, etc.) in a work of Literature, art, music, etc.

IRONY

• Dramatic – The reader knows something the characters do not

• Situational– What happens is the opposite of what is expected

• Verbal– What is said is the opposite of what is expected

Ex: “OoOoOh Great!”… “Lucky you!” … Not ! ! ! (Sarcasm)

“It’s like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.” Brownie point if you can name who sang this? Which irony does this lyric represent?

Fun “Stuff”• Alliteration– Repetition of consonant sound

ex: My foot feels funny because Frank froze it.• Pun– Word whose meaning can be taken 2 different

waysex: Why was the frog happy? Because he eats what bugs him! Bahahahahaha! (Laugh here.)

Protagonist

• The main character of the story who is involved in all the action•Generally, this character tends to be more positive, a hero if you will•Most likely there is some sort of “antagonist” going against this character

Here I come to save the daaaaay!

Looking ahead to

Fable• a short tale to teach a story with a moral, often

w/ animals or inanimate objects as characters

Someone spin me a yarn, and remind us of this fable… What should we learn from it?

Still thinking about the

Satire• poking fun at a character or thing with a

purpose

Allegory• when a character, event, or place in a

work of literature stands for another real person, event, or place in society

Epic

• Homer's Odyssey

• A long narrative poem with a hero, generally celebrating the feats of a legendary or

traditional hero

Mood and Tone• the way in which a work of literature makes you feel…

How does it appear these people/ animals/baby feel after reading? ? ? ?

1st PersonThe main character of the story is also the

narrator

3rd Person3rd Person Limited

3rd Person Omniscient

The narrator is NOT the main character in the story

The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters in the

text

Imagery

Language that appeals to the

five senses

...then I traveled through the seven levels of the candy cane

forest, past the castle of the abominable snowman and

past the sea of swirly, twirly gumdrops. And then I walked through the Lincoln tunnel.

Can you pass the Coke pretty please?

Plot Diagram

• Plot: The series of events in a story

Elements of the Plot Diagram

• Exposition: Beginning part of the story which gives information about the characters and their problems/conflicts.

• Rising Action: Contains the conflict in the story

• Climax: Moment of great emotional intensity– The most exciting part

Plot Elements

• Falling Action: Leads to the resolution of the story. Events that follow the climax

• Resolution: How the events and problems in a story are solved.

ThemeThe Main Idea of a of a work

of literature