literary devices, elements & techniques literary devices literary devices are common structures...
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Literary Devices, Elements & Techniques
Literary Devices
• Literary devices are common structures in writing that make up the components of literature. We use these devices to help us interpret and analyze literary works.
• The names of literary devices may also be called literary terms. Literary devices include both literary elements and literary techniques.
Literary Elements
• Literary elements are the essential parts of storytelling that are found in almost all types of literary and narrative writing.
• The following are all literary elements: plot, character, conflict, setting, theme and point of view.
Plot
• The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea. It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end.
• The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts to the plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Plot
A.) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting are revealed. The introduction can also be called the exposition.
B.) Rising Action - This is the part of the story were a conflict is revealed (called the inciting force) and becomes more pronounced as the story progresses. The rising action is all the events between the introduction and the climax.
Plot
C.) Climax - This is the highest point of interest, the turning point of the story or the moment of greatest suspense. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
D.) Falling Action - At this point the events and complications
begin to resolve themselves. The falling action is all of the events between the climax and resolution.
E.) Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story. The resolution may also be called the denouement.
Plot Diagram
Character
• The plot can only exist with characters. The main character is placed in a situation that contains a problem he or she must overcome; therefore, conflict exists.
• Most stories also have minor characters who either help or hinder the main character's attempt to solve the conflict. There can be many different types of characters within a story.
Character
A.) Protagonist - The main or central character.
B.) Antagonist - This character opposes the protagonist. Often, he or she is an opponent to the main character.
C.) Round (Dynamic) Characters - A character affected by the events of the story. These characters are usually fully developed in terms of personality. They are described in more detail and their personalities emerge more fully. Round characters usually become enlightened, learn, grow, or deteriorate by the end of the story.
Character
D.) Flat Character - A character who doesn't go through a change. These characters are usually one-dimensional.
E.) Stereotyped Characters - A character who is so well known that little has to be said about him/her. These characters are immediately recognizable because of the role he/she plays. Examples - the strong silent gunfighter, the nerd, the beautiful international spy, the mad scientist.
We Learn About a Character in 5 Different Ways:
1.) What the character says. 2.) What the character thinks. 3.) What the character does. 4.) What is said about him or her by other characters and the narrator. 5. ) What the author says about the character.
Conflicts
• Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict, there is no plot. Conflict does not involve just arguments, but rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character.
• Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones. Conflicts can either be internal or external.
Conflicts
• External - A struggle with a force outside one's self. For example, an issue with another person, a complication of circumstances, or a struggle with the ideals of society.
• Internal - A struggle within the character’s self. For example, a decision has to be made, pain has to be overcome, anger has to be overcome, or temptation has to be resisted.
There are 4 Different Types of Conflicts:
1.) Character vs. Person - The leading character struggles with his or her physical strength against other characters, forces of nature, or animals.
2.) Character vs. Circumstances - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
Types of Conflicts:
3.) Character vs. Society - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4.) Character vs. Self - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
Setting• The time (when) and location (where) in which a story takes place is
called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, of these aspects may be present in a story).
A.)Place - Geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place? B.)Time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year,)C.)Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc? D.) Social conditions – What is the character's daily life like? Is the character influenced by particular customs or mannerisms of a place?E.) Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
Theme• A theme is the author's underlying meaning, message or main idea
that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic such as life, society or his/her view of human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly. The title of the story usually points to the theme.
• Some examples of themes from literature include: - Things are not always as they appear to be - Love is blind - Believe in yourself - People are afraid of change- Don't judge a book by its cover
Point of View
• Point of view is the angle from which the story is told. Although every story has a point of view, the type used is up to the author. The person or voice telling the story is called the narrator and there are two common ways to tell a short story:
• First person narration - The story is told by the protagonist or another character who is part of the action (using I, me, we, etc).
• Third person narration - The story is told by someone who is not part of the action (using he, she, it, they etc).
A narrator, 1st or 3rd person, can be:
• Limited narration - The narrator only knows what he/she experiences or learns about in some way - the narrator's knowledge grows as the story unfolds; at times, the reader may know more than the narrator.
• Omniscient narration - The "all knowing" narrator knows all of the details about events, characters, etc. and reveals them to the reader as the story unfolds.
Literary Techniques
• Literary techniques are tools that an author may choose to use to enhance their writing and to convey meaning in a certain way. Figurative language and sound devices are examples of literary techniques.
Figurative Language
• Figurative language is the use of figures of speech, which are words or phrases that depart from everyday literal language in order to compare or to add emphasis and clarity.
• Authors use figurative language to add interest and to evoke certain feelings in their readers. There are many different types of figurative language that authors may choose to use in their writing.
Figurative Language
• Allusion is a reference within a work to something famous outside it, such as a well-known person, place, event, story, or work of art. Example: My love of sweets is my Achilles heel.
• An Apostrophe is when an absent or dead person or thing is spoken to as if it is present and able to understand. Example: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.
Figurative Language
• A cliché is a word or phrase that has become overly familiar or commonplace. Example: No pain, no gain.
• Hyperbole is an exaggeration or overstatement. Example: I have a million things to do today!
Figurative Language
• Idioms are an expression that does not mean what it literally says. Example: It is raining cats and dogs outside!
• Imagery is the use of vivid descriptive language, usually rich in sensory words that evokes one or all of the five senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching), to create pictures, or images, in the reader's mind. Example: The crisp white snow floated down through the dark night sky.
Figurative Language• Irony refers to some sort of inconsistency between what is
expected and what actually happens. There are three different types of irony:
• Verbal irony occurs when the opposite is said from what is really intended (sarcasm) Example: "Wasn't that a smart move!”
• Dramatic irony occurs when there is a contrast between what a character says and what the reader knows to be true.
• Situational irony occurs when the outcome of a situation is significantly different from what is expected or considered appropriate.
Figurative Language
• A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be" (am, are, was, were). Example: That test was a breeze.
• Metonymy is substituting a word for another word closely associated with it. Example: The pen is mightier than the sword.
Figurative Language
• An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory ideas. Example: Jumbo Shrimp, organized chaos, same difference.
• A paradox is a statement which is self-contradictory, unreasonable, or illogical. Example: Nobody goes to that restaurant; it is too crowded.
Figurative Language
• Personification is giving human qualities to animals or objects. Example: The wind whistled as it blew throughout the forest.
• A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using like or as. Example: The girl was as bright as the sun.
Figurative Language
• Synecdoche is a statement that selects a part of a group to explain a whole group. Example: The alphabet is often referred to as the ABC’s.
• An understatement is a figure of speech in which a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is. Example: Saying "It's just a scratch," when there is a huge dent.
Sound Devices
• Sound devices are techniques or tools that writers can use to add meaning and emphasis to writing through the use of sound. There are a number of different types of sound devices.
Sound Devices
• Alliteration is the repetition of the initial letters or sounds in a series of words. Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds in words or phrases that create a rhythm. Example: The man with the tan was a great fan.
Sound Devices
• Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in a line. Example: Pitter patter went the feet of the little animals.
• Dissonance is the use of harsh-sounding or unusual words that create a disturbing effect and catches the reader's attention by interrupting the rhythm of words. Example: I hate being sick because causes are usually unknown.
Sound Devices
• Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound of the word as it is read. Example: buzz, thump, pop, hiss, gush, kerplunk.
• A pun is a play on words that relies on a word having more than one meaning or sounding like another word. Example: I wondered why the ball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Other Literary Techniques Include:
• Diction - Refers to an author’s word choice. Word choice can be formal, informal, colloquial or slang.
A.) Formal diction is usually found in academic texts, academic papers and formal discussion.
B.) Informal diction is relaxed conversation and is found in writing that has a lighter tone and is sometimes humorous.
C.) Colloquial diction or jargon is the everyday usage of a particular group of people. Example: the word choice of people from a certain profession or area.
D.) Slang is defined as a newly coined word not accepted for formal usage yet, and is usually not found in the dictionary.
More Techniques
• Flashback - Is when an author reveals an event that took place in the past.
• Foil - Is a character who is meant to represent characteristics, values or ideas which are opposite to another character (usually the protagonist).
• Foreshadowing - Is a when the author gives hints or clues to suggest what will happen as the story progresses.
More Techniques
• Symbolism - Symbolism refers to when a symbol, such as an object, color, person or place, is used to represent an abstract idea or concept. A red rose for example, is not just a rose but a symbol of love and beauty. A dove is not just a bird, but also a symbol of peace.
More Techniques
• Motif - Is a recurring important idea, structure or image. it is different from a theme because it can be expressed as a single word or phrase. For example, comparing a person’s stages of life to seasons of the year.
• Tone - Refers to the general atmosphere created in a story, or the author’s or narrator’s attitude toward the story or the subject.
Figurative Language
Sound Devices
Diction & Tone
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Symbolism & Motif
Figurative Language
Sound Devices
Diction & Tone
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Symbolism & Motif
Plot
Characters
Conflict
Setting
Theme
Point of View
Plot
Characters
Conflict
Setting
Theme
Point of View
Literary Devices
Structures in Literature
Literary Devices
Structures in Literature
Literary Elements
Essential
Literary Elements
Essential
Literary Techniques
Optional
Literary Techniques
Optional