Literary Devices 6.

Dramatic Irony - Dramatic irony

is when the readers know more
1. Alliteration - Alliteration is the
about the situation going on than
repetition of the same sound at
at least one of the characters
the start of a series of words in
involved. This creates a
succession whose purpose is to
difference between the ways the
provide an audible pulse that
audience and the characters
gives a piece of writing a lulling,
perceive unfolding events. For
lyrical, and/or emotive effect.
instance, if we know that one
ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of
character is having an affair,
pickled peppers.
when that character speaks to
2. Anthropomorphism -
their spouse, we will pick up on
anthropomorphism, in which
the lies and double-meanings of
someone “sees” human-like
their words, while the spouse
attributes in a non-human, is
may take them at face value.
often associated with the bonds
7. Exposition - is when the
between humans and their
narrative provides background
beloved pets or possessions or
information in order to help the
the ways they interpret animal
reader understand what’s going
behavior. People can also
on. When used in conjunction
anthropomorphize in imagining
with description and dialogue,
that unseen beings (such as gods)
this literary device provides a
possess human features.
richer understanding of the
3. Blank verse - is a literary term
characters, setting, and events. Be
that refers to poetry written in
careful, though — too much
unrhymed but metered lines,
exposition will quickly become
almost always iambic
boring, thus undercutting the
pentameter.
emotional impact of your work.
4. Creative License - Exaggeration
8. Figurative Language - Any use of
or alteration of objective facts or
language where the intended
reality for the purpose of
meaning differs from the actual
enhancing meaning in a fictional
literal meaning of the words
context. Dickens took some
themselves. There are many
creative license with the historical
techniques which can rightly be
events of the French Revolution
called figurative language,
in order to clarify the ideological
including metaphor, simile,
conflicts.
hyperbole, personification,
5. Dialogue - Where characters
onomatopoeia, verbal irony, and
speak to one another; may often
oxymoron
be used to substitute for
9. Foreshadowing - is when the
exposition.
author hints at events yet to come
 in a story. Similar to flashbacks before characters do), situational
(and often used in conjunction (when readers expect a certain
with them), this technique is also outcome, only to be surprised by
used to create tension or a turn of events), and verbal
suspense — giving readers just (when the intended meaning of a
enough breadcrumbs to keep statement is the opposite of what
them hungry for more. was said).
10. Hyperbole - is an exaggerated 16. Oxymoron - comes from two
statement that emphasizes the contradictory words that describe
significance of the statement’s one thing. ex. "Parting is such
actual meaning. When a friend sweet sorrow.”
says, "Oh my god, I haven't seen 17. Paradox - derives from the Greek
you in a million years," that's word paradox on, which means
hyperbole. “beyond belief.” It’s a statement
11. Iambic Pentameter- Poetry that asks people to think outside
written with each line containing the box by providing seemingly
ten syllables, in five repetitions of illogical — and yet actually true
a two-syllable pattern wherein — premises. ex. Ignorance is
the pronunciation emphasis is on Strength
the second syllable. 18. Parallelism - Use of similar or
12. Imagery - appeals to readers’ identical language, structures,
senses through highly descriptive events, or ideas in different parts
language. It’s crucial for any of a text.
writer hoping to follow the rule 19. Personification - uses human
of "show, don’t tell," as strong traits to describe non-human
imagery truly paints a picture of things. Again, while the
the scene at hand. aforementioned
13. Metaphor - compares two similar anthropomorphism actually
things by saying that one of them applies these traits to non-human
is the other. ex. Wishes are thorns things, personification means the
14. Onomatopoeia - refers to words behavior of the thing does not
that sound like the thing they’re actually change. It's personhood
referring to. Well-known in figurative language only. ex.
instances of onomatopoeia “The story jumped off the page.”
include whiz, buzz, snap, grunt, 20. Repetition - Repetition is a figure
etc. of speech where a word or phrase
15. Irony - creates a contrast between is repeated more than one time to
how things seem and how they put emphasis. It attracts the
really are. There are three types attention of the readers to the
of literary irony: dramatic (when specific phrase.
readers know what will happen
21. Simile - A simile draws 27. Metonymy - is like symbolism,
resemblance between two things but even more so. A metonym
by saying “Thing A is like Thing doesn’t just symbolize something
B,” or “Thing A is as [adjective] else, it comes to serve as a
as Thing B.” synonym for that thing or things
22. Symbolism - Authors turn to — typically, a single object
tangible symbols to represent embodies an entire institution.
abstract concepts and ideas in ex. “The crown” representing the
their stories, Symbols typically monarchy
derive from objects or non- 28. Assonance - the repetition of
humans — for instance, a dove vowel sounds in words that are
might represent peace, or raven close to each other in a sentence
might represent death. or phrase. ex. Chips and Dip
23. Verbal Irony - Where the 29. Consonance - is a figure of
meaning is intended to be the speech in which the same
exact opposite of what the words consonant sound repeats within a
actually mean. group of words. An example of
24. Caesura - A stop or pause in a consonance is: "Traffic figures, on
metrical line, often marked by July Fourth, to be tough."
punctuation or by a grammatical 30. Understatement - a statement
boundary, such as a phrase or that describes something in a way
clause. that makes it seem less
25. Enjambment - French meaning important, serious, bad, etc. than
“a striding over,” is a poetic term it really is. ex. Describing a huge
for the continuation of a sentence storm overnight, a comedic
or phrase from one line of poetry understatement would be: "Looks
to the next. An enjambed line like it rained a bit last night."
typically lacks punctuation at its 31. Allegory - is a story within a
line break, so the reader is carried story. It has a “surface story” and
smoothly and swiftly—without another story hidden underneath.
interruption—to the next line of 32. Juxtaposition - places two or
the poem. more dissimilar characters,
26. Kennings - concise compound or themes, concepts, etc. side by
figurative phrase replacing a side, and the profound contrast
common noun. ex. Mind-reader = highlights their differences.
someone who knows what you are 33. Antagonist - Counterpart to the
thinking. Tree-hugger = an main character and source of a
environmentalist. Showstopper = a story’s main conflict. The person
performance that receives a may not be “bad” or “evil” by
prolonged applause. any conventional moral standard,
 but he/she opposes the plot summary;” the term is
protagonist in a significant way. therefore rarely useful for
34. Characterization - The author’s response or critical analysis.
means of conveying to the reader When discussing plot, it is
a character’s personality, life generally more useful to consider
history, values, physical its structure, rather than simply
attributes, etc. Also refers directly “what happens.”
to a description thereof. 41. Point-of-view - The identity of
35. Climax - The turning point in a the narrative voice; the person or
story, at which the end result entity through whom the reader
becomes inevitable, usually experiences the story. May be
where something suddenly goes third-person (no narrator;
terribly wrong; the “dramatic omniscient or limited) or first-
high point” of a story. person (narrated by a character in
36. Conflict - A struggle between the story who either merely
opposing forces which is the observes or directly participates).
driving force of a story. The Point-of-view is a commonly
outcome of any story provides a misused term; it does not refer to
resolution of the conflict(s); this is the author’s (or characters’)
what keeps the reader reading. feelings, opinions, perspectives,
Conflicts can exist between biases, etc.
individual characters, between 42. Protagonist - The main character
groups of characters, between a in a story, the one with whom the
character and society, etc., and reader is meant to identify. The
can also be purely abstract person is not necessarily “good”
(conflicting ideas). by any conventional moral
37. Context - Facts and conditions standard, but he/she is the
surrounding a given situation. person in whose plight the reader
38. Mood - The atmosphere or is most invested.
emotional condition created by 43. Setting - The time and place
the piece, within the setting. where a story occurs. The setting
39. Motif - A recurring important can be specific (e.g., New York
idea or image. A motif differs City in 1930) or ambiguous (e.g.,
from a theme in that it can be a large urban city during
expressed as a single word or economic hard times). Also refers
fragmentary phrase, while a directly to a description thereof.
theme usually must be expressed 44. Speaker - The “voice” of a poem;
as a complete sentence. not to be confused with the poet
40. Plot - Sequence of events in a him/herself. Analogous to the
story. Most literary essay tasks narrator in prose fiction.
will instruct the writer to “avoid
45. Structure - The manner in which
the various elements of a story
are assembled.
46. Theme - The main idea or
message conveyed by the piece.
A theme is generally stated as a
complete sentence; an idea
expressed as a single word or
fragmentary phrase is a motif.
47. Tone - The apparent emotional
state of the
speaker/narrator/narrative
voice, as conveyed through the
language of the piece.
48. Tragedy - Where a story ends
with a negative or unfortunate
outcome that was essentially
avoidable, usually caused by a
flaw in the central character’s
personality. Tragedy is really
more of a dramatic genre than a
literary element; a play can be
referred to as a tragedy, but
tragic events in a story are
essentially part of the plot, rather
than a literary device in
themselves.
49. Tragic hero/tragic figure - A
protagonist who comes to a bad
end as a result of his own
behavior, usually cased by a
specific personality disorder or
character flaw
50. Tragic flaw - The single
characteristic (usually negative)
or personality disorder that
causes the downfall of the
protagonist.