literary devices

rhythm and rhyme

"I am a teapot Short and stout; This is my handle And this is my spout. When the water's boiling Hear me shout; Just lift me up And pour me out"

symbolism

It is the use of an object, person, situation or word to represent something else, like an idea, in literature e.g a metaphor

epilogue

acts as the afterword once the last chapter is over. The purpose of an epilogue is to add a little insight to some interesting developments that happen once the major plot is over

Anthropomorphism

can be understood to be the act of lending a human quality, emotion or ambition to a non-human object or being e.g.The raging storm brought with it howling winds and fierce lightning as the residents of the village looked up at the angry skies in alarm.

simile

compares two subjects by connecting them with "like" or "as" (for example: "She's fit as a fiddle").

analogy (more elaborate than a simile or metaphore)

comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar e.g You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.

personification

is a figure of speech where human qualities are given to animals, objects or ideas e.g •Lightning danced across the sky

hyperbole

is a literary device wherein the author uses specific words and phrases that exaggerate and overemphasize the basic crux of the statement in order to produce a grander, more noticeable effect.The purpose of hyperbole is to create a larger-than-life effect and overly stress a specific point. e.g "I am so tired I cannot walk another inch"

metaphor

is a rhetorical figure of speech that compares two subjects without the use of "like" or "as." e.g. ◾It was raining cats and dogs.◾Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

motif

is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. Using a motif refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work. In many famed fairytales, the motif of a 'handsome prince' falling in love with a 'damsel in distress' to live 'happily ever after' is a common motif.

characterisation

refers the step by step process wherein an author introduces and then describes a character e.g. Michael Corleone was not jus' a mafiaso, but a family man. A man who walked the knife's edge to preserve his sanity.

mood

refers to a definitive stance the author adopts in shaping a specific emotional perspective towards the subject of the literary work

irony

refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence or word is actually different from the literal meaning - sarcasm e.g. "Oh! What fine luck I have!".

consonance

refers to repetition of sounds in quick succession produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. The repetitive sound is often found at the end of a word. e.g He struck a streak of bad luck.

assonance

refers to repetition of sounds produced by vowels within a sentence or phrase. What sets it apart from alliterations is that it is the repetition of only vowel sounds. e.g "A long song". (the 'o' sound is repeated )

onomatopoeia

refers to words whose very sound is very close to the sound they are meant to depict. e.g grunt, snap, buzz

tone

the attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work's central theme or subject ◾"I'm so glad that jerk was fired; now I won't have to deal with him anymore." Vs. "It's terrible that Tony was let go; he was such a great colleague!"

dramatic irony

the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

Flashback

the author depicts the occurrence of specific events to the reader, which have taken place before the present time the narration is following, or events that have happened before the events that are currently unfolding in the story

imagery

the author uses words and phrases to create "mental images" for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author's writings.e.g The gushing brook stole its way down the lush green mountains, dotted with tiny flowers in a riot of colors and trees coming alive with gaily chirping birds

suspense

the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events

juxtaposition

to place two concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them. e.gBetter late than never. While being late is a negative thing, the possibility of something never happening or someone never arriving is much worse

oxymoron

two contradictary words are together in one phrase ◾controlled chaos ◾kill with kindness ◾old news ◾small giant ◾original copy

setting

used to identify and establish the time, place and mood of the events of the story. It basically helps in establishing where and when and under what circumstances the story is taking place.

alliteration

words are used in quick succession and begin with the same letter or letters belonging to the same sound group. e.g. The Wicked Witch of the West went her own way