Literary and Stylistic Devices Allegory is a form of an extended metaphor in which objects, persons and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings outside the narrative itself. Quite often characters are personifications of abstract ideas, while the setting and the actions of the narrative explain the relationships between these abstractions. Forms of allegory include fables and parables. An entire novel or short story can be allegorical in nature; it conveys a message usually moralistic. For example: The Grasshopper and the Ant Alliteration the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a line or succeeding lines of verse. For example: Rabbits are running right over red roses Allusion an indirect or direct reference to familiar figure, place or event that is know from history, religion (the Bible), literature, mythology or some other field of knowledge in a piece of literature. For example: "The girl's love of sweets was her Achilles heel," referencing the warrior in Greek mythology. Anaphora - In rhetoric, an anaphora ( "carrying back") is a rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis. An expression that refers to another expression, especially a preceding one. An example is a pronoun that refers to its antecedent. For example: "We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." (Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940) "It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too." (Barack Obama, "The Audacity of Hope," July 27, 2004) Apostrophe - A figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding. For example: "Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again...." (Paul Simon, "The Sounds of Silence"). Archetype a basic pattern or concept common to people of different times and cultures. A pattern, character, or situation frequently found in literature. For example: the journey theme; the savior figure; hero/heroine figure; Assonance the repetition of similar vowel sounds within a line or succeeding lines of verse. For example: "Old age should burn and rave at close of day;/ Rage, rage, against the dying of the light." (Dylan Thomas, "Do not go gentle into that good night") Atmosphere the emotional colouring given to the story. It is created through the author s choice of setting, words, types of character and descriptions. For example: humour, sadness or fear.
Characterization is the method by which an author creates the traits, thoughts, and actions which develop the character for the reader. There are five methods of developing a character. Consonance is the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in a line or succeeding lines of verse. For example: Rap rejects my tape deck, ejects projectile/ Whether Jew or Gentile, I rank top percentile, (Lauryn Hill Fugees) Contrast is used by an author or poet to produce a significant effect with opposing elements, ideas, or objects in the way a painter does with paints. This can create an astonishing emotional effect on the reader. For example: The use of pink jacket in Schindler s List a black and white film. Diction is the author s choice of words, which can create the tone. Choice of words can be a critical indicator of the character s personality. Dream Sequence is a technique which offers insight into a character s psychology. It reveals the inner, unspoken desires and conflicts of the character. For example: The Big Lebowski - the Dude. Epiphany a sudden moment of significant realization by a character. Usually it is a turning point in a character s life; he or she very suddenly becomes aware of some critical aspect of self or reality that has previously confused the character. For example: a man who suddenly realizes he loves a woman who has been a friend for many years. Flashback is a device useful to writers for filling in past information; the writer presents scenes that occurred in the character s life prior to opening incident of the work. The flashback is told in the past tense and relived in a character s memory. Foil is the term applied to any person (or sometimes a thing) that underscores or enhances the distinctive characteristics of someone through the use of strong contrast. Foreshadowing occurs when elements in the narrative (signs or events) hint at or predict future events or the conclusion. This literary technique is used to create suspense as well as offer suggestions to the reader of plot directions. Foreshadowing is never apparent until the entire plot unfolds and the reader is able to see how elements in the beginning of the plot played a role in its final unraveling. Hyperbole is exaggeration used for dramatic effect. For example: I gained 15 pounds after eating that cheesecake. Image a word or phrase in a literary text that appeals directly to the reader s five senses. An image is thus any vivid or picturesque phrase that evokes a particular sensation in the reader s mind. For example: light images in Rome and Juliet sun, torches, moon, stars, etc. Imagery is the use of images in a literary work. Images are created through use of concrete details, adjectives and figures of speech, which give readers a vivid impression of what or who is being describes.
Irony occurs when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected; the reversal of meaning or situation. Different types of irony include: situational, a reversal of expectations; verbal, a reversal of meaning ; satirical irony, to ridicule a human folly; irony of fate, in which circumstances come about that are the opposite of the outcome expected by the protagonist; dramatic irony, where the reader is aware of the outcome however, the protagonist is not. Metaphor is an implied comparison between two unlike objects. For example: Life is a roller coaster. Note that the words like or as are NOT used in this type of figurative language. Motif - is an underlying pattern of a recurring idea, phrase, image or action. It unifies a story by repeatedly recalling its earlier occurrence. For example: The motif of dual or multiple parents pervade the Harry Potter books. Onomatopoeia literally means name poetry which occurs through the use of words which are connected or imitate their sound. For example: hiss, buzz, bang. Parody a literary or artistic work that mimics in an absurd or ridiculous way the conventions and style of another work. Parody is also known as spoof, lampoon or burlesque. Weird Al Yankovich parodied Michael Jackson s Billie Jean. Paradox a phrase that appears to be contradictory. For example: He was glad to finally be punished for his crimes. Pathetic Fallacy is a device in which nature or inanimate things are described in a way that is similar to or sympathetic about the events and emotions of the character. For example: A character s bad mood is reflected in a rain storm. Personification is the device used to give inanimate objects human characteristics. For example: The leaves danced down the driveway. Polptoton is a rhetorical term for repetition of words derived from the same root but with different endings. For example, "Choosy Mothers Choose Jif". Satire is a text or performance that uses irony, derision, or wit to expose or attack human vice, foolishness, or stupidity. Contemporary vehicles for satire include The Colbert Report, South Park, and The Onion. Simile a direct comparison between two objects using the words like or as. For example: It is as cold as ice. Stream of Consciousness is a style of writing that reflects the thoughts of a person. Often the ideas will move quickly and flow from image to image and idea to idea like a stream flowing. Because of the uninterrupted flow of thought from a human mind, a stream is the best way to describe the way we think. Writers will use this style of writing to represent the thoughts and ideas of a character through an internal monologue. This is another device which reveals the inner thoughts of a character.
Suspense the feeling of anxiety or uncertainty surrounding the outcome that the author is able to create through a variety of techniques. Symbol an object that represents itself and something else another set of ideas or thoughts. Usually symbols are easily recognized and are universal. Advanced writers will use more sophisticated and complex symbols that will play a specific role in the story. Symbolism is the use of symbols; something that suggest rather than directly depicts. The object or image stands for something else beyond its literal meaning or significance. For example: darkness symbolizes evil and light symbolizes goodness. Style refers to a writer s particular way of developing his or her narrative. Aspects of style include diction, use of imagery, allusion, figures of speech, symbolism, length and complexity of sentences. Theme is the central ideal of the literary work; it is implied rather than directly stated. Tone refers to the author s attitude about a subject or position regarding an issue. Tone is often revealed through the author s choice of details, characters, events. Tone is NOT mood.