Literary Concepts Flashcards
Characterization
characterization is the way in which the author lets the reader know what the individuals in a story are like. There are two main types of characterization.
Direct characterization
the author tells the reader what character are like through description.
Indirect characterization
the author shows the reader what characters are like through their thoughts, their speech, their actions, and the reactions of other characters to them.
Figurative language
is any language is any language that Is not intended to be intended to be interpreted in a strict, literal sense. There are several types of figurative language:
Simile
metaphor
Personification
Simile
a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind. Uses comparative language such as “like” or “as”
Example:
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” - Forrest Gump
Metaphor
The author makes a comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as.”
personification
The author gives non-human objects human qualities.
Example:
- Time marches on.
-The sun beat down upon our shoulders.
- The waves roared down the shore.
- The sea swallowed the tiny boat.
Symbolism
is a literary device that contains several layers of meaning. It can be an object, person, situation, or action that means something more than its literal meaning.
Signpost- Again + Again
Theme
is the central organizing phrase and it grows from the conflict. The moral or lesson the author conveys. Never one word.
Signpost- Words of the Wiser or Aha Moment
Flashback
A flashback is a scene that takes the reader back in time from the current point in the story. Often times, this is used to provide important details about a character’s past or recent life events.
Signpost- Memory Moment
Foreshadowing
is when the author includes a hint or clue that suggests what action is to come.
Signpost- Again + Again
Juxtaposition
placing two things side by side so as to highlight their differences
Signpost- Contrast + Contradiction
Irony
irony is a literary device in which an expected outcome does not happen, or its opposite happens instead.
Signpost- Contrast + Contradiction
Mood
a literary device that a writer uses to create an emotional quality for the reader through the use of words. The emotional response allows a reader to experience emotion and connection within a story.
Examples:
suspenseful
nervous
peaceful
lonely
anxious
scary
gloomy
inviting
