Literary devices, techniques and elements Flashcards
are specific, deliberate constructions of
language which an author uses to convey meaning.
Literary techniques
is any specific aspect of literature, or a
particular work, which we can recognize, identify, interpret and/or
analyze.
Literary device
The repetition of consonant sounds within close
proximity, usually in consecutive words within the same sentence
or line.
ALLITERATION
Where animals or inanimate
objects are portrayed in a story as people, such as by
walking, talking, or being given arms, legs and/or facial
features. (This technique is often incorrectly called
personification.)
ANTHROPOMORPHISM:
Exaggeration or alteration of
objective facts or reality for the purpose of enhancing
meaning in a fictional context.
CREATIVE LICENSE:
Where characters speak to one another; may
often be used to substitute for exposition
DIALOGUE
Where the audience or reader is aware of
something important, of which the characters in the story are not
aware.
DRAMATIC IRONY
Where an author interrupts a story in order to
explain something, usually to provide important background
information about events, settings, characters, or other elements
of a work to the audience or readers.
EXPOSITION
Any use of language where the
intended meaning differs from the actual literal meaning of the
words themselves.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Where future events in a story, or perhaps the
outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen.
FORESHADOWING
Language which describes something in detail, using
words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation
IMAGERY
The use of specific objects or images to represent
abstract ideas.
SYMBOLISM
simply means ‘the quality of resembling
reality.’ A work of art, or any part of a work of art, has
verisimilitude if it seems realistic.
VERISIMILITUDE
s a short, descriptive scene. It’s beautifully crafted in
finite detail.
VIGNETTE
refers to components of a literary work
(character, setting, plot, theme, frame, exposition,
ending/denouement, motif, titling, narrative point–‐of–‐view).
Literary elements
Refers to time periods, geographic locations, cultural contexts,
immediate surroundings, weather, times of day, or times of year
employed in the story.
setting
It refers to the attitude the work takes toward the audience and
subject
tone
Refers to the point-‐of view from which the story is narrated.
Narrative perspective or point-of-view
the person telling the story is also the main
character
First person protagonist
the person telling the story is a secondary
character in the story.
First person observer
he narrative follows around ONE character primarily and has access to his/her thoughts.
Third person limited
has access to MULTIPLE character’s
thoughts and actions.
Third person omniscient
describes only the ACTIONS of the characters.
Third person objective
Refers to a series of reoccurring details that have symbolic
importance in the story.
motif
It refers to a description of something to be seen, hear, smelled,
or touched.
image
It refers to how the author describes his/her characters.
characterization
The main character in a story. He/she is often a hero but
sometimes is not. He/she can also be the story’s narrator.
protagonist
A character who stands in the way of the protagonist’s movement
in the story. Often times, this is a villain but it does not have to be.
antagonist
the character changes a lot over the course of the
story, the author has made the character
Dynamic
If the character stays pretty much the same, he/she is
static
If the character is very complex in his/her motivations and/or actions
round
If the character is straightforward in his/her
motivations and/or actions
flat
Refers to a broad idea or moral in a story.
theme
It refers to a story’s final “untying” or resolution.
Resolution/denouement
It refers to the central problems of a text.
conflict