LITERARY DEVICES + DEFINITIONS, Apuntes de Idioma Inglés

¡Descarga LITERARY DEVICES + DEFINITIONS y más Apuntes en PDF de Idioma Inglés solo en Docsity! Literary Devices p. 1 of 10 Literary Devices and Terms Literary devices are specific language techniques which writers use to create text that is clear, interesting, and memorable. Alliteration - repeated consonant sound at the beginning of words or within words; used to establish mood and rhythm in a story; true alliteration has three words beginning with the same sound (two words beginning with the same sound would be called alliterative) Examples: bucking bronco; miserable morning; Bed, Bath, and Beyond Allusion - a reference in one story to a well-known character or event from another story, history, or place Examples: the rise of the baseball team from last place to first was a real Cinderella story; at times teachers need the wisdom of Solomon to make decisions Ambiguity - when a single event or expression can mean two different things to two different people Example: When it is announced that another baby is on the way, Father remarks, “That could create some problems.” He means problems with money, but his young son thinks, “You’re right, dad! I don’t want to share my room and toys with anybody!” Analogy - comparing one thing to another very different thing in order to explain it better Examples: a school is like a garden, where children are lovingly raised and cared for; the rabbit shot from its hole like a rocket; the confetti fell like snow in a blizzard as the parade passed through the city streets (these three analogies are all written as similes) Aphorism - a brief statement expressing some truth as shown is a story; it can be a moral, or proverb, or maxim. Literary Devices p. 2 of 10 Examples: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. Everyone is afraid of something. Don’t make a big fuss if someone isn’t like us. Atmosphere - mood or feeling developed through descriptions of the setting and senses (how things feel, taste, smell, sound, look) Example: Camping in those woods, time went slow. The thick forest air just sat on you, hot and wet like a wool blanket, while mosquitoes droned in your ears and stung you on the back where you could never quite reach to smack them. Caricature - exaggeration or distortion of a physical trait or behavior, to make a character appear comic or ridiculous Example: her nose was needle sharp, with nostrils as small and black as a mouse’s eyes Character - a person or player (it can also be an animal, an imaginary creature) in a story; character can also be used as a word meaning “personal traits,” as in “Write a paragraph about the character of the Big Bad Wolf.” Circular Story - a story which begins and ends at the same place, usually following a character through different adventures or events; although the character arrives back where he/she started, he or she should now have a different perspective or feeling based upon experiences Example: A poor farmer travels to the city where he observes many expensive buildings and belongings, all owned by the same man. He is jealous of that man until he sees a funeral, and learns that the rich man is dead. Although the man was extremely wealthy, he could enjoy none of that in death. The poor farmer returns home, happy with what little he owns because he is alive to enjoy it. Climax - the most exciting moment of the story, where the main character faces his/her ultimate challenge Example: In Cinderella, the clock begins striking twelve, and Cinderella must rush home before the handsome prince finds out her secret. That is the climax. The following day, when the prince finds her again and fits the glass slipper on her foot, is the outcome, or solution, of the story. Literary Devices p. 5 of 10 Inference - conclusions which can be drawn by the reader based upon limited clues or facts presented by the author; the reader is encouraged to discover things for him/herself without being directed by the author Example: Mark’s father was surprised the following week when, all of a sudden, Mark quit begging for a dog. He began spending much more of his time out at the old barn by the creek, and had even begun to ask for seconds and thirds at suppertime. Internal Rhyme - two or more words rhyme in the same line Example: I bring fresh showers to the thirsting flowers. Irony - contrast between the expected outcome and the actual way things turn out (see Dramatic Irony) Example: In the book Holes, no one in the courtroom believes that Stanley Yelnats is innocent. Once he gets to Camp Green Lake he lies about committing the crime, but then no one there believes he is guilty! He just can’t seem to win. Metaphor - a suggested comparison between two unlike things in order to point out a similarity; a metaphor DOES NOT use the word like, as as, or than. Example: Hot orange coals burned at the edge of the woods as the wolves watched and waited with hungry eagerness. (the wolves’ eyes are compared to orange coals because of their brightness and color) Motive - a character’s reason for doing what he/she does Example: “So why did you tear up Janie’s paper?” demanded the teacher. Margaret said nothing and stared at her shoes. The teacher would never understand. She could never understand how it felt to be the new kid in school, and to have one student turn all the others against you. All because you... Onomatopoeia - words that imitate, or sound like, the actions they describe Examples: bang, slurp, ping, slam, hiss, squish Literary Devices p. 6 of 10 Outcome - the last event of the story which tells how the story ends; it explains whether the main character met his/her challenge Example: “And they all lived happily ever after,” is a common outcome in fairy tales. Paradox - a statement that reveals a kind of truth although at first it seems to be self-contradictory and untrue Examples: It was the best mistake he ever made (he learned a lot from this error). Good fences make good neighbors (fences do separate people, but they help people get along by making boundaries clear). Parallel Story - a narrative or picture story enclosed within another story, where both stories are of equal interest Example: In a story about kids putting on a play, both the onstage scene is shown, and the backstage happenings. Parody - a humorous story that makes fun of another well-known story by imitating it; characters, plot, theme, setting, may all be copied or changed for humorous effect Examples: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka has the story of the Three Little Pigs explained from the wolf’s point of view, and in his version it was all a big misunderstanding and he was innocent. Personification - a description in which an object (or animal, or idea, or force of nature) takes on human characteristics or actions Examples: the tornado stooped to snatch the house; the sun hid its face behind the clouds; the rain tapped against the window with its wet, insistent fingers Plot - what happens in a story, told in a sequenced, chronological order Example: Samantha received a new skateboard for her birthday. A week later, however, she lost it. She looked everywhere but couldn’t find it. Then one day... Literary Devices p. 7 of 10 Poetic Justice - an outcome in a story where good is rewarded, and evil is punished Example: the wolf is boiled in the pot at the end of the Three Little Pigs; good Cinderella marries the handsome prince; the lazy grasshopper suffers a hungry winter because he did not work hard like the ant to store up food Point of View - the perspective from which a story is seen or told; there are three main forms: First Person: (I and me are used; the narrator is actually a part of the story) I woke up first, alarmed that I had slept too late and missed my chance. A look at my brother’s bed told me he was still asleep, snuggled up under the covers. Third Person: (he and she are used; the narrator simply helps tell the story, and lets all character speak for themselves) Pete woke up first. A look at his brother’s bed told him that Sam was still asleep, snuggled up under the covers. Omniscient: (he and she are used; BUT the narrator not only lets characters speak, but can also “get inside their heads” to read their thoughts) Pete woke up first, feeling somewhat alarmed that he might have overslept and missed his chance. He looked at his brother’s bed and was glad to see that Sam was still asleep, snuggled up under the covers. Portmanteau Word - a portmanteau is suitcase which opens like a book, and when the two sides are shut and fastened, it is ready for travel; a portmanteau word is one in which two real words are combined, but some letters deleted, in order to form a new word Examples: fog + smoke = smog drip + sizzle = drizzle horrid + tremendous = horrendous The term portmanteau word was coined (invented) by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland. Today, many famous brand names are actually portmanteaus: Examples: Gogurt = go + yogurt