Literary Devices Essay

A form of loose metaphor, in which purposes, persons, and actions in a hi tale, ar equated with the nitty-grittys that lie override outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political theaterifi freighterce and personas argon lots personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a apologue with dickens meanings, a genuine meaning and a symbolisationizationic meaning. head rhymeThe repetition of the same sound at the get downning of a devise, such(prenominal) as the repetition of b sounds in Keatss beaded bubbles motion at the brim (Ode to a Nightingale) or Coleridges fivesome miles meandering in a mazy motion (Kubla Khan). A commonality use for alliteration is emphasis. It occurs in universal speech in such vocalises as tittle-tattle, bag and baggage, bed and board, primrose path, and through mysterious and thin and in expressions like look in front you leap. Some literary criti cs call the repetition of every sounds alliteration. However, there ar specialized legal injury for opposite sound-repetitions. Consonance repeats consonants, however non the vowels, as in horror- visualiseer. vowel rhyme is the repetition of vowel sounds, please-niece-ski-tree. AllusionA brief reference to a person, in timet, flummox, or phrase. The writer assumes contributors will recognize the reference. For congressman, most of us would know the oddment surrounded by nonp beil being as reliable as George cap or as reliable as Benedict Arnold. Allusions that argon frequent for readers in bingle era may require footnotes for readers in a later age. Ambiguity(1) A statement that has two or much than possible meanings (2) a statement whose meaning is unclear. Depending on the circumstances, ambiguity can be negative, leading to confusion or even disaster (the forked jointing of a generals note led to the subtle charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War). On the opposite hand, writers a good deal use it to achieve special effects, for instance, to reflect the complexity of an issue or to indicate the tighty, perhaps the impossibility, of determining truth. umpteen of small towns statements to the King, to Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern, and toother characters are deliberately ambiguous, to hide his echt purpose from them. AnalogyThe equation of two pairs which have the same relationship. The key is to ascertain the relationship between the first so you can choose the correct second pair. opus to whole, opposites and results of are types of relationships you should find. AnecdoteShort tale narrating an interesting or comic biographical incident. AnthropomorphismUsed with immortal or gods. The act of attributing tender forms or qualities to entities that are not world. Specifically, anthropomorphism is the describing of gods or goddesses in human beingsity forms and possessing human characteristics such as jealousy, hatred, or love. Mythologies of ancient peoples were almost all in all concerned with anthropomorphic gods. The Greek gods such as Zeus and Apollo very much were depicted in anthropomorphic forms. The avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu possessed human forms and qualities. AntiheroA protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero. He or she may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely pathetic. Often what antiheroes consume, if they learn anything at all, is that the world isolates them in an existence devoid of deity and lordly values. Yossarian from Joseph Hellers Catch-22 is an example of an antihero. AphorismA brief saying embodying a moral, a concise statement of a principle or precept given in distributor pointed lecture. Example * Hippocrates Life is short, art is long, luck fleeting, experimenting dangerous, reasoning difficult. * Alexander Pope Some praise at cockcrow what they blame at night. * Ralph Waldo Emerson Imitation is suicide* Benj amin Franklin Lost time is never found again.ApostropheA direct address to a person, thing, or abstraction, such as O WesternWind, or Ah, Sorrow, you consume us. Apostrophes are generally capitalized. ArchetypeA term used to pick out popular symbols that evoke deep and sometimes unconscious responses in a reader. In literature, characters, work outs, and themes that symbolically embody universal meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when or where they live, are considered archetypes. Common literary archetypes accept stories of quests, initiations, scapegoats, descents to the underworld, and ascents to heaven. See also mythical criticism. AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds, please-niece-ski-tree.CadenceThe melodic pattern middling before the end of a sentence or phrase for instance an interrogation or an exhortation. More generally, the natural rhythm of row depending on the position of stressed and unstressed syllables. Cadence is a major division of ind ividual writers styles. A cadence classify is a coherent free radical of run-in spoken as a single rhythmic unit, such as a prepositional phrase, of parting day or a noun phrase, our inalienable rights. CatharsisMeaning purgation, catharsis describes the release of the emotions of pity and revere by the reference at the end of a tragedy. In his poeticals, Aristotle discusses the immenseness of catharsis. The audience smells the misfortunes of the protagonist, which elicit pity and compassion. Simultaneously, the audience also confronts the failure of the protagonist, hence receiving a frightening reminder of human limitations and frailties. Ultimately, however, both of these emotions are purged be score the tragical protagonists suffering is an affirmation of human values quite an than a despairing denial of them. See also tragedy.ClichAn idea or expression that has become tired and trite from overuse, its freshness and clarity having worn out off. Clichs frequently ane sthetize readers, and are usually a sign of weak writing. ColloquialRefers to a type of informal phrasing that reflects casual, conversational vocabulary and often includes slang. ConnotationThe emotions, values, or images associated with a intelligence operation. The intensity of emotions or the power of the values and images associated with a word varies. Words connected with piety, political science and sex tend to have the strongest feelings and images associated with them. For most people, the word mother calls up very strong positive feelings and associations loving, self-sacrificing, incessantly there for you, understanding, etc. the appellative meaning, on the other hand, is simply a female animal who has borne one or more children. Of course connotative meanings do not inescapably reflect reality for instance, if someone said, His mother is not very motherly, you would instanter understand the difference between motherly (connotation) and mother (denotation). Cons onanceRepeats consonants, but not the vowels, as in horror-hearerDeismAn in heraldectual religious driving en vogue through the late seventeenth century up to the late eighteenth century concerned with rational rather than faith- found approaches to religion and understanding God. The movement is often associated with the En returnenment movement, Neoclassicism, and Free Masonry. In general, Deists prided themselves on free-thinking and logic and tended to reject any particular dogma, so it is difficult to define the beliefs of an individual Deist without referring to generalities. Deists were heavily influenced by John Lockes mechanistic philosophy and Newtonian physics, seeing the universe as a place ruled rationally by cause and effect. They tended to see God as an impersonal but intelligent force, a first cause that created the universe and set it in motion, who then allowed life and matter to make a motion on its own without further need for divine intervention. The logic is that, if God is infallible, omniscient and omnipotent, logically he would pre-establish his design in the world in such a way that he would not need to fiddle constantly with it or adjust it through supernatural intervention. Deistic writings often refer to the Deity using metaphors of the architect, the watchmaker, the mason, or some other skilled belonger who measures out the universe with geometric and mechanical precision. Thus, a common Deist metaphor compares the universe to aperfectly designed watch or clock a construct created with complex gears and despicable split, then wound up, and finally released to operate on its own without any more effort on the creators part. DenotationThe literal meaning of a word there are no emotions, values, or images associated with denotative meaning. Scientific and mathematical language carries few, if any emotional or connotative meanings. DialectThe language of a particular district, class, or group of persons. The term dialect enco mpasses the sounds, spelling, grammar, and choice of words employed by a specific people as distinguished from other persons all geographically or socially. Dialect is a major technique of characterization that reveals the social or geographic status of a character. DictionA writers choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning. dinner dress diction consists of a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language it draws the rules of syntax on the button and is often characterized by complex words and lofty tone. Middle diction maintains correct language usage, but is less elevated than formal diction it reflects the way most educated people speak. Informal diction represents the opine language of everyday use, and often includes idiomatic expressions, slang, contractions, and many simple, common words. Poetic diction refers to the way poets sometimes employ an elevated diction that deviates significantly from th e common speech and writing of their time, choosing words for their supposedly inherent poetic qualities. Since the eighteenth century, however, poets have been incorporating all kinds of diction in their work and so there is no longer an automatic distinction between the language of a poet and the language of everyday speech EnjambmentA railway line having no pause or end punctuation but having perpetual grammatical meaning continuing into the next line usually apply to poetic formats. EuphemismUsing a mild or gentle phrase instead of a blunt, embarrassing, or painful one. For instance, saying Grandfather has gone to a better place is a euphemism for Grandfather has died. The idea is to dedicate something braggy,disturbing, or embarrassing in an inoffensive or apathetic light. Frequently, words referring this instant to death, unpopular politics, blasphemy, crime, and sexual or excremental activities are replaced by euphemisms. overindulgeA farce is a form of low comedy d esigned to provoke laughter through highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable or silly situations. Traits of farce include (1) physical bunko game such as slapstick, (2) sexual misunderstandings and mix-ups, and (3) broad verbal humor such as puns. Many literary critics (especially in the Victorian period) have tended to absorb farce as inferior to high comedy that involves brilliant dialogue. Many of Shakespeares early works, such as The Taming of the Shrew, are considered farces. FlashbackAction that interrupts to study an event that happened at an earlier time which is necessary to better understanding. itchA secondary character who contrasts with a major character in Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras, whose fathers have been killed, are foils for Hamlet. ForeshadowingWhere the origin drops subtle hints about the speckle development to come later in the tommyrot. HyperboleExaggeration, often lush it may be used for serious or for comic effect. phraseIn its loose st sense, the word idiom is often used as a synonym for dialect or idiolect. In its more scholarly and undertake sense, an idiom or idiomatic expression refers to a construction or expression in one language that cannot be matched or right away translated word-for-word in another language. For instance, the English expression, She has a bee in her bonnet, meaning she is obsessed, cannot be literally translated into another language word for word. It is a non-literal idiomatic expression, akin to She is green with envy. In the same way, the Spanish phrase, Me gustan los arboles, is usually translated as, I like the trees, but if we were to pull the phrase apart and read it word for word, it would make no sense in analytical English (i.e., To me pleases the trees). visionLanguage that evokes one or all of the five senses seeing, hearing, tasting,smelling, touching. Each of these types of imagination has a specific name * Olfactory imagery stimulates the sense of smell.* haptic i magery stimulates the sense of touch.* Visual imagery stimulates the sense of sight.* Auditory imagery stimulates the sense of hearing.* Gustatory imagery stimulates the sense of taste.* Kinesthesia is imagery that recreates a feeling of physical action or natural bodily usage (like a pulse, a heartbeat, or breathing). * Synaesthesia is imagery that involves the use of one sense to evoke another (Ex loud color warm gesture). badinageThe discrepancy (incongruity) between what is said and what is meant, what is said and what is done, what is expected or intend and what happens, what is meant or said and what others understand. sometimes clapperclaw is classified into types in situational sarcasm, expectations worked up by a situation are reversed in cosmic irony or the irony of fate, misfortune is the result of fate, chance or God in dramatic irony, the audience knows more than the characters in the play, so that words and action have additional meaning for the audience Socracti c irony is named after Socrates teaching method, whereby he assumes ignorance and openness to opposing points of suck in which charm out to be (he shows them to be) foolish. MetaphorA proportion of two unlike things, which does not use like or as, MetonymySubstituting a word for another word closely associated with it. Queen Elizabeth controlled the crown for years. The crown = the monarchy He has always loved the stage. The stage = the theaterHe will follow the cross. The cross = saviorianityMotif(1) A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work. (2) A dominant theme or central idea. MoodThe emotional attitude the author takes towards the subject.NarratorThe vocalisation of the person telling the humbug, not to be confused with the authors voice. With a first-person narrator, the I in the story presents the point of view of provided when one character. The reader is restricted to the perceptions, thoughts and feelings of that single character. First-person n arrators can play either a major or a pocket-size role in the story they are telling. An punic narrator reveals an interpretation of events that is somehow antithetic from the authors own interpretation of those events. Often, the unreliable narrators perception of plot, characters, and setting becomes the actual subject of the story. Narrators can be unreliable for a number of reasons they might lack self-knowledge, they might be inexperienced, or they might even be insane. Naive narrators are usually characterized by youthful innocence, such as Mark Twains huck Finn or J. D. Salingers Holden Caulfield. An omniscient narrator is an all-knowing narrator who is not a character in the story and who can move from place to place and pass back and forth through time, slipping into and out of characters as no human being possibly could in real life. Omniscient narrators can report the thoughts and feelings of the characters, as well as their words and actions. The narrator of The Scar let Letter is an omniscient narrator. Editorial omniscience refers to an intrusion by the narrator in order to evaluate a character for a reader, as when the narrator of The Scarlet Letter describes Hesters relationship to the puritan community. Narration that allows the characters actions and thoughts to speak for themselves is called neutral omniscience. Most modern writers use neutral omniscience so that readers can reach their own conclusions. Limited omniscience occurs when an author restricts a narrator to the single perspective of either a major or minor character. The way people, places, and events appear to that character is the way they appear to the reader. Sometimes a limited omniscient narrator can see into more than one character, particularly in a work that focuses on two characters alternately from one chapter to the next. Short stories, however, are frequently limited to a single characters point of view. OnomatopoeiaA word whose sounds calculate to duplicate the sounds they describehiss, buzz, bang, murmur, meow, growl. OxymoronA statement with two parts that come along contradictory examples sad joy, a wisefool, the sound of silence, or Hamlets saying, I must be cruel only to be kind. ParableA story or short narrative designed to allegorically reveal some religious principle, moral lesson, psychological reality, or general truth. Rather than using abstract discussion, a parable always teaches by comparison with real or literal occurrences, especially everyday occurrences a wide number of people can relate to. hale known examples of parables include those found in the Gospels, such as The spendthrift Son and The Good Samaritan. ParadoxA statement whose two parts seem contradictory yet make sense with more thought. Christ used paradox in his teaching They have ears but hear not. Or in ordinary conversation, we might use a paradox, cryptical down hes really very shallow. Paradox attracts the readers or the listeners attention and gives e mphasis.ParodyA charade imitates the serious manner and characteristic features of a particular literary work in order to make sportsman of those same features. The humourist achieves parody by exaggerating certain traits common to the work, much as a caricaturist creates a humorous depiction of a person by magnifying and label attention to the persons most noticeable features. The term parody is often used synonymously with the more general term spoof, which makes fun of the general traits of a genre rather than one particular work or author. Often the subject matter of a parody is comically inappropriate, such as using the elaborate, formal diction of an epic to describe something trivial like washing socks or cleaning a dusty attic. PersonaA mask for the author to speak through. In literature, a persona is a speaker created by a writer to tell a story or to speak in a poem. A persona is not a character in a story or narrative, nor does a persona necessarily directly reflect t he authors personal voice. A persona is a separate self, created by and distinct from the author, through which he or she speaks. PersonificationTreating abstractions or non-living objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings, e.g., nature wept or the wrick whispered many truths to me. Point of viewRefers to who tells us a story and how it is told. What we know and how we feel about the events in a work are shaped by the authors choice of point of view. The fabricator of the story, the narrator, inevitably affects our understanding of the characters actions by filtering what is told through his or her own perspective. The different points of view that writers draw upon can be grouped into two broad categories (1) the third-person narrator uses he, she, or they to tell the story and does not participate in the action and (2) the first-person narrator uses I and is a major or minor participant in the action. In addition, a second-person narrator, you , is also possible, but is seldom used because of the awkwardness of thrusting the reader into the story, as in You are minding your own business on a park bench when a drunk steps out and demands your lunch bag. An objective point of view employs a third-person narrator who does not see into the mind of any character. From this spare and impersonal perspective, the narrator reports action and dialogue without telling us directly what the characters think and feel. Since no analysis or interpretation is provided by the narrator, this point of view places a premium on dialogue, actions and details to reveal character to the reader. PunThe usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound. It consists of a deliberate confusion of similar words or phrases for rhetorical effect, whether humorous or serious. It can rely on the assumed equivalency of eightfold similar words (homonymy), of different shad es of meaning of one word (polysemy), or of a literal meaning with a metaphor. Bad puns are often considered to be cheesy. * A hangover is the wrath of grapes.* Without geometry, life is pointless.* narration while sunbathing makes you well-red.RepetitionThe return of a word, phrase, stanza form, or effect in any form of literature. Repetition is an effective literary device that may bringcomfort, suggest order, or add special meaning to a piece of literature. SatireA literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack. SimileA comparison of two dissimilar things using like or as embossA simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by members of a group. A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion or image. Stereotypes can range from those that are wildly inaccurate and negative to those that are more than a little bit trustworthy and may even shed positive light upon the group of individuals. They are typically generalizations based on minimal or limited knowledge about a group to which the person doing the stereotyping does not belong. StyleManner of expression how a speaker or writer says what he says. SuspenseThe feeling of skepticism and interest about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audiences perceptions in a dramatic work. SymbolismWhen an author uses an object or idea to suggest more than its literal meaning. A person, place, or event stands for something other than it is, usually something broader or deeper than it is. SymbolsIn general terms, anything that stands for something else. taken for granted(predicate) examples are flags, which symbolize a nation the cross is a symbol for Christianity Uncle Sam a symbol for the United States. In literature, a symbol is expected to have significance. Keats starts his ode with a real nightingale, but quickly it becomes a symbol, standing for a life of pure, unmixed joy then before the end of the poem it becomes only a bird again. SynecdocheWhen one uses a part to represent the whole.Lend me your ears. (give me your attention)SyntaxThe way in which linguistic elements (as words) are put together Theme(1) The abstract concept explored in a literary work (2) frequently recurring ideas, such as enjoy life while you can (3) repetition of a significant element in a work, such as references to sight, vision and sightlessness in Oedipus Rex. Sometimes the theme is also called the motif. Themes in Hamlet include the nature of filial duty and the dilemma of the idealist in a non-ideal situation. A theme in Keatss Ode to a Nightingale is the barrier of correlating the ideal and the real. ToneThe writers attitude toward the material and/or readers. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc. TragedyA story that presen ts courageous individuals who confront powerful forces indoors or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. Tragedies recount an individuals downfall they usually begin high and end low. Shakespeare is known for his tragedies, including Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is a well-established type of drama that can be traced back to Greek and roman print plays, particularly through the Roman playwright Seneca (c. 3 b.c.a.d. 63). Revenge tragedies basically consist of a murder that has to be avenged by a relative of the victim. Typically, the victims ghost appears to demand revenge and, invariably, fierceness of some sort is worked into subsequent events, which ultimately end in the deaths of the murderer, the avenger and a number of other characters. Shakespeares Hamlet subscribes to the basic ingredients of revenge tragedy. It also transcends these conventi ons because Hamlet contemplates revenge, suicide and the meaning of life itself. The tragic irony is found in tragedies such as Oedipus Rex, in which Oedipus ironically ends up hunting himself. A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. Tragic irony is a form of dramatic irony found in tragedies such as Oedipus Rex, in which Oedipus ironically ends up hunting himself.. Tragic flawAn actus reus or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such asgreed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character. seriocomedyA type of drama that combines certain elements of tragedy and comedy. The plays plot tends to be serious, leading to a terrible catastrophe, until an unexpected turn of events leads to a reversal of circu mstance, and the story ends happily. Tragicomedy often employs a romantic, fast-moving plot dealing with love, jealousy, disguises, treachery, intrigue, and surprises, all moving toward a melodramatic resolution. Shakespeares merchant of Venice is a tragicomedy. Understatement (also known as litotes and meiosis)Casual or light treatment of the subject, it has two effects (1) shows that the author does not take a subject seriously, (2) calls upon the moral indignation of the reader because the subject does not seem to be taken seriously. * Example Im really joyful that you have come to visit, said the spider to the fly. VerisimilitudeSomething that has the appearance of being true or real.VernacularThe everyday or common language of a geographic area or the native language of commoners in a country as opposed to a prestigious dead language maintained artificially in schools or in literary texts. Latin, for instance, has not been a jargoon language for about 1250 years. Sanskrit has not been a vernacular language in India for more than 2000 years. However, Latin in medieval europium and Sanskrit in ancient India were considered much more suitable for art, scholarship, poetry, and religious texts than the common tongue of everyday people even though (or perhaps because) only a small percentage of the learned could read the older languages.