literary devices and techniques

diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

denotation

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

formal

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done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette

informal

of or denoting a style of writing or __conversational__ speech characterized by simple __grammatical__ structures, familiar vocabulary, and use of __idioms__

diction slang

words that are very specific to a region and time, and have been recently coined

colloquial (diction)

colloquial words or expressions are informal in nature and generally represent a certain region or time.

abstract (diction)

when a writer uses words to express something intangible, like an idea or an emotion

concrete (diction)

the use of words for their literal meanings and often refer to things that appeal to the senses

analogy

a literary device used to compare similarities between two unrelated things as a way to make a point through the comparison

extended metaphor

when a writer compares unrelated objects or ideas with figurative language for more than a sentence

paradox

a statement that appears to contradict itself, but upon further rumination, either reveals a deeper meaning or actually makes sense

syntax

word order, tense, subject-verb agreement and even sentence length

cumulative sentence

an accumulation of two or more clauses or phrases to support the main clause

periodic sentence

a complex sentence in which the main clause, or main point, occurs at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning

tone

the mood implied by an author's word choice and the way that the text can make a reader feel

mood

the emotional response that a writer wants to give the reader in a creative, persuasive or personal piece of writing

free verse

poetry that doesn't use any strict meter or rhyme scheme

end rhyme

when the last syllables within a verse rhyme

internal rhyme

a rhyme that occurs within the same line of verse

eye rhyme

when two words are spelled the same or similarly but are pronounced differently

near rhyme

two words that have only their final consonant sounds and no preceding vowel or consonant sounds in common (such as stopped and wept, or parable and shell)

quatrain

a type of stanza, or even a complete poem, consisting of four lines

couplets

type of poem or part of a poem that uses two lines to express an idea

rhythm

the recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the flow of language in a literary work, particularly verse

blank verse

verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter.

Italian sonnet

a sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd

Petrarchan sonnet

a sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd

Shakespearean sonnet elegy

a form of poetry in which their main concern is 'love', but they also reflect upon time, change, aging, lust, absence, infidelity and the problematic gap between ideal and reality when it comes to the person you love

lyric

a type of personal rhythmic poetry

ode

a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an idea, or an event

villanelle

a poem of nineteen lines, and which follows a strict form that consists of five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by one quatrain (four-line stanza)

enjambment

a poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close to each other in a sentence or phrase

parallel structure

using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance

conflict

the different drives of the characters or forces involved

exposition

the introduction of a story or book, when the characters and setting are first described

rising action

all the events that happen in a story on the way to the climax

climax

the decisive moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the play is reversed to falling action

falling action

the action that occurs immediately after the big climax has taken place and the action shifts towards resolution instead of escalation

denouement

the point in a story in which the conflict is resolved

in medias res

Latin phrase meaning “in the middle of things”, a story that begins partway through its plot, with the missing events filled in later through dialogue, flashbacks, or other techniques.

protagonist

the character who drives the action--the character whose fate matters most

antagonist

the principal opponent or foil of the protagonist in a drama or narrative

bildungsroman

class of novel that depicts and explores the manner in which the protagonist develops morally and psychologically

epiphany

a visionary moment when a character has a sudden insight or realization that changes their understanding of themselves or the world

round character

a character in a fictional work with depth or a complex personality

flat character

a character with little to no complex emotions, motivations, or personality. They also don't undergo any kind of change to make them more well-rounded

stock characters

a fictional character based on common social or literary stereotypes

direct characterization

the author telling the audience what a character is like

indirect characterization

the process of describing a character through their thoughts, actions, speech, and dialogue

characterization point of view

a literary device that is used step-by-step in literature to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story

unreliable narrator

a narrator whose credibility is compromised

stream of consciousness dialogue

a narrative style that tries to capture a character's thought process in a realistic way

soliloquy

the act of talking to oneself

monologue

a literary device featuring a “speech” made by a single character in a work of literature

dramatic irony

when the audience knows more than the character

allusion

brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature

juxtaposition

a side-by-side comparison of two things, such as settings, characters, or ideas

antithesis

a literary device that places opposite words, ideas, or qualities parallel to each other