Literary Devices and Terms: Bildungsroman, Archetypes, Diction, and More

Bildungsroman

A novel about the growth of a character over time; the character often realizes something about themselves or the world. Example: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield's journey).

Archetype

A universal symbol, character, or pattern reappearing across works and cultures, serving as an original model/template. Examples: The Hero (Luke Skywalker), The Mentor (Gandalf), The Villain (Darth Vader), The Innocent (Lenny from Of Mice and Men), symbolic water (life/birth), darkness (despair/ignorance).

Diction

An author's choice of words and style of expression, shaping tone, mood, and meaning. Example: Hawthorne's use of "ignominy, inimical, ethereal" in The Scarlet Letter creates a serious tone.

Pastiche

An artistic work imitating another style, work, or period; pays homage or builds on earlier works. Example: Wicked (expands on The Wizard of Oz).

Heroic Couplet

A pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter (five iambs per line). Used in epic/narrative poetry. Examples: Chaucer, Alexander Pope, Shakespeare.

Pastoral Poetry

Poetry that idealizes rural life, nature, and simplicity. Example: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver.

Lyric Poetry

Expresses personal feelings in first person, often song-like. Example: "Someone Like You" by Adele.

Existentialism

Explores human struggle with freedom, choice, and meaning in a seemingly purposeless world. Adds depth through alienation, authenticity, and anxiety. Example: Walter White in Breaking Bad.

Complication

A difficulty or obstacle complicating the main plot, raising tension and forcing change. Example: Jesse killing Gale in Breaking Bad.

Sensory Imagery

Use of vivid language appealing to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Builds mood, atmosphere, and depth.

Soliloquy

A character's private speech revealing internal thoughts, usually alone on stage. Example: Hamlet's "To be, or not to be."

Dramatic Monologue

A speech addressing an audience within a play or work, revealing inner thoughts. Example: Antony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen" in Julius Caesar.

Doggerel

Comic, crude, or irregular poetry with clumsy rhythm, trivial subjects, or forced rhymes. Example: "Fanciful day dreams... But I was more the fool, / It was my dog's drool."

Analogy

Compares unrelated things by shared qualities to explain an idea more clearly. Examples: Romeo to a rose (Romeo and Juliet), Life to a box of chocolates (Forrest Gump).

Vignette

A short descriptive scene/moment detailing a mood or character without full plot. Examples: The House on Mango Street, The Things They Carried.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work expected to be recognized. Examples: Achilles' heel, Pandora's Box, Romeo and Juliet, Superman's Kryptonite.