Literary Devices-Techniques and Elements

Blank Verse

Non-Rhyming poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter

Dialogue

Where characters speak to one another: may often be used to substitute for exposition

Imagery

Language which describes something in detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory simulation, including visual and sound.

Metaphor

A direct relationship where one thing or idea substitutes for another.

Simile

An indirect relationship where one thing or idea is described as being similar to another. It usually contains the words "like"or "as," but not always.

Allegory

Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historic/geopolitical event.

Setting

The time and place where the story occurs.

Theme

The main idea or message conveyed by the piece. It is generally stated as a complete sentence idea expressed by a single word or fragmentary phrase is a motif.