Literary Techniques: How to Annotate and Analyze Effects

direct characterization

when the author directly states a character's traits

indirect characterization

when a character's traits are revealed through actions, speech, thoughts, or others' reactions

internal conflict

a struggle that takes place within a character's mind or emotions

external conflict

a struggle between a character and an outside force such as another person, society, nature, or fate

foil

a character whose contrasting traits highlight another character's qualities

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part

anecdote

a brief story about a real or fictional incident used to illustrate a point

flashback

an interruption in the chronological order of a story to show an earlier event

foreshadowing

hints or clues that suggest events that will happen later in the story

suspense

a feeling of uncertainty or tension about what will happen next

metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things without using like or as

simile

a comparison between two unlike things using like or as

symbol

an object, person, or action that represents a larger idea

personification

giving human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas

hyperbole

a deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or effect

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something important that the characters do not

situational irony

when the outcome is the opposite of what is expected

verbal irony

when a speaker says something different from what is truly meant

allusion

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, story, or work

alliteration

repeating the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words

repetition

the repeated use of a word, phrase, sound, or idea for emphasis

declarative syntax

sentence structure that makes a statement and usually ends with a period

imperative syntax

sentence structure used to give a command or instruction

interrogative syntax

sentence structure that asks a question

exclamatory syntax

sentence structure that expresses strong feeling or emphasis

rhetorical question

a question asked for effect rather than to get an answer

juxtaposition

placing two ideas or images next to each other to highlight contrast or comparison

parallel structure

using the same grammatical pattern for related words or ideas

diction

an author's choice of words

tone

the writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience

first-person narrator

a narrator who tells the story using words like "I" or "we"

third-person limited narrator

a narrator outside the story who reveals the thoughts of one character

third-person omniscient narrator

a narrator outside the story who knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters

third-person objective narrator

a narrator who reports actions and dialogue without giving characters' inner thoughts

setting

the time and place in which a story occurs