LitLearn IB English: Essential Literary Techniques

tone

attitude of the narrator or speaker

diction

word choice

Modality

level of certainty of language (e.g. must, might, should, maybe)

Imperative language

an authoritative command

voice

perspective of the narrator or speaker: first, second, third person

allusion

a reference to something outside of the text, e.g. history, literature, culture

metaphor

direct comparison of an object to something else

simile

indirect comparison of an object to something else (uses "like" or "as")

personification

human-like description of a non-human object

pathetic fallacy

The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature; for example angry clouds; a cruel wind.

visual imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight

auditory imagery

details that appeal to the sense of sound

olfactory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell

kinesthetic imagery

language that creates a sense of motion

symbol

something that stands for an abstract idea

alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds (not aeiou) at the beginning of words

assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds

sibilance

hissing sounds represented by s, z, sh

rhyme

Repetition of sounds at the end of words

cacophony

Harsh sounds (opposite of rhyme and melody)

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

repetition

again and again! Anything can be repeated: words, lines, techniques, sounds, metaphors, symbols, etc.

anaphora

The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

listing

this, this, that, and this

enjambment

A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next.

endstop

the poetic line ends with a punctuation mark

caesura

A pause or sudden break in a line of poetry

stanza length

How long a stanza is :)

line break

Where a line of poetry ends :)

verbal irony

saying one thing but meaning another

dramatic irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

hyperbole

An exaggeration

paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but actually contains a hidden truth

oxymoron

A combination of contradictory terms

antithesis

A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses.

syntax

Arrangement of words in phrases and sentences

asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses.

polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

internal monologue

Private sensations, thoughts, and emotions of a character

dramatic monologue

a poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener

foil character

A character who is used as a contrast to another character; the contrast emphasises the differences between the two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each.

characterisation

Actions, dialogue, and narrative description that reveal a sense of a character's personality to the reader.