Lit Devices Eng 11

Allegory

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

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds with close proximity, usually in consecutive words within the same sentence or line.

Antagonist

Countepart to the main character and source of a story's main conflict. The person may not be "bad" or "evil" by any conventional moral standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a signficiant way.

Anthropomorphism

Where animals or inanimate objects are portrayed in a story as people, such as walking, talking, or being given arms, legs, facial features, human locomotion, or other anthropoid form.

Blank verse

Non-rhyming poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter.

Character

The people who inhabit and take part in a story.

Characteriztion

The author's means of conveying to the reader a character's personality, life history, values, physical attributes, etc. Also refers directly to a description thereof.

Climax

The turning point in a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable, is usually where something suddenly goes terribly wrong; the "dramatic high point" of the story.

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces that is the driving force of a story.

Creative license

Exaggeration or alteration of objective facts or reality, for the purpose of enhancing meaning in afictional context.

Dialogue

Where characters speak to one another; may often be used to substitude for exposition.

Dramatic Irony

Where the audience or reader is aware of something important, of which the characters in the story are not aware.

Exposition

Where an author interrupts a story in order to explain something, usually to provide important background information

Figurative language

Any use of language where the intended meaning differs from the actual literal meaning of the words themselves.

Foil

A character who is meant to represent characters, values, ideas,etc. which are directly and diametrically opposed to those of another character, usually the protagonist.

Foreshadowing

Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen.

Hyperbole

A description which exaggerates, usually employing extremes and/or superlatives to convey a positive or negative attribute; "hype."

Iambic pentameter

A poetic meter wherein each line contains ten syllables, as five repetitions of a two-syllable pattern in which the pronunciation emphasis is on the second syllable.

Imagery

Language that describes something in detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation, including visual imagery and sound imagery.

situational irony

Where an event occurs which is unexpected, in the sense that it is somehow in absurd or mocking opposition to what would be expected or appropriate. Mere coincidence is generally not ironic; neither is mere surprise, nor are any random or arbitrary occurrences.

Metaphor

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

Mood

The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting.

Motif

A recurring important idea or image.

Onoomatopoeia

Where sounds are spelled out as words; or, when words describing sounds actually sound like the sounds they describe.

Oxymoron

A contradiction in terms.

Paradox

Where a situation is created which cannot possibly exist, because different elements of it cancel each other out.

Parallelism

Use of similar or identical language, structures, events or ideas in different parts of a text.

Personification (I)

Where inanimate objects or abstract concepts are seemingly endowed with human self-awareness; where human thoughts, actions, perceptions and emotions are directly attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. (Not to be confused with anthropomorphism.)

Personification (II)

Where an abstract concept, such as a particular human behavior or a force of nature, is represented as a person.

Plot

Sequence of events in a story. Most literary essay tasks will instruct the writer to "avoid plot summary;" the term is therefore rarely useful for response or critical analysis.

Allusion

An indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic work, the nature and relevance of which is not explained by the writer but relies on the reader's familiarity with what is thus mentioned.

Verbal Irony

Where the meaning of a specific expression is, or is intended to be, the exact opposite of what the words literally mean.

Tragic flaw

The single characteristic (usually negative) or personality disorder which causes the downfall of the protagonist.

Tragic hero/tragic figure

A protagonist who comes to a bad end as a result of his own behavior, usually cased by a specific personality disorder or character flaw.

Tragedy

Where a story ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome which was essentially avoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character's personality.

Tone

The apparent emotional state, or "attitude," of the speaker/narrator/narrative voice, as conveyed through the language of the piece.

Theme

The main idea or message conveyed by the piece.

Symbolism

The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas.

Structure

The manner in which the various elements of a story are assembled.

Speaker

The "voice" of a poem; not to be confused with the poet him/herself. Analogous to the narrator in prose fiction.

Simile

An indirect relationship where one thing or idea is described as being similar to another, containing words such as “as” or “like”

Setting

The time and place where a story occurs.

Repetition

Where a specific word, phrase, or structure is repeated several times, usually in close proximity, to emphasize a particular idea.

Point-of-View

The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, the one with whom the reader is meant to identify. The person is not necessarily "good" by any conventional moral standard, but he/she is the person in whose plight the reader is most invested.

Context

Conditions, including facts, social/historical background, time and place, etc., surrounding a given situation