Literary Devices and Narrative Techniques (Video)

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering literary terms and concepts from the notes.

Figurative Language

Language that uses figures of speech (metaphor, simile, personification, etc.) to go beyond literal meanings.

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, event, place, or work of literature outside the text.

ex.) He was a real romeo to the ladies

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent or nonhuman entity as if present.

ex.) Oh, Death, be not proud

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that is developed at length, often across multiple lines or throughout a work(s).

Conceit

A type of extended metaphor that’s considered more of a stretch/surprising

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the 5 senses to create mental pictures.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using like or as.

ex.) Time is a theif

Personification

Giving human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas.

Simile

A comparison using like or as.

Symbol

An object, person, or place that represents a larger idea beyond its literal meaning.

Ex.) Dove = peace, green light = hope/american dream

Analogy

A comparison between two different things to explain a relationship or reveal a similarity.

ex.) “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get”

Antithesis

A balancing of contrasting ideas in parallel phrases or clauses.

ex.) Speech is silver, but silence is gold; Heavy on features, light on prices

Hyperbole

A deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect.

ex.) I’m so hungry I could eat a horse

Juxtaposition

The placement of two or more elements side by side for contrast or comparison.

ex.) rich man living next to a homeless man

Oxymoron

A figure combining contradictory terms

ex.) Falsey true, bittersweet

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but reveals truth.

ex.) less is more

Parallelism

The repetition of similar grammatical structures in phrases or sentences.

Situational Irony

A situation in which the outcome is opposite of what is expected.

ex.) fire station burning down

Understatement

A restrained or toned-down statement, often used for irony or emphasis.

Contrast

Difference between two or more elements used for effect or comparison.

ex.) Fire boy and water girl, urban sprawl vs forest edge

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.

ex.) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginnings of successive clauses.

ex.) I have a dream…

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

ex.) The rain is Spain falls mainly on the plain

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the ends of words.

ex.) Pitter patter

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

ex.) And that government of the people, by the people, for the people

Refrain

A word, phrase, or line repeated at intervals in a poem or song.

ex.) chorus of a song

Rhyme

Correspondence of sounds at the ends of words or within lines.

Sibiliance

Repetition of sibilant sounds (s, sh, z) for a hissing effect.

ex.) the snake hissed solely at Sisyphus

Repetition

Repeated words, phrases, or sounds for emphasis or cohesion.

ex.) Oh, woeful, woeful, woeful day!

Diction and Syntax

Diction is word choice; syntax is sentence structure; together they shape style and meaning.

ex.) ‘plethora’ vs ‘a lot’

ex.) long flowy sentances vs short choppy ones

Ambiguity

Uncertainty about meaning, allowing for multiple interpretations.

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.

ex.) reduce, reuse, recycle; i came, i saw, i conquered

Connotation

Implied or associated meanings beyond the literal definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word and its type of diction.

ex.) home is simply a house

Diction

The author’s word choice; often described by specifying the type of diction (e.g., naturalistic, legal).

Polysyndeton

Multiple conjunctions between equal clauses or words.

ex.) we ate cherries and mangoes and strawberries.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences; analysis may identify forms like telegraphic sentences or inverted word order.

ex.) He went to the store vs To the store went he

Tone

The speaker’s or narrator’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Character

A person represented in a narrative.

Antagonist

The character or force opposing the protagonist.

Antihero

A central character who lacks traditional heroic qualities.

Archetype

A universal, recognizable character type or symbol found across cultures.

Colloquial

Informal, conversational language suited to everyday speech.

Dialect

A regional or social variety of a language.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change.

Epiphany

A moment of sudden insight or realization for a character.

Foil

A character who contrasts with the protagonist to highlight particular traits.

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence leading to downfall.

Protagonist

The main character around whom the story revolves.

Static Character

A character who remains essentially the same throughout a work.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised, leading readers to question the accuracy of the narration.

Structure (Specific to Poetry)

The organization of a poem’s form and content, including lines, stanzas, and patterns.

1st person POV

Narrative perspective using I/we; the narrator is a character within the story.

2nd person POV

Narrative perspective addressing the reader as 'you.'

Narration

The act of telling a story or recounting events; the voice and perspective used.

3rd person limited POV

Narration using he/she/they, with insight limited to one character’s thoughts and feelings.

3rd person omniscient POV

All-knowing narration that can reveal multiple characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Frame narrative

A story within a story; an overarching story provides context for/links smaller stories told by a character/letter/etc

Narrator

The voice or character recounting the events of a story; may differ from the author.

Perspective

The vantage point from which a story is told; includes narrator’s beliefs and biases.

Point of View

The position from which a story is told (synonymous with perspective).

Speaker

The voice speaking in a poem, which may be distinct from the author.

Structure

The arrangement and organization of a literary work; how its parts fit together.

Conflict (external and internal)

External conflict pits a character against an outside force; internal conflict involves a character’s own thoughts or emotions.

Blank verse

Unrhymed verse, typically in iambic pentameter (10 syllablles/line in a pattern of stresssed/unstressed)

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present action to show past events.

Caesura

A strong pause within a line of verse, usually marked by some punctuation

ex.) To be, or not to be: that is the question

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in a narrative.

Closed form poetry

Poetry written in a predictable, regular pattern of meter and rhyme.

ex.) sonnets or limericks or haikus

In Media Res

Beginning a narrative in the middle of the action.

ex.) The Odyssey beings with Odysseus already on his journey home, instead of the start of the war

End-stopped line

A line of poetry that ends with a natural pause, often with punctuation.

ex.) Do not go gently into that good night.

Vignette

A short, descriptive scene or sketch; a brief impressionistic scene. Usually no plot, just feeling.

Enjambment

Continuation of a sentence or clause from one line to the next without a pause between line breaks. The opposite of an end stopped line

ex.) I think that I shall never see/A poem lovely as a tree

use: encourage readers to keep reading with a mystery/ambiguity

Sequence

A connected series of lines, themes, or events in a work.

Free Verse

Poetry without a fixed meter or rhyme scheme.

Line

A single row of words in a poem.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters and events symbolize a deeper moral, political, or spiritual meaning.

ex.) The Tortise and the Hare = slow/steady > fast/prideful

Cacophony

Combo of words that sounds harsh together because they have a lot of explosive consonants (B,D,P,T,K,G) in a short space

ex.) Tikki Tikki Tembo

use: induce feeling of chaos, disorientation, etc

Catharsis

A purging or purification of emotions, often through art.

Dialogue

A conversation between two or more characters.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something a character does not.

Euphony

Combo of words that sounds pleasant, harmonious because they contain a lot of soft consonants (L, M, N, R).

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.

ex.) Referring to the king by saying “The Crown”

Meter

The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in verse.

Open form poetry

Poetry without a fixed pattern of meter or rhyme; free verse.

Shift/Volta/Turn

A turning point in a poem where the mood, tone, or argument changes.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines within a poem, similar to a paragraph.

Satire

A genre or device that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to critique society.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or vice versa.

ex.) The captain commands hundreds of sails (ships)