KNOW YOUR LITERARY DEVICES!!!Ms. Richards’ guide to understanding how writers of literature, poetry, theatre, and film mess with our heads…

SYMBOLSYMBOLISM Any person, object place, object, or event

that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level.

Allegories and Figurative Language fit into this description, too.

ALLEGORYA literary work in which all or most of the characters, settings, and events symbolize ideas, qualities, or figures beyond themselves.

The overall purpose of an allegory is to teach a moral lesson.

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory in which Vanity Fair represents the world and the Celestial City symbolizes Heaven.

ALLUSION: IS A REFERENCE TO A

WORK OF LITERATURE, WELL

KNOWN PERSON, OR WORK OF ART.

Nathaniel West’s title: The Day of the Locust is a Biblical allusion. The most famous

literary or historical reference to locusts is in the Book of Exodus in the Bible, in which

God sends a plague of locusts to the pharaoh of Egypt as retribution for refusing

to free the enslaved Jews. Millions of locusts swarm over the lush fields of Egypt,

destroying its food supplies.

ALLITERATION: THE REPETITION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS AT THE BEGINNING OF WORDS.

“Nor shield for shoving, not sharp spear for lunging; but held a holly cluster in one hand holly…”-Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

SIMILE A simile is a figure of

speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things.

Now, therefore, while the youthful hue sits like morning dew.

“To His Coy Mistress” -Andrew Marvell

METAPHORA metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two seemingly unlike things to help readers perceive the first thing more vividly.

Come sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace, the baiting place of wit, the balm of woe.

“Sonnet 39” -Sir Philip Sydney

VISUAL METAPHOR

What has the trappings of 'sweetness', can sometimes get you stuck.

ANTAGONISTA person or force that opposes the Protagonist, or central character, of the story. In Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort is the antagonist. Darth Vader antagonizes Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Saga.

PROTAGONISTThe central character in a story around whom the action of the story revolves. Harry Potter is an obvious protagonist.

RISING ACTIONAnd now, Ms. Richards’ dramatic interpretation of Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer.

Rising Action is the beginning of the story to the climax.

“Like, OMG! I’m soooo going to miss Phoenix! I hope my mom remembers to put gas in the car…” START HERE

“Like, wow! Edward is like soooo cute, yet he’s kind of a jerk! Sheesh! Oh wait? He likes me? I’m soooo in love! I do not care if he is the undead! We are falling in love while flying through the trees!”“Oh no! Like you are going to kill my mom if I

don’t become your dinner? I love Edward, yet I need to sacrifice myself for my mom! Oh despair!”

CLIMAX AND RESOLUTIONMs. Richards’ dramatic interpretation to the climax of Twilight, and its subsequent humorous resolution continues. And now, the rest of the story… “Like, OMG! That hurt, James! You big fat vampire jerk! Ouch,

I’m bit! Pain and blurry images of Edward saving me!” Climax

Resolution “Oh, the hospital again…”

“A special night? Geez, what could it be? I know! I’m gonna become a bloodsucker!!!” “Ugh! Prom! Edward! You

sneaky chaste vampire!!!”

And so, Edward and Bella danced at prom. A true human experience. Yet, unbeknownst to them, the revenge minded Victoria stalks in the background…“I’ll get you my pretty…” Oh wait! That’s the Wizard of

Oz!

PERSONIFICATIONA figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities.

“Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.”

“When You Are Old”-William Butler Yeats

IDIOMSIdioms pertain to a specific language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.

Are you “under the weather?”Are you feeling sick?

Why do you always “beat around the bush?” Why do you avoid answering questions?

Who “kicked the bucket?” Who has died?

REVIEW Symbol/Symbolism-Any person, object place, object, or event

that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level.

A literary work in which all or most of the characters, settings, and events symbolize ideas, qualities, or figures beyond themselves.

Allusion: Is a reference to a work of literature, well known

Person, or work of art.

Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Simile is a figure of speech that uses like or as to compare two unlike things. simile is a figure of speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things.

simile is a figure of speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things. A simile is a figure of speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things. simile is a figure of speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things.

REVIEW Metaphor: is a figure of speech that makes a comparison

between two seemingly unlike things to help readers perceive the first thing more vividly.

Antagonist: A person or force that opposes the Protagonist, or central character, of the story.

Protagonist: The central character in a story around whom the action of the story revolves.

Rising Action: This is the beginning of the story to the climax of the story.

Climax: The most intense moment of the story.

Resolution: This comes after the climax and either resolves the story, or sets up the story’s sequel.

REVIEW Personification: A figure of speech in which an

animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities.

Idioms pertain to a specific language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.

Well, this presentation is about to kick the bucket.

I hope you’ve enjoyed revisiting these literary elements. It was said at proficiency tutoring training that questions on the reading test will have literary device terms sewn in them. It’s best to be on your guard in order to understand the questions the test will ask you.

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