KOHANIM’S MASSIVE REVIEW OF

Literary Devices, Elements

& Techniques
 Literary Devices
• Literary devices are common structures in
writing that make up the components of
literature. We use these devices to help us
interpret and analyze literary works.

• The names of literary devices may also be

called literary terms. Literary devices include
both literary elements and literary techniques.
 STRUCTURAL EXAMPLES
• COMPARE: finding similarities between.
• CONTRAST: finding the differences between.
• BIOGRAPHY: nonfiction piece written about
someone but not by the person who it is
about
• AUTOBIOGRAPHY: nonfiction piece written by
the person who it is about, discusses their life
 Literary Elements
• Literary elements are the essential parts of
storytelling that are found in almost all types
of literary and narrative writing.

• The following are all literary elements: plot,

character, conflict, setting, theme and point of
view.
 Plot
A.) Exposition - The beginning of the story where
the characters and the setting are revealed. The
exposition can also be called the introduction.

B.) Rising Action - This is the part of the story were

a conflict is revealed (called the inciting force)
and becomes more pronounced as the story
progresses. The rising action is all the events
between the introduction and the climax.
 Plot
• The plot is how the author arranges events to
develop his basic idea. It is the sequence of
events in a story or play. The plot is a
planned, logical series of events having a
beginning, middle, and end.
ARISTOTLE’S PLOT PYRAMID
Plot
 Plot
C.) Climax - This is the highest point of interest, the
turning point of the story or the moment of greatest
suspense. The reader wonders what will happen next;
will the conflict be resolved or not?

D.) Falling Action - At this point the events and

complications begin to resolve themselves. The falling
action is all of the events between the climax and
resolution.

E.) Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of

events in the story. The resolution may also be called
the denouement.
 Plot + Character
• The plot can only exist in a narrative piece. The
main character is placed in a situation that
contains a problem he or she must overcome;
therefore, conflict exists.

• Most stories also have minor characters who

either help or hinder the main character's
attempt to solve the conflict. There can be many
different types of characters within a story.
 Character
A.) Protagonist - The main or central character.

B.) Antagonist - This character opposes the

protagonist. Often, he or she is an opponent
to the main character.

C.) Secondary/ Tertiary characters- minor

characters that are no protagonist or
antagonist
 Character
D.) Flat or Static Character – These characters
are usually one-dimensional.

E.) Round Characters - A character who is

complex and undergoes development,
sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader
 Character
F.) Dynamic Characters – any character that
goes through a MENTAL change.
 We Learn About a Character in 5
Different Ways:
1.) What the character says.
2.) What the character thinks.
3.) What the character does.
4.) What is said about him or her by other
characters and the narrator.
5. ) What the author says about the character.
 Characterization cont’d

H. Direct Characterization tells the audience

what the personality of the character is.
Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were
both well mannered and did not disobey their
mother.” Explanation: The author is directly
telling the audience the personality of these
two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl
is “quiet.”
 Characterization cont’d
I. Indirect Characterization
 Conflicts
• Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict,
there is no plot. Conflict does not involve just
arguments, but rather it is any form of
opposition that faces the main character.

• Within a story there may be only one central

struggle, or there may be one dominant
struggle with many minor ones. Conflicts can
either be internal or external.
 Conflicts
• External - A struggle with a force outside
one's self. For example, an issue with another
person, a complication of circumstances, or a
struggle with the ideals of society.

• Internal - A struggle within the character’s

self. For example, a decision has to be made,
pain has to be overcome, anger has to be
overcome, or temptation has to be resisted.
There are 4 Different Types of Conflicts:
1.) Character vs. Person - The leading character
struggles with his or her physical strength
against other characters, forces of nature, or
animals.

2.) Character vs. Fate- The leading character

struggles against fate, or the circumstances of
life facing him/her.
 Types of Conflicts:
3.) Character vs. Society - The leading character
struggles against ideas, practices, or customs
of other people.

4.) Character vs. Self - The leading character

struggles with himself/herself; with his/her
own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical
limitations, choices, etc.
 Setting
• The time (when) and location (where) in which a story takes place is
called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important,
while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's
setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a
story (some, or all, of these aspects may be present in a story).

A.)Place - Geographical location. Where is the action of the story

taking place?
B.)Time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of
day, year,)
C.)Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
D.) Social conditions – What is the character's daily life like? Is the
character influenced by particular customs or mannerisms of a
place?
E.) Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning
of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
 Theme
• Theme is the message the author is trying to convey about
the human condition. It’s an author's underlying meaning,
message or main idea that he is trying to convey. The
theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic such as
life, society or his/her view of human nature. Themes often
explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied
rather than stated explicitly. The title of the story usually
points to the theme.

• Some examples of themes from literature include:

- Things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover
 Point of View
• Point of view is the angle from which the story is told.
Although every story has a point of view, the type used
is up to the author. The person or voice telling the story
is called the narrator and there are two common ways
to tell a short story:

• First person narration - The story is told by the

protagonist or another character who is part of the
action (using I, me, we, etc).

• Third person narration - The story is told by someone

who is not part of the action (using he, she, it, they etc).
 A narrator, 1st or 3rd person, can be:
• Limited narration - The narrator only knows
what he/she experiences or learns about in
some way - the narrator's knowledge grows as
the story unfolds; at times, the reader may know
more than the narrator.

• Omniscient narration - The "all knowing"

narrator knows all of the details about events,
characters, etc. and reveals them to the reader
as the story unfolds.
 Literary Techniques
• Literary techniques are tools that an author
may choose to use to enhance their writing
and to convey meaning in a certain way.
Figurative language and sound devices are
examples of literary techniques.
 Figurative Language
• Figurative language is the use of figures of
speech, which are words or phrases that depart
from everyday literal language in order to
compare or to add emphasis and clarity.

• Authors use figurative language to add interest

and to evoke certain feelings in their readers.
There are many different types of figurative
language that authors may choose to use in their
writing.
 Figurative Language
• Allusion is a reference within a work to
something famous outside it, such as a well-
known person, place, event, story, or work of art.
Example: My love of sweets is my Achilles heel.

• An Apostrophe is when an absent or dead

person or thing is spoken to as if it is present
and able to understand. Example: Twinkle,
twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.
 Figurative Language
• A cliché is a word or phrase that has become
overly familiar or commonplace.
Example: No pain, no gain.

• Hyperbole is an exaggeration or
overstatement. Example: I have a million things
to do today!
 Figurative Language
• Idioms are an expression that does not mean
what it literally says. Example: It is raining cats
and dogs outside!

• Imagery is the use of vivid descriptive language,

usually rich in sensory words that evokes one or
all of the five senses (seeing, hearing, tasting,
smelling, touching), to create pictures, or images,
in the reader's mind. Example: The crisp white
snow floated down through the dark night sky.
 Figurative Language
• Irony refers to some sort of inconsistency between what is expected
and what actually happens. There are three different types of irony:

• Verbal irony occurs when the opposite is said from what is really
intended (sarcasm) Example: "Wasn't that a smart move!”

• Dramatic irony occurs when there is a contrast between what a

character says and what the reader knows to be true.

• Situational irony occurs when the outcome of a situation is

significantly different from what is expected or considered
appropriate.
 Figurative Language
• A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike
things using the verb "to be" (am, are, was,
were). Example: That test was a breeze.

• Metonymy is substituting a word for another

word closely associated with it. Example: The
pen is mightier than the sword.
 Figurative Language
• An oxymoron is a figure of speech that is usually
one or two words and that combines two
opposing or contradictory ideas. Example: Jumbo
Shrimp, organized chaos, same difference.

• A paradox is a statement which is self-

contradictory, unreasonable, or illogical.
Example: Nobody goes to that restaurant; it is too
crowded.
 Figurative Language
• Personification is giving human qualities to
animals or objects. Example: The wind
whistled as it blew throughout the forest.

• A simile is the comparison of two unlike

things using like or as. Example: The girl was
as bright as the sun.
 Figurative Language
• Synecdoche is a statement that selects a part
of a group to explain a whole group. Example:
The alphabet is often referred to as the ABC’s.

• An understatement is a figure of speech in

which a writer or a speaker deliberately
makes a situation seem less important or
serious than it is. Example: Saying "It's just a
scratch," when there is a huge dent.
 Sound Devices
• Alliteration is the repetition of the initial
letters or sounds in a series of words.
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.

• Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds in

words or phrases that create a rhythm.
Example: The man with the clanging band was
a great fan.
 Sound Devices
• Consonance is the repetition of the same
consonant two or more times in a line.
Example: Tumbling bumbling babbling bubble

• Dissonance/ Cacophony is the use of harsh-

sounding or unusual words that create a
disturbing effect and catches the reader's
attention by interrupting the rhythm of words.
Example: I hate being sick because causes are
usually unknown.
 Sound Devices
• Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the
sound of the word as it is read. Example:
buzz, thump, pop, hiss, gush, kerplunk.

• A pun is a play on words that relies on a word

having more than one meaning or sounding
like another word. Example: I wondered why
the ball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Other Literary Techniques Include:
• Diction - Refers to an author’s word choice. Word choice
can be formal, informal, colloquial or slang.

A.) Formal diction is usually found in academic texts,

academic papers and formal discussion.
B.) Informal diction is relaxed conversation and is found in
writing that has a lighter tone and is sometimes humorous.
C.) Colloquial diction or jargon is the everyday usage of a
particular group of people. Example: the word choice of
people from a certain profession or area.
D.) Slang is defined as a newly coined word not accepted for
formal usage yet, and is usually not found in the dictionary.
 More Techniques
• Flashback - Is when an author reveals an event
that took place in the past.

• Foil - Is a character who is meant to represent

characteristics, values or ideas which are
opposite to another character (usually the
protagonist).

• Foreshadowing - Is a when the author gives

hints or clues to suggest what will happen as the
story progresses.
 More Techniques
• Symbolism - Symbolism refers to when a
symbol, such as an object, color, person or
place, is used to represent an abstract idea or
concept. A red rose for example, is not just a
rose but a symbol of love and beauty. A dove
is not just a bird, but also a symbol of peace.
 More Techniques
• Motif - Is a recurring important idea,
structure or image. it is different from a
theme because it can be expressed as a single
word or phrase. For example, comparing a
person’s stages of life to seasons of the year.

• Tone - Refers to the author’s or narrator’s

attitude toward the story or the subject.
 Literary Devices
Structures in Literature

Literary Elements Literary Techniques

Essential Optional

Plot Figurative Language

Characters Sound Devices
Conflict Diction & Tone
Setting Flashback
Theme Foreshadowing
Point of View Symbolism & Motif