Figurative Language and Literary Devices

Cause-and-Effect Relationships

• Identifying the cause (why something happened) helps understand the effect (what happened).

Figurative Language

• Figurative language uses comparisons to make readers think differently.
• Examples include:
  • Similes: Comparing two things using "like" or "as".
  • Metaphors: Comparing two things without "like" or "as".
  • Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.
  • Hyperboles: Extreme exaggerations.

Similes

• Similes are comparisons using "like" or "as".
• They enhance the meaning of writing.
• Create similes by identifying similar things and writing a sentence comparing them using "like" or "as."

Symbols in Literature

• Symbols represent something beyond their literal meaning.
• Common symbols include animals, colors, seasons, and weather.
• Understanding symbols helps readers understand the story better.

Idioms

• Idioms are phrases with meanings different from individual words.
• Literal meaning is when each word keeps its original meaning.
• Figurative meaning is when words together create a different meaning.
• Idioms are from different cultures and languages.
• Learning the meaning is essential.

Theme

• Theme is the main idea or message of a story.
• Theme is different from the main idea (what the story is about).
• Determined through inference (educated guess).

Story Structure

• Story structure is the order and presentation of story parts.
• Key elements include plot, character, setting, conflict, point of view, and tone.
• Plot has five parts:
  • Opener (beginning)
  • Incident (conflict introduction)
  • Crisis (tension builds)
  • Climax (peak conflict)
  • Ending (after climax)
• Other structures exist, such as Fichtean Curve, Hero's Journey, and Three Act structures.