Literary Devices: Imagery & Diction

Study Notes

Imagery evokes mental pictures in readers using the five senses: auditory, tactile, olfactory, visual, and gustatory.
Formal Diction employs sophisticated language adhering to grammatical norms.
Informal Diction is conversational, often found in narrative literature.
Colloquial Diction features informal language specific to a region or time, incorporating expressions like "ain't" and "y'all."
Slang consists of words originating within specific cultures or subgroups, reflecting contemporary meanings.
Poetic Diction uses language related to a theme in poetry, creating lyrical and harmonious sounds.

Creative writing transcends formal genres, including novels, lyrics, stage plays, scripts, and short stories.
It emphasizes originality, imagination, and emotional depth in expression.

Figures of speech employ expressive, nonliteral language to convey deeper meanings.
Sensory Imagery enhances descriptive writing, inviting readers to engage their senses vividly.
Diction influences the tone and voice of writing through deliberate word choice.
Key figures of speech include:
- Simile: Compares two different elements using "like" or "as."
- Metaphor: Directly states one thing is another to draw parallels.
- Personification: Attributes human actions or feelings to non-human entities.
- Apostrophe: Directly addresses an absent person, inanimate object, or idea.
- Hyperbole: Uses exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.
- Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
- Onomatopoeia: Words that phonetically imitate the sounds they describe.
- Oxymoron: Juxtaposes opposing terms in a single phrase.

Poetry combines language and artistic expression to convey emotions and messages through rhythm and sound.
Sound devices in poetry enhance musicality, melody, and rhythm.
Key elements include:
- Rhyme: Similarity of sounds in final syllables, leading to a repetitive echoing effect.
- Rhyme Scheme: The patterned arrangement of rhymes, often labeled as ABAB.
- Repetition: Reinforces clarity and memorability of ideas.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
- Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.