Literary Devices and Techniques PDF

Literary Techniques These are specific methods of writing that authors use to express their ideas and enhance the impact of their work, such as foreshadowing, flashbacks, imagery, and symbolism.  Some Literary Techniques Literary Devices - Writers use these specific tools to create effects and enh...

Literary Techniques These are specific methods of writing that authors use to express their ideas and enhance the impact of their work, such as foreshadowing, flashbacks, imagery, and symbolism.  Some Literary Techniques Literary Devices - Writers use these specific tools to create effects and enhance language. Examples include metaphors, similes, personification, and alliteration. Foreshadowing - Hints at future events in the story to create suspense and conflict Imagery - Uses words to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind Symbolism - Uses objects, people, or words to represent ideas, qualities, or themes within a story. It's a way for writers to add complexity and depth to their work, and to allow readers to interpret hidden meanings.  Literary Devices Writers use these specific tools to create effects and enhance language. Examples include metaphors, similes, personification, and alliteration.  Idiomatic Expressions An idiomatic expression is a phrase or group of words that has a figurative or non-literal meaning that is different from the literal meanings of the individual words. Idioms are a type of formulaic language and are often rooted in history or culture.  Some Idiomatic Expressions Break the ice: To start a conversation or make people feel more comfortable Cut corners: To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often badly Hit the nail on the head: To describe something exactly right Piece of cake: Something very easy to do Cost an arm and a leg: To be very expensive Go belly up: To go bankrupt, break, malfunction, fail, or come to an end Below the belt: Unfair or unfairly; not regarding the rules On bended knee: Kneeling, especially when pleading, asking for something, or showing great respect Turn a blind eye: To pretend not to see something  Figures of Speech A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that uses creative language to convey meaning in a non-literal way. Figures of speech can be used to enhance expression, evoke emotion, and encourage critical thinking.  Some Figures of Speech Simile - Compares two things that are not related by definition using the words "like" or "as". For example, "Rachel is as bright as the sun". Metaphor - Compares two things indirectly without using comparative terms like "like" or "as". For example, "The whole world is a stage". Personification - Gives human characteristics to non-human things or inanimate objects. For example, "The wind whispered in my ears". Hyperbole - Intentionally exaggerates the truth to emphasize the importance of something or create a comic effect. For example, "My backpack weighs a ton".  Some Figures of Speech Onomatopoeia - A word that sounds like the sound it is describing. For example, “Hiss”, “Buzz”. Apostrophe - Directly addressing a nonexistent person or an inanimate object as though it were a living being. For example: "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I need you to," Bert sighed. Alliteration - The repetition of an initial consonant sound. For example: She sells seashells by the seashore.