Literary Terms PDF

Literary Terms “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” – Albus Dumbledore Learning Goals By the end of this unit I will be able to... identify several different text features and...

Literary Terms “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” – Albus Dumbledore Learning Goals By the end of this unit I will be able to... identify several different text features and explain how they help communicate meaning identify several different elements of style in texts and explain how they help communicate meaning and enhance the effectiveness of the text analyse texts in terms of the information, ideas, issues, or themes they explore, examining how various aspects of the texts contribute to the presentation or development of these elements evaluate the effectiveness of both simple and complex texts, using evidence from the text to support their opinions  Methods of Development Important Terms Universal means of organizing and developing ideas in a piece of writing. Rhetorical Devices Literary Terms A tool used by writers to hint at larger An umbrella term themes, ideas, and meaning in a story meaning any stylistic or piece of writing. There are many device/element used to styles of literary devices, each serving a make writing better. These different purpose. Some operate at the help the writer tell a story sentence level, while others serve the or make a point. piece of writing as a whole. Table of contents 01 Rhetorical Devices 02 Methods of Development  01 Rhetorical Devices Irony 01 You can enter a subtitle here if you need it  Irony Situational Irony is where an event occurs which is unexpected, in the sense that it is somehow in absurd or mocking opposition to what would be expected or appropriate. Mere coincidence is generally not ironic; neither is mere surprise, nor are any random or arbitrary occurrences. Verbal irony is where the meaning of a specific expression is, or is intended to be, the exact opposite of what the words literally mean. (Sarcasm is a tone of voice that often accompanies verbal irony, but they are not the same thing.) Dramatic irony: Where the audience or reader is aware of something important, of which the characters in the story are not aware. DRAMATIC IRONY 1. In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is only asleep-not dead-but Romeo does not, and he kills himself. 2. In Macbeth, King Duncan says that he trusts Macbeth ("he was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust), but the audience knows that Macbeth is plotting to kill Duncan. SITUATIONAL IRONY 1. A fire station burns down. This is unexpected because one would assume the fire chief would keep his own building safe. 2. A marriage counselor files for divorce. This is ironic because the expectation is that a professional who coaches couples through rough patches would herself have a strong marriage. 3. The police station gets robbed. Again, the expectation is that professional crime fighters would be able to help themselves; in this case, by securing their own station. VERBAL IRONY In Beauty and the Beast, Belle tells Gaston, "I just don't deserve you!" when, in reality, Gaston doesn't deserve Belle. In Shrek, Donkey asks Shrek if he can stay with him. Shrek replies, "Of course," when he really means, "No, not really."  an indirect or implied reference Allusion to something –sometimes a famous person, work of art, or other literary reference. “Narcissus so himself forsook And died to kiss his shadow in the brook.” Narcissus, from Greek mythology, was said to be so beautiful he fell in love with his reflection. - Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare  a comparison between two objects using the words “like” or “as.” Simile Example: “Her eyes are like stars!” “Hit me like a ray of sun, Burning through my darkest night”- Halo by Beyonce “Questions of science, science and progress Do not speak as loud as my heart”- The Scientist by Coldplay “Shine bright like a diamond Find light in the beautiful sea I choose to be happy”- Diamonds by Rihanna “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.”- Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Metaphors (Activity: HERE)* John's suggestion was Make a copy of this doc. just a Band-Aid for the problem. A direct comparison which The cast on his broken does not involve the use of leg was a plaster shackle. “like” or “as”. Laughter is the music of the soul. America is a melting pot. Her lovely voice was music to his ears. The world is a stage. My kid's room is a disaster area. Life is a rollercoaster. Their home was a prison. His heart is a cold iron.  gives human characteristics to nonhuman Personification objects or animals. Your examples HERE. Lightning danced across the sky. The wind howled in the night. The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition. Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name. My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning. The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way. The door protested as it opened slowly. My house is a friend who protects me. The moon played hide and seek with the clouds. The approaching car's headlights winked at me. The camera loves her since she is so pretty. The stairs groaned as we walked on them. Pun a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings. Their play on words also relies on a word or phrase having more than one meaning. Allegory A form where objects, events, or people are presented symbolically, so that the story conveys a meaning other than and deeper than the actual story, kind of like a story within a story. Often the form is used to teach a moral lesson. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave Hamartia (or Hubris) A disastrous error in judgment brought about by the tragic flaw (usually excessive pride) in a character that leads to the character’s downfall. Greek origin meaning ‘fault, failure, guilt’; the term was used in Aristotle's Poetics with reference to ancient Greek tragedy.  Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a word to call attention to the rhetorical and artistic impact of the words. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” -The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe  Mood/Atmosphere All about the READER’s feelings - Mood is the emotional feeling or atmosphere that a work of literature produces in a reader. - For example, in a thriller most readers will feel some sort of suspense, while dramatic novels may produce a sense of attachment. - Authors use many different factors to create mood, including setting, theme, voice, and tone. Words to use to describe MOOD  Tone All about the AUTHOR’s intent (Word choice (diction) is KEY!) - Tone is the attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work’s central theme or subject. - Authors use elements such as syntax, diction, imagery, details, and figurative language to create tone. - Works of literature are not limited to having only one tone. There also may be more than one tone that an author takes toward a work at the same time. For example, a novel can be both humorous and dark, or both sentimental and formal. Words to use to describe TONE  Oxymoron A device that combines contradictory words for effect. Paradox An apparent contradiction or absurdity that, upon deeper analysis, contains a degree of truth. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945), the first commandment of the animals’ commune is revised into a witty paradox: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Hyperbole A literary device that uses deliberate exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis. Hyperbole can be used for serious literary effect or to achieve a humorous reaction from the reader. An hyperbole is also often used to create irony Imagery The use of language to represent descriptively things, actions, or abstract ideas. A ‘picture’ created in the mind with the use of descriptive language – one which appeals to the reader’s senses and imagination. Similes, metaphors, personification, and symbols are all specific kinds of imagery “Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to Bilbo Baggins, a very respected hobbit.” -J. R. R. Tolkien  Foreshadowing indicate or hint to readers something that is to follow or appear later in a story. Foreshadowing, when done properly, is an excellent device in terms of creating suspense and dramatic tension for readers. Satire A literary work that deliberately attacks and ridicules human vices and follies, often with the purpose of teaching a lesson or encouraging change. Satire can be light-hearted or biting, depending on the object of the satirist’s attack. The satirist’s tools are exaggeration and irony. The satirist points to the difference between the ideal – a world based on common sense and moral standards – and the real, which may be silly, vicious, alienating, or immoral. Onomatopoeia A type of figurative language in which words sound like the things they name  Pathetic Fallacy A literary device in which nature is described in a way that is sympathetic or prophetic about events or the emotions of the characters. Symbolism The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas. A symbol must be something tangible or visible, while the idea it symbolizes must be something abstract or universal. (In other words, a symbol must be something you can hold in your hand or draw a picture of, while the idea it symbolizes must be something you can’t hold in your hand or draw a picture of.) Parallel Structure / Parallelism “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing Parallelism is the repetition of can be changed until it is faced” (James Baldwin). grammatical elements in writing and speaking. This literary device extends “To err is Human, to forgive, beyond just a technique of divine” (Alexander Pope). grammatical sentence structure (Parallel Structure). It may feature “But the sad truth is that the truth is sad, and that what you repetition of a word or phrase for want does not matter” emphasis, or it can create a parallel (Lemony Snicket). position between opposite ideas to emphasize contrast.