Transcript Let’s Explore Literary Devices!

Literary Devices!
Literary Device #1:
PLOT
The way the events are arranged.
• Plot Lines
• A plot is a casual sequence of events, the "why" for the things that happen in the
story.
•The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader
understand the choices that the characters make.
• A plot's structure is the way in which the story elements are arranged.
Literary Device # 2
Conflict
Internal
- Man vs. self
External
- Man vs. man
- Man vs. nature
- Man vs. society
The main
problem that
the
characters
face in a
story
Literary Device # 3
Climax
The point in the story with
the highest tension
Literary Device # 4
Denouement
The answer to the conflict/problem…there has to be one!
Be specific…not just “and they lived happily ever after.”
Literary Device # 5
Point-of-View
1st Person: Uses “I” to tell
the story. The narrator can
be a character in the story.
2nd Person: Not commonly used.
Uses “you”.
3rd Person: The narrator is
not a character in the story.
Example: “He did this.” “She
said that.”
Literary Device # 5
Point-of-View…
Continued
Omniscient (Third-Person)
Narrator: Can reveal thoughts
of all characters; they are “allknowing”.
Limited Omniscient Narrator:
Only reveals the thoughts and
feelings of one (or a few)
characters
Objective (Third-Person) Narrator:
Does NOT reveal anyone’s
thoughts & provides info that a
camera might record. (Nothing
internal)
Imagery
includes the "mental pictures" that readers
experience with a passage of literature.
Imagery is not limited to visual imagery; it also
includes sound, touch, hot and cold, sound,
taste, and movement.
Style
/
Tone
Style: the way a writer selects & arranges
words to express ideas.
Tone: the attitude of the author toward the
subject matter.
theme
THEME
theme
theme
theme
Example: What is the
theme in The Wizard
of Oz?
What is a theme?
Definition: the central or dominant
idea of a work of fiction.
Possible Answers:
“There’s no place like
home” or Self-sufficiency
Literary Device # 8
Setting
Definition: everything that has
to do with when & where the
story takes place.
Example: “What is the
setting in The Wizard of
Oz?”
Answer: Emerald
City or Land of Oz
“She drifted into the
room like a cloud.”
“He is so muscular,
he’s a rock!”
*Similes show a comparison
using “like” or “as”
*Metaphors make a comparison and
just states that something is
something else
protagonist – the
leading character
antihero - main
character who lacks
traditional heroic
qualities, such as
idealism or courage.
antagonist – The
principal character
in opposition to the
protagonist or hero.
Irony - A literary style using
contrasting humor.
• Situational
• Dramatic
• Verbal
Situational
irony - a
situation
where the
opposite
happens from
what was
expected.
verbal irony – when what
is said is the opposite of
what is meant
Dramatic irony - irony in speeches or a
drama that the audience understands but
the characters do not understand.
Throughout most of The Lion King, Simba
mopes around feeling guilty for his father’s
death, unaware (as the audience is) that
Scar actually killed Mufasa.
Allegory - a story,
poem, or picture
that reveals a
hidden meaning,
typically a moral
or political one.
Allusion - a
reference in a
story to a person,
place, or thing in
history or
literature.
In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the
gargoyle Laverne tells a flock of pigeons to
“Fly my pretties! Fly, Fly!” à la the Wicked
Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
Coming – of – age - A novel in which an kid becomes an adult through
experiences in the story. They lose his or her innocence, but usually
matures and strengthens.
Comedy -any play or narrative poem in which the main characters
manage to have a happy ending.
Comic relief -A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue
occurring after some serious or tragic moment.
Drama - a narrative involving
conflict.
Satire - a critique on religious, political,
moral, or social standards through humor
exposition - background
material revealed throughout
the story.
mood - feeling, emotional
state, or disposition of mindfor the reader.
foreshadowing – information
that reveals what will occur
later in a story.
flashback – a moment that
interrupts the story to reveal
past events--usually in the
form of a character's
memories, dreams,
narration, or commentary
Suspense emotional
tension; keeps you
on the edge
Foil - A character that
highlights or emphasizes
traits in another character;
opposite.
motivation - the reasons
behind a character's
behavior
onomatopoeia
- An exaggeration
or overstatement.
Oxymoron - contrasting
concepts or words placed
together
Personification - inanimate objects are given human character, traits,
abilities, or reactions.
Dumbo’s “magic”
feather represents
courage and selfconfidence. Once
he truly believes in
himself, he no
longer needs it as a
psychological
crutch.
Symbol - A word, place,
character, or object that
stands for something else.