Literary Device Focus: The Souls of Black Folk Ms. Foley Literary Device Focus: The Souls of Black Folk

Metaphor a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.” Ex. “I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression,” said Mark, who was fond of theatrical metaphors.

Symbolism The use of symbols, or objects, to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art, etc. Ex. Black is used to represent death or evil. White stands for life and purity. Red can symbolize blood, passion, danger, or immoral character. Purple is a royal color. Yellow stands for violence or decay. Blue represents peacefulness and calm.

Motif Motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work. Ex. Sometimes a motif can be a contrast, like "light and dark." A series of symbols that could represent this motif might be: moon shadows (shades of darkness) a candle (a light in the darkness) storm clouds (temporary darkness) a ray of sunshine (emerging from darkness) a tunnel (through the darkness)

Theme Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work which may be stated directly or indirectly. There are two types of themes that appear in literary works i.e. major and minor. A major theme is an idea that a writer repeats in his work, making it the most significant idea in a literary work. A minor theme, on the other hand, refers to an idea that appears in a work briefly and gives way to another minor theme. For example, Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” has a major theme of matrimony around which the whole narrative revolves. It also presents minor themes of love, friendship, affectation etc.