Literary Devices

Figurative Language Figurative language is language that is not meant to be taken literally, or word for word. It stirs up your imagination, and makes you see things more clearly. Like what?

Simile Similes are comparisons between two dissimilar things that use the words like or as For example: Her angry eyes burned like a nuclear explosion. My tummy growled like an angry lion. My tummy growled as if a lion was inside of me.

Metaphor Can you think of one?? Metaphors are comparisons between two dissimilar things that do not use the words like or as For example: The moon was a lantern lighting the night sky. I am peanut butter and my best friend is jelly. Can you think of one??

Hyperbole Hyperbole uses extravagant exaggeration to make a point. For example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse! I tried the math problem a thousand times. Your turn.

Personification Personification gives human qualities to nonhuman things, such as nature, animals, objects, or feelings. For example: The leaves danced in the wind. The smell of the coffee called my name. One more time… Mrs. Terry…

Idioms For example: One more time…

Other Literary Devices Like what?

Oxymoron An Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which opposites are paired for effect. For example: I ordered jumbo shrimp at Joe’s Crab Shack. Bittersweet chocolate is the best kind to use when you’re baking. High school graduation is bittersweet.

Allusion An allusion is a reference to a person, place, event, or literary work that a writer expects the reader to recognize and understand. It may come from history, geography, literature, art, music, or religion. For example: “How could you be so Dr. Evil?” Kanye West, Heartless

Symbol A symbol is an object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself, and that also stands for something larger than itself. For example: A dove symbolizes peace. A black crow or raven symbolizes death. A wedding ring symbolizes...???

Sound Devices… Some literary devices focus on the sound of words rather than their meaning. Figurative Language Literary Device

Repetition Repetition is when an author repeats a word, phrase, sentence, or stanza for effect or emphasis. Examples: “Secrets” by One Republic The chorus or refrain of any song

Rhyme Rhyme is the repetition of end sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other in a poem. For example: All day the gusty north wind bore The loosening drift its breath before; Low circling round its southern zone, The sun through dazzling snow-mist shone.

Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of a sound at the beginning of words. For example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Other common examples: Coca-cola, Tiny Tim, Mickey Mouse Can you think of any you’ve heard?

Onomatopoeia Screech! Pop! Zip Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the sound it makes. For example, words like: pop crackle screech zip fizz Screech! Pop! Zip Can you name one?

Assonance Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (not a rhyme). For example: Then came the drone of a boat in the cove.

Consonance Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds at the end or middle of words (not rhyme). For example: The little bitty ant crawled across the field.

Other Important Poetry Vocabulary… tone theme imagery stanza Tone Theme

Tone Tone is the writer’s attitude toward a subject, character, or audience and is conveyed through the author’s choice of diction, imagery, figurative language, details, and syntax. (In otherwords, tone is how the author feels about his subject, character, or audience, and he shows it through the words he chooses, and how he puts them together.)

Some words that can describe tone are: Story Elements Tone Some words that can describe tone are: Nervous Sad happy excited angry sad fearful threatening thoughtful nervous agitated ecstatic worried depressed Belligerent Ecstatic

Tone For example: “I cannot go to school today,” Said little Peggy Ann McKay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash, and purple bumps… My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chickenpox And there’s one more –that’s seventeen, And don’t you think my face looks green?”… I have a hangnail, and my heart is…what? What’s that? What’s that you say? You say today is…Saturday? G’bye, I’m going out to play!” --from “Sick” by Shel Silverstein

Theme Theme is the central message of a literary work, or the idea the author wishes to convey about that subject. It is not the same as the subject, which can be expressed in one or two words. (This is a lot like a truism.) Possible themes for The Outsiders: Not all kids who are in gangs are bad. People may come from different backgrounds, but we’re all the same people. If something bad happens to someone, don’t blame it on yourself if it’s not really your fault.

Imagery Imagery consists of words or phrases that the writer uses to represent persons, objects, actions, feelings, and ideas descriptively by appealing to the senses. [It is important to note that the word touch, taste, etc. is not necessarily used to create the image.] Example: We walked into the pitch black room that reeked of death, and as we flicked on the light we heard a blood-curdling scream. Non-example: The room smelled bad.

Stanza A stanza is a group of related words in a poem, similar to a paragraph of prose but does not have to have complete sentences. It’s like a poetry paragraph! “When the Teacher’s Back is Turned” by Ken Nesbitt When the teacher’s back is turned We never scream and shout Never do we drop our books and try to freak her out. No one throws a pencil At the ceiling of the class. No one tries to hit the fire alarm And break the glass. Stanza 1 Stanza 2

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 1) The wind whistled through the leaves.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 2) I love eating chocolate chip cookies.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 3) Her eyes were burning coals glistening in the dark night.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 4) The precocious girl popped her gum loudly.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 5) The smell of the pasta called my name.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 6) I called you a million times last night!

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 7) Her hair was as soft as silk.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 8) My head hurts so bad that it might explode!

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 9) After the boy threw it, the rock tap danced its way across the lake.

Practice Identify the figurative language in each sentence: 10) The children were angels when they were signing.