1. Literary and Poetic Devices

2. Literary Devices
A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.
These are the tools that writers, such as Shakespeare, use to make their writing more complex, deep, and beautiful.

3. Figurative Language
Language which allows the reader to more clearly and vividly imagine the things that are going on in the story.
Examples:
Simile
Metaphor
Personification

4. Plot The events that take place in the story.
Exposition/Background, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution/Denoument

5. Plot

6. Point of View The perspective from which the story is told
1st person/3rd person
Limited/omniscient

7. Character The main character/ “good” guy
Protagonist
Antagonist
The main character/ “good” guy
The “bad” guy/the opposing force or conflict of the story

8. Setting The time and place of the story Multiple
ex. 1960’ s, John’s house, the African jungle, a Puritan era village

9. Conflict
The problem of the story, the solution that the protagonist must solve
Man vs man (society)
Man vs nature
Man vs. self

10. Conflict Internal Conflict
A problem the character is struggling with personally/mentally
Ex. I can’t solve this problem, I don’t have what it takes

11. Conflict External Conflict
A problem the character faces which is outside of his/her control
Ex. Another character, nature, physical obstacles

12. Theme
The lesson the author wants the reader to take away/learn from the story
NOT A 1 WORD IDEA!
Can be argued/has 2 sides
Ex. “Love conquers all” NOT “Love”

13. Symbol
An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself.
Has a deeper meaning
Example: Often, in Shakespeare, birds are a symbol of omens/superstition.

14. Foreshadowing
Hints of what is to come in the action of a play or a story.
Example: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
This tells us that the people and actions of this story are not always as simple as they appear to be.

15. Imagery
The use of one or all of the 5 senses in order to illicit (draw out) an image in the readers mind.
Ex. The sour lemon made his tongue tingle and lips pucker.

16. Tone
The author or speaker’s attitude toward the subject and the audience.
Ex. Bitter, skeptical, sarcastic

17. Syntax
The authors choice of sentence structure, the arrangement of words for deliberate purpose

18. Diction The author’s word choice
Ex. Using the word “morose” versus “sad”

19. Allusion
This is a reference within one work of literature (Macbeth) to another person, place, or thing outside of the literature itself (King Edward, Scottish history).

20. Rhyme
correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry
Ex. Moon, balloon

21. Simile A comparison using the words “like” or “as” in the sentence.
Example: “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it”

22. Metaphor
A comparison which DOES NOT use the words “like” or “as” in the sentence.
Example: “Your face, my Thane, is a book where men may read strange matters.”

23. Personification
Giving human like characteristics to un-human objects or things.
Example: “If chance will have me King, then chance may crown me.”
Here Chance is being spoken about as if it is a person or character

24. Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words .
Example: “But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears.” or “The bells, bells, bells”

25. Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds for effect
Ex. “all mammals named Sam are clammy"

26. Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds for effect
Ex. “He was soon borne away by the waves, and lost in darkness and distance."

27. Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration which the author uses for effect (not meant to be taken literally)
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”

28. Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named
(e.g., cuckoo, sizzle, boo )