Alliteration

The repetition of the first sound of several words in a piece of

literature.~

Aunt Alicia accumulated a lot of antique attire when she acquired her Aunt Abigail’s estate.

AllusionA reference present in one piece of

literature that is found in another literary work.

Levi’s parents were

astounded by his

Copperfield-like

tactics for sneaking

out of the house.

AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds

in a piece of literature.

Upon the utterance

of his instructions from Coach Underwood, a robust Gunther

took his place on the line.

ConsonanceThe repetition of consonant

sounds near one another in a piece of literature.

The raging river ran into Rolling Rock Reservoir.

ForeshadowingA method of creating

suspense by hinting about events that will

occur later on in a piece of literature.

“He didn’t know when. He didn’t know where, but

he knew that something was amiss. His

fate was yet to be determined.”

MetaphorA statement that makes a direct comparison

between unlike objects, ideas or concepts.

Life is a puzzle.(Life is compared to a puzzle.)

Extended Metaphor:

Life is a puzzle; you may have all the pieces, but the “big picture” isn’t complete until the last piece is snapped into place.

SimileA statement that makes a

comparison between unlike objects, ideas or concepts using the words “like” or “as”.

In a flash like lightening, he was gone.

Your situation can change as quickly as a blink of

an eye.

OnomatopoeiaA word that is spelled like the sound it

makes.

PersonificationA statement that

gives a nonhuman object human characteristics.

“The chair moaned in agony when I sat down on it.”

Flashback• A device that allows the

writer to present events that happened before the current events in the fiction.

• Flashback techniques include memories, dreams, or stories of the past told by characters.

• The author might simply say, "But back in Tom's youth. . . ."

• Flashback is useful for exposition, to fill in the reader about a character or place, or about the background to a conflict.

ImageryThe use of sensory

words pertaining to sight, touch, smell, taste and sound to create pictures or images in the reader’s mind.

Irony

*You wreck your mom’s brand new car. Someone says to you, “Your mother is

going to be thrilled when she sees this!”

There are three types:Dramatic – the audience knows

something the character doesn’tSituational – an action is the

opposite of what is expectedVerbal* – a statement has the

opposite meaning of what is said.

A statement that is contradictory within itself.

Oxymoron

ParadoxA statement that

sounds contradictory, but can be true.

“Deep down, he is very shallow.”

Rhyme

A pattern of repeated sounds in a piece of literature, usually poetry.

When at first I glance, I see the moonlight dance on my window pane.

I know that there’s a chance it may put me in a trance, so I look away and fall asleep again.

RhythmRecurrences of stressed and unstressed

syllables that give a piece of literature a musical quality.

The Purple Cow Gelett Burgess

I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one; But I can tell you, anyhow I'd rather see than be one.

SatireA literary work or passage that mocks the

subject it is writing about.

In America--as elsewhere--free speech is confined to the dead.

- Notebook, 1904

Compliments of Mark Twain

Such is the human race. Often it does seem such a pity that Noah and his party did not miss the boat.

- Christian Science

Stream of Consciousness

A literary form in which every thought that comes to the writer’s mind is written down.

SymbolA word or object that stands for something

other than what it literally is.

UnderstatementA statement that plays down the

significance of what is actually meant.

“Just a little fender-

bender.”

(The man driving this vehicle walked away with only minor injuries.)

RepetitionThe reiteration of a word, phrase or idea

in a piece of literature for emphasis.

The reiteration of a word, phrase or idea in a piece of literature for emphasis.

The reiteration of a word, phrase or idea in a piece of literature for emphasis.

PunA literary device that allows for a word or

phrase to have two meanings at the same time for a humorous effect.

I used to be a ballet dancer, but I found it to be too, too (tutu) difficult.

.

Character

Any person or object represented by a

person (spirit, animal, object) in a literary

work.

PlotThe structure of a story.

Setting

The location a where a story takes place.

ThemeThe main idea or

overlying meaning of a piece of literature.

The theme can often be found by looking at symbols, details and character actions.

.

Style

The approach in which a writer composes a

literary work through the use of word choice, tone and sentence structure.

Point of View

First Person – I was exhausted from the hike.

Third Person – She fell to her knees from exhaustion.

Third Person Omniscient* – She was not only exhausted from the long hike, but from the memories of her lost love.

*The speaker of the piece is “all-knowing” meaning that he/she knows what is going through the mind of the character.

The “angle” at which a story is told.

ToneThe author’s attitude displayed in a

piece of literature.

Aside

An actor’s spoken thoughts that are meant for only the audience to hear, not the other characters on stage. Asides provide the audience with additional information as to the intent of the characters actions.

Diction

An author’s choice of

words.

HyperboleAn overstatement or exaggeration.

These books weigh a TON!

IdiomAn expression that has a different meaning than what is literally translated.

“Kick the bucket” = to die