Literary Device

“ techniques that writers use to create a

special and pointed effect in their writing,
to convey information, or to help readers
understand their writing on a deeper
level.”
“any specific aspect of literature, or a
particular work, which we can recognize,
identify, interpret and/or analyze. Both
literary elements and literary techniques
can rightly be called literary devices”
for emphasis or clarity
for readers to connect strongly with a
story
for readers to find the overall meaning or
purpose of a story
for readers to find interest and fun in
reading
2 Types of Literary Devices
Literary Elements
- the parts and components of the
literary text (Poem, Fiction, Creative
Nonfiction, Drama)
- should be present in the text
Literary Techniques
- author’s use of specific and deliberate
constructions of language to convey
meaning
- not necessarily present in every text
Literary Elements
Elements of a Poem
POEM
1. Lines & Stanzas
couplet (2 lines) Types and Examples: Rhythm and Meter
tercet (3 lines) 1. Poetic foot:
quatrain (4 lines) number of rhythmical units
cinquain (5 lines) Iamb/Iambic 5
sestet (6 lines) (sexain) Trochee/Trochaic 4
septet (7 lines) Anapest/Anapestic 3
octave (8 lines) Dactyl/Dactylic
2 Rhyme or End Rhyme Spondee/Spondaic
Internal Rhyme __ a stressed (or strong, or LOUD)
Coleridge syllable
"In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud" U an unstressed (or weak, or quiet)
The Ancient Mariner syllable
"Whiles all the night
through fog-smoke white“

3.Form or Genre
3 Major Types:
Lyric, Narrative, Descriptive
Subtypes:
Ode, Elegy, Sonnet, Ballad, Epic
Other Examples: Haiku Limerik

Types of Rhymes
Slant Rhymes two words share just a
vowel sound (assonance “heart” and
“star”) two words share just a consonant 2. Number of Feet
sound (consonance – e.g. “milk” and the number of feet contained in a line
“walk”) one foot=monometer
Rich Rhymes two feet=dimeter
two different words that happen to sound three feet=trimester
the same (i.e. homonyms) – “raise” and four feet=tetrameter
“raze”. five feet=pentameter
Eye Rhymes six feet=hexameter
words that look the same but pronounced (when hexameter is in iambic rhythm,
differently – eg. “bough” and “rough”. it is called an alexandrine)
The opening four lines of That time | of year | thou mayst | in me |
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, for example, go behold
Identical Rhymes (iambic pentameter)
using the same word twice 4. Black Verse
Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Iambic penta without Rhyme
not Stop for Death” : 5. Free Verse
Without rhythm and meter
 Theme – message of the poem
Persona – the one speaking in the lines of
a poem
Addressee - receiver or the one being
talked to by the persona

FICTION
Types of Plot Structure

1. Dramatic or Progressive Plot: chronological structure

2. Episodic Plot: chronological structure, consists of a series of loosely related incidents

3. Parallel Plot: The writer weaves two or more dramatic plots that are usually lin
ked by a common character and a similar theme.
4. Flashback: presents information about events that occurred earlier.
authors begin the story in the midst of the action but later fill in the background
Integral Setting:
 the setting is fully described in
both time and place, usually found
in historical fiction
Backdrop Setting:
 the setting is vague and general,
which helps to convey a universal,
timeless tale.
 often found in folktales and simply
sets the stage and the mood.
 example, "long ago in a cottage in
the deep woods" and "once upon a
time there was a great land that
had an Emperor
Characters:
Dynamic and Static (motivation, desire,
personality)
Round and Flat (Character Traits)
Confidante
Best Friend/Potential love interest
Deuteragonist/Sidekick
Human or nonhuman character whom the
protagonist can trust and seek help from
Symbolic Characters
Aslan (symbolizes God/Jesus in The
Chronicles of Narnia),
Jonas (symbolizes hope in The Giver),
Gregor Samsa (symbolizes the difficulty of
change/being different in The
Metamorphosis)
Henchmen
“Walking armor who doesn’t think”
Foil Character
Personality and values clash with the
protagonist but not the main antagonist
Antagonist (villain)
Narrative Point of View
1. Internal Narrator
(First-person Narrator; "I" to refer
to himself/herself):
 the narrator is a character in the
story, often, but not necessarily,
the protagonist
 allows for a very personal touch in
the story telling
2. Omniscient Narrator
(multiple points of view; the
narrator is "all-knowing"):
- the narrator is not a character in
the story but knows everything
about the story
-can show the thoughts and experiences
of any character in the story
3. Limited Narrator
(External Subjective Narrator; the
3rd person point of view):
• the narrator is not a character in
the story but looks at things only
through the eyes of a single
character.
• Build close bond between the
protagonist and the reader