WHAT ARE LITERARY DEVICES? LITERARY DEVICES ARE TECHNIQUES WRITERS USE TO ENGAGE THEIR READERS BEYOND THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE TEXT. Alliteration Repetition of the same beginning sound in a sequence. Examples : Drew drew Drew Reshetar rides rollercoasters drowning in debt a sea of sea shells Example #1: “From the time I was really little-maybe just few months old-words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like emonade.” ~Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Example #2: Tongue Twisters are great examples of alliteration… Three grey geese in a green field grazing, Grey were the geese and green was the grazing. Hyperbole A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect. An extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally. Examples: I waited an eternity for summer to get here! He could have slept for a year. This book weighs a ton. Listen to the hyperbole of the next poem by Jack Prelutsky. I am making a pizza the size of the sun, a pizza that’s sure to weigh more than a ton, a pizza too massive to pick up and toss, a pizza resplendent with oceans of sauce. I’m topping my pizza with mountains of cheese, with acres of peppers, pimentos, and peas, with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage galore, with every last olive they had at the store. My pizza is sure to be one of a kind, my pizza will leave other pizzas behind, my pizza will be a delectable treat that all who love pizza are welcome to eat. The oven is hot, I believe it will take a year and a half for my pizza to bake. I hardly can wait till my pizza is done, my wonderful pizza the size of the sun. Jack Prelutsky Imagery Descriptive words or phrases that appeal to the 5 senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell- creating a picture in the reader’s mind. What is the mental picture or image you are left with after reading the passage from “The Most Dangerous Game” “He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea closed over his head.” “He struggle up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the salt water in his open mouth made him gag.” “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell Metaphor A figure of speech in which two things are compared, usually by saying one thing is another, or by substituting a more descriptive word for the more common or usual word that would be expected. Examples : the world's a stage he was a lion in battle drowning in debt a sea of troubles. God looked around His garden And saw an empty space He then looked down upon this Earth And saw your tired face He knew that you were suffering He knew you were in pain He knew that you would never Get well on Earth again He knew the roads were getting rough The mountains hard to climb So he puts his arms around you and Whispered Peace be Thine He closed your weary eyelids And lifted you for rest This garden must be beautiful He only takes the best Written by an anonymous teenager. Onomatopoeia A figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples : crash buzz quack zoom ONOMATOTODAY In the morning yawn, stretch to the bathroom scratch, blink in the shower scrub, splash to the closet whisk, rustle down the hall thump, creak in the kitchen clank, clink to the car click, slam on the road honk, screech at the office tick, ring out to lunch munch, slurp return home thug, moan on to bed shuffle, snore Cathy Christensen Personification A figure of speech in which things or ideas are given human attributes. Examples : Dead leaves dance in the wind Blind justice Winter wrapped her cold fingers around me “The high mountain wind coasted sighing through the pass and whistled on the edges big block of broken granite…” “A scar of green grass cut across the flat. And behind the flat another mountain rose, desolate with dead rocks and starving little black bushes…” “Flight” by John Steinbeck Repetition A word or line that is repeated, usually to evoke an emotion or create a rhythm. “There were so many important moments. If I’d missed the ticket, I wouldn’t be here. If I hadn’t gone to the show, I wouldn’t be here. If I hadn’t stuck around to see what Steve was up to, I wouldn’t be here. If I hadn’t stolen Madam Octa, I wouldn’t be here. If I’d said no to Mr. Crepsley’s offer, I wouldn’t be here. A world of “ifs”, but it made no difference. What was done was done. If I could go back in time…” ~Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan Rhyme The occurrence of the same sound at the end of two or more words. Examples : cat / hat desire / fire steak / fake English is a Pain! (Pane) Rain, Reign, rein, English is a pain. Although the words Sound just alike The spelling’s not the same! Bee, Be, B I’d rather climb a tree Than learn to spell The same old word, Not just one way, but three! Sight, Site, Cite I try with all my might. No matter which I finally choose, It’s not the one that’s right! There, Their, They’re, Enough to make you swear. Too many ways To write one sound, I just don’t think it’s fair! To, Two, Too So what’s a kid to do? I think I’ll do To live on Mars And leave this mess with ewe! (you?) By Shirlee Curlee Bingham Simile A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word “like” or “as”. Examples : She felt like a wilted flower. The boy charged in the room like a bull! This class is like a 3 ring circus! The aliens have landed! It’s distressing, but they’re here. They piloted their flying saucer Through our atmosphere. They landed like a meteor Engulfed in smoke and flame. Then out they climbed immersed in slime And burbled as they came. Their hands are greasy tentacles. Their heads are weird machines. Their bodies look like cauliflower And smell like dead sardines. Their blood is liquid helium. Their eyes are made of granite. Their breath exudes the stench of foods From some unearthly planet. Kenn Nesbitt And if you want to see these Sickly, unattractive creatures, You’ll find them working in your school; They all got jobs as teachers! Stanza Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. poem = stanza as story = __________? Stanza= paragraph of the poem Read the following poem- how many stanzas are there? This drawing represents a poem with 2 stanza’s with 4 lines each. What is a Middle Schooler? What is a middle schooler I was asked one day. I knew what they were But what should I say? They are noise and confusion They are silent that is deep Also sunshine and laughter, Or a cloud that will weep. They are swift as an arrow. They are wasters of time. They want to be rich, But cannot save a dime! They are rude and nasty. They are as polite as can be. They want parental guidance, But fight to be free. They are aggressive and bossy, Also timid and shy. They know all the answers, But still will ask “why?” They are awkward and clumsy, Sometimes graceful and poised. They are ever changing, But do not be annoyed. What is a Middle Schooler? I was asked one day. They are the future unfolding, So do not stand in their way! Written by an anonymous teenager Pun: The use of a word in a way that plays on its different meanings. Example: Noticing the bunch of bananas, the hungry gorilla went ape. I recently spent money on detergent to unclog my kitchen sink. It was money down the drain. Symbolism: The use of one thing to represent another. Example: A dove is a symbol of peace. The donkey symbolizes The elephant symbolize the Democratic Party. the Republican Party. The flag represents freedom. IDIOM Idioms are phrases or expressions that have hidden meanings. The expressions don't mean exactly what the words say. NOT LITERAL The language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class : dialect Example: It’s raining cats and dogs. Things got a little out of hand. Does the cat have your tongue. Language that conveys a certain idea by saying just the opposite. Examples: The Titanic was promoted as being 100% unsinkable; but, in 1912 the ship sank on its maiden voyage. You beg your parents to let you have a kitten, then you discover you’re deathly allergic to them. ANALOGY A comparison made between two things that may initially seem to have little in common Used for illustration and/or argument. Example: Hand is to glove : Foot is to sock Happy is to sad : Hot is to cold BONUS WORDS ALLUSION Reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts Examples: "Christy didn't like to spend money. She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities". Allusion: Ex: The students were sure that their teacher had drunk from the river Styx because of her complete inattention to their pranks. Your example—think of a recent example you’ve heard or seen in which someone references a wellknown work to speak well in the place of the blunt, disagreeable, terrifying or offensive term. Example: death becomes “to pass away” Victorians first used “limb” for leg Letting someone go instead of firing someone Use the rest room instead of go to the bathroom Extension Terms ASSONANCE: THE REPETITION OF VOWEL SOUNDS. Example: Days wane away Each beach beast thinks he's the best beast The only other sound's the sweep “ S t o p p i n g b y Wo o d s o n a S n o w y Evening” by Robert Frost “He gives his harness bells a shake To a s k i f t h e r e i s s o m e m i s t a k e . The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The But And And woods I have miles miles a r e l o v e l y, d a r k a n d d e e p . promises to keep, to go before I sleep, to go before I sleep.” Fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking. Examples: Aesop’s Fables-“The Tortoise and the Hare” (Plodding wins the race.) “The Lion and the Mouse”-(Little friends may prove great friends) The Ant and the Grasshopper An Aesop's Fable In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: Moral of Aesops Fable: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity A seeming contradiction. Examples: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” “You shouldn't go in the water until you know how to swim.” “Be cruel to be kind.”-from Hamlet by Shakespeare "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." (C.S. Lewis to his godchild, Lucy Barfield, to whom he dedicated The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) A work that makes fun of something or someone. Examples: “Weekend Update” from Saturday Night Live Most political cartoons in newspapers and magazines “The Gift of the Magi”, by O. Henry is a story of two people, much in love, who are very poor and want to give a Christmas gift to one another. She is very proud of her long, beautiful hair and he is equally proud of his pocket watch. The irony comes in to play when she cuts and sells her hair to buy him a chain for his watch, and he sells the watch to buy her combs for her hair. A monologue in which a character expresses his or her thoughts to the audience and does not intend the other characters to hear them. Examples: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” from Hamlet written by Shakespeare