![]() What is it: A figure of speech that is indecipherable based on the words alone.Įxample: “Don’t cut any corners” is an idiom on its surface, it doesn’t make sense but is a known phrase that means don’t take shortcuts. What is it: A statement that is obviously and intentionally exaggerated.Įxample: “I have a million things to do” is a hyperbolic statement, since no individual actually has one million items on her to-do list. What is it: Hinting at future or subsequent events to come to build tension in a narrative.Įxample: In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the witches portend evil, chanting, “Something wicked this way comes.” What is it: A less provocative or milder term used in place of a more explicit or unpleasant one.Įxample: “I have to let you go” is a euphemistic expression for firing someone. What is it: A moment of sudden realization by a character.Įxample : In the movie Clueless, Cher has an epiphany that she is in love with her stepbrother, Josh. What is it: A poem expressing grief over a death.Įxample: O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman is an elegy for Abraham Lincoln. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck speaks in a distinctive way characterized by his lack of education and outsider status. What is it: The word choice and speaking style of a writer or character.Įxample: Diction is involved in almost every piece of writing because it is a vehicle for conveying the tone of the work. What is it: An informal piece of dialogue or turn of phrase used in everyday conversation.Įxample: Contractions such as “ain’t” are colloquialisms that are used in everyday conversation or dialogue to make the speaker and speech sound more authentic. Mechanical clocks did not exist in 44 A.D., when the play takes place, so this the inclusion of the clock here is an anachronism. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 1 What is it: An intentional or unintentional error in chronology or a timeline. Potts and Lumiere are anthropomorphized in Beauty and the Beast. What is it: The interpretation of a nonhuman animal, event, or object as embodying human qualities or characteristics.Įxample: Inanimate objects such as Mrs. In this instance, Romeo is drawing an analogy between Juliet and a rose. What is it: A parallel between disparate ideas, people, things, or events that is more elaborate than a metaphor or simile.Įxample : “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” -William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2 For instance, “February made me shiver” is an allusion to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly on February 3, 1959. Įxample: The song “American Pie” by Don McLean is full of allusions to events that occurred in the 1950s and 60s. What is it: An indirect reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea. What is It: The repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in succession.Įxample: She sells seashells by the seashore. What is It: A work that symbolizes or represents an idea or event.Įxample: The novel Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory for the Russian Revolution, with characters representing key figures in the movement. This is also useful knowledge to have for any social science or humanities class, where you’ll be expected to analyze and understand long works. Being able to spot the literary devices the author is using will help you get a sense of the overall meanings behind the passages you encounter. For example, on the SAT reading test, you’ll need to understand and analyze the work of others. Understanding literary devices also helps you comprehend the work of others. You can use them in your courses and college essays and on the SAT writing section, not to mention in your college coursework and future profession. Why Should I Understand Literary Devices? How do you make your writing effective? One important component of great writing is the use of literary devices. Writing is a staple of your education and fundamental to nearly every profession, no matter what industry.
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