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Linguistic Devices. Upcoming SlideShare. Like this presentation? Why not share! Embed Size px. Start on. Show related SlideShares at end. WordPress Shortcode. Next SlideShares. Download Now Download to read offline and view in fullscreen. Technology , Education. For example, horror writers often use repetition to make the reader feel trapped and scared. Writers use satire to make fun of some aspect of human nature or society — usually through exaggeration, ridicule, or irony.
There are countless ways to satirize something; most of the time, you know it when you read it. They were towed by grinning dolphins or else crewed by fifty black-haired nereids, faces silver as moonlight. Soliloquy involves a character speaking their thoughts aloud, usually at length and often in a Shakespeare play.
Authors turn to tangible symbols to represent abstract concepts and ideas in their stories Symbols typically derive from objects or non-human — for instance, a dove might represent peace, or raven might represent death.
Eckleburg actually a faded optometrist's billboard to represent God and his judgment of the Jazz Age. Synecdoche is the usage of a part to represent the whole. A tautology is when a sentence or short paragraph repeats a word or phrase, expressing the same idea twice. Example: "But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door" — The Raven , Edgar Allan Poe. Tmesis is when a word or phrase is broken up by an interjecting word, such as abso-freaking-lutely.
Example: "This is not Romeo, he's some other where. Tone refers to the overall mood and message of your book. Tone sets the feelings you want your readers to take away from the story. Example: No matter how serious things get in The Good Place , there is always a chance for a character to redeem themselves by improving their behavior.
The tone remains hopeful for the future of humanity in the face of overwhelming odds. Tragicomedy is just what it sounds like: a blend of tragedy and comedy. Tragicomedy helps an audience process darker themes by allowing them to laugh at the situation even when circumstances are bleak. Example: When vampires turn into bats, their bat form is an instance of zoomorphism. Readers and writers alike can get a lot out of understanding literary devices and how they're used.
But whatever your motivation for learning them, you certainly won't be sorry you did! Not least because you'll recognize the device I just used in that sentence. Which literary devices are your favorites? Share any thoughts, questions, or soliloquies in the comments below! Paraprosdokians are also delightful literary devices for creating surprise or intrigue. They cause a reader to rethink a concept or traditional expectation.
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Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book. Last updated on Jul 08, What are literary devices? What are the 10 most common literary devices?
Like most bureaucrats, she felt a boundless love for her job, and was eager to share that good feeling with others. In literature, irony can describe dialogue, but it also describes ironic situations : situations that proceed in ways that are elaborately contrary to what one would expect. A clear example of this is in The Wizard of Oz. All of the characters already have what they are looking for, so when they go to the wizard and discover that they all have brains, hearts, etc.
For verbal irony, try writing a sentence that gives something the exact opposite qualities that it actually has:. Have fun with it!
Juxtaposition refers to the placement of contrasting ideas next to each other, often to produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect. Writers use juxtaposition in both poetry and prose, though this common literary device looks slightly different within each realm of literature. In poetry, juxtaposition is used to build tension or highlight an important contrast. The result is a poem that, although short, condemns the paradox of a citizen trapped in their own nation.
Just a note: these juxtapositions are also examples of antithesis , which is when the writer juxtaposes two completely opposite ideas. Juxtaposition accomplishes something similar in prose. One great thing about juxtaposition is that it can dismantle something that appears to be a binary. To really master the art of juxtaposition, try finding two things that you think are polar opposites. Juxtapose your two selected items by starting your writing with both of them—for example:.
If you can accomplish what Dickens or Burke accomplishes with their juxtapositions, then you, too, are a master! A paradox is a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that, while seemingly impossible, actually reveals a deeper truth.
Catullus 85 translated from Latin. I hate and I love. Why I do this, perhaps you ask. I know not, but I feel it happening and I am tortured. How is it possible for the speaker to both hate and love the object of his affection? Catullus 85 asks the reader to consider the absoluteness of feelings like hate and love, since both seem to torment the speaker equally.
Someone who poses assumes an unnatural state of being, whereas a natural poise seems effortless and innate. Despite these contrasting ideas, Wilde is exposing a deeper truth: to seem natural is often to keep up appearances, and seeming natural often requires the same work as assuming any other pose.
Note: paradox should not be confused with oxymoron. Paradox operates very similarly to literary devices like juxtaposition and irony. To write a paradox, juxtapose two binary ideas. Now, situate those binaries into a certain situation, and make it so that they can coexist. Imagine a scenario in which both elements of your binary are true at the same time. How can this be, and what can we learn from this surprising juxtaposition?
A metaphor is literally a comparison and hyperbole is just an over-exaggeration. In this same style, allusion is just a fancy word for a literary reference; when a writer alludes to something, they are either directly or indirectly referring to another, commonly-known piece of art or literature.
The most frequently-alluded to work is probably the Bible. Many colloquial phrases and ideas stem from it, since many themes and images from the Bible present themselves in popular works and Western culture.
Any of the following ideas, for example, are Biblical allusions:. You might describe a woman as being as beautiful as the Mona Lisa, or you might call a man as stoic as Hemingway.
Why write allusions? Allusions appeal to common experiences: they are metaphors in their own right, as we understand what it means to describe an ideal place as Edenic. And, like other literary devices, allusions also have their own sub-categories. See how densely you can allude to other works and experiences in writing about something simple. Go completely outside of good taste and name-drop like crazy:. An allegory is a story whose sole purpose is to represent an abstract concept or idea. As such, allegories are sometimes extended allusions, but the two common literary devices have their differences.
The farm was founded on a shared goal of overthrowing the farming elite and establishing an equitable society, but this society soon declines. However, allegories are not always allusions. By representing a complex idea, this allegory could actually be closer to an extended symbol rather than an extended allusion. Pick a major trend going on in the world. Next, is there something happening at—or that could happen at—a much smaller scale that has some or all of those primary properties?
This is where your creativity comes into play. Well… what if elementary school children not only started sharing their private diaries, but were now expected to share their diaries?
I know Jennifer McMahon made up her diary entry about how much she misses her grandma. An epigraph is typically written by a different writer with credit given and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work. Some pieces of literature, such as Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick , incorporate multiple epigraphs throughout. Example: At the beginning of Ernest Hemingway's book The Sun Also Rises is an epigraph that consists of a quotation from poet Gertrude Stein, which reads, "You are all a lost generation," and a passage from the Bible.
Epistrophe is similar to anaphora, but in this case, the repeated word or phrase appears at the end of successive statements. Like anaphora, it is used to evoke an emotional response from the audience.
Example: In Lyndon B. Johnson's speech, "The American Promise," he repeats the word "problem" in a use of epistrophe: "There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. Hemingway, deep in thought about what quotation to choose for his epigraph.
A euphemism is when a more mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of another word or phrase that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant.
Example: "I'm so sorry, but he didn't make it. A flashback is an interruption in a narrative that depicts events that have already occurred, either before the present time or before the time at which the narration takes place.
This device is often used to give the reader more background information and details about specific characters, events, plot points, and so on. In this story, Nelly narrates Catherine Earnshaw's and Heathcliff's childhoods, the pair's budding romance, and their tragic demise. Foreshadowing is when an author indirectly hints at—through things such as dialogue, description, or characters' actions—what's to come later on in the story.
This device is often used to introduce tension to a narrative. Example: Say you're reading a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart.
Before she embarks on her what we know to be unfortunate plane ride, a friend says to her, "Be safe. Wouldn't want you getting lost—or worse. Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that's not meant to be taken literally by the reader.
Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. Imagery is when an author describes a scene, thing, or idea so that it appeals to our senses taste, smell, sight, touch, or hearing. This device is often used to help the reader clearly visualize parts of the story by creating a strong mental picture. When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden Daffodils; Beside the Lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Irony is when a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally expressed by it.
There are three types of irony in literature:. Poe was a fan of irony—and ravens. Juxtaposition is the comparing and contrasting of two or more different usually opposite ideas, characters, objects, etc.
This literary device is often used to help create a clearer picture of the characteristics of one object or idea by comparing it with those of another. Example: One of the most famous literary examples of juxtaposition is the opening passage from Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities :.
Malapropism happens when an incorrect word is used in place of a word that has a similar sound. This misuse of the word typically results in a statement that is both nonsensical and humorous; as a result, this device is commonly used in comedic writing. Example: "I just can't wait to dance the flamingo!
Metaphors are when ideas, actions, or objects are described in non-literal terms. In short, it's when an author compares one thing to another. The two things being described usually share something in common but are unalike in all other respects. A simile is a type of metaphor in which an object, idea, character, action, etc.
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. However, because Romeo doesn't use the words "as" or "like," it is not a simile—just a metaphor. A metonym is when a related word or phrase is substituted for the actual thing to which it's referring.
This device is usually used for poetic or rhetorical effect. Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword. Mood is the general feeling the writer wants the audience to have. The writer can achieve this through description, setting, dialogue, and word choice. Example: Here's a passage from J. Tolkien's The Hobbit: "It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle.
The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats -- the hobbit was fond of visitors.
From the writing, you can see that the hobbit's home is well-cared for and designed to provide comfort. Onomatopoeia is a word or group of words that represents a sound and actually resembles or imitates the sound it stands for.
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