Literary devices and literary elements

Literary devices and literary elements What they are what they do

Characterization • Methods an author uses to reveal a character's personality: character's speech, character's behavior , description of character's thoughts and feelings, description of character's looks and clothing, comments made by other characters.

IMAGERY • Words that paint a picture that appeals to one or more of the 5 senses

Mood • Emotional response of the reader to the text

Personification • Objects or animals are given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

simile • Comparison of two UNLIKE things using the words “LIKE” or “AS”

Metaphor • Comparison of two unlike things NOT using the words “LIKE” or “AS”

Symbol • An object that means more than it seems

Allusion • A reference to a statement, person, or event, etc. in history

Theme • A central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work

Irony • When one thing is expected, but the exact opposite occurs

Setting • When and where a story occurs

Foreshadowing • Clues in a literary work that suggest events that have yet to occur

Conflict • Friction that occurs between characters, a character and an outside source, or within a character’s conscience or mind.

Literary devices and literary elements