Aspects of literary style: literary devices
Aspects of literary style: literary devices
Identifying Literary Devices
- Pay attention to metonymy and synecdoche, where a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa.
- Look out for cases of hyperbole, extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.
- Recognise instances of anaphora, where the same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive sentences.
- Observe epiphora (or epistrophe), the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of multiple sentences or verses.
- Be aware of the presence of chiasmus, a type of sentence structure where the order of the main elements are reversed in the second clause.
- Notice the implementation of litotes, an understatement where negative expressions are used to assert positive truths.
Analyzing Imagery and Symbolism
- Discuss the use of visual imagery to paint a picture in the reader’s mind.
- Understand the significance of symbolism where an object or action represents something more profound.
- Examine the presence of different forms of imagery such as auditory imagery (sound), gustatory imagery (taste), olfactory imagery (smell), tactile imagery (touch) and kinaesthetic imagery (movement).
Exploring Speech and Dialogue
- Identify instances of direct speech and consider its effect on reader engagement and understanding of characters.
- Investigate the use of rhetorical questions that do not require a response but make a point stronger.
- See the use of dialogue to fully portray characters and to advance the narrative.
Understanding Tropes and Figures of Speech
- Become familiar with the use of trope, a figurative expression or a figure of speech.
- Know the types of figures of speech such as simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and how they enrich the narrative.
- Identify common Latin sayings, idioms or proverbs used in the text.
Acknowledging Tone and Mood
- Discern the tone of the text, it’s the author’s attitude towards the subject or character.
- Analyse the mood, the atmosphere created in the narrative and its effect on the reader’s emotions.
- Notice how shifts in tone and mood can reflect character development or critical plot points.