Stylistic/Literary Elements
"They are siting in the cool darkness under the anacahuita tree in the front yard, telling stories, drinking guanabana juice"
Imagery
Compares two unlike things and uses the words “like” or “as”
Simile
The most religious sister
Patria
Appeal to the audience's reason (use of facts, data, evidence, logic)
Logos
She felt terrible but she went to class anyway.
Comma
(She felt terrible, but she went to class anyway.)
"a daughter is a needle in the heart"
Figurative Language (Metaphor)
Compares two things that are not alike WITHOUT using the words “like” or “as"
Metaphor
The most ambitious and rebellious sister
Minerva
Appeal to the audience's emotion
He was cooking her favorite dinner cheese fajitas with corn.
Colon
(He was cooking her favorite dinner: cheese fajitas with corn.)
"I felt my heart lifting, my cross as light as a feather,"
Figurative Language (Simile)
The attribution of human characteristics to non-living objects
Personification
The youngest sister
Maria Teresa (Mate)
Appeal to the speaker's status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them.
As a matter of fact American football was derived from rugby.
Comma
(As a matter of fact, American football was derived from rugby.)
References to the "Merciful Mother" and "the Good Shepherd (and) his lambs"
Allusion
a seemingly self-contradictory statement (example: it was the beginning of the end)
paradox (oxymoron = 1/2 points)
The sister who survived
Dede
The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in two or more neighboring words (as in “she sells sea shells).
Alliteration
The book is informative it has helpful charts and graphs.
Semicolon
(The book is informative; it has helpful charts and graphs.)
"I'd jump in the Jeep and roar off into the countryside, my foot pressing heavily down on the gas as if speed could set me free. “
Diction (Word Choice) or Hyperbole
Exaggeration that is created to emphasize a point or bring out a sense of humor
Hyperbole
Manolo's wife
Minerva
A simple, short, or humorous story told by one person to another, usually in an effort to convey understanding or comparison in a particular situation.
Anecdote
I like big, purple shirts red, high-heeled shoes and fluffy, yellow pillows.
Semicolon
(I like big, purple shirts; red, high-heeled shoes; and fluffy, yellow pillows.)