Literary Devices
The time and place the story's events occur.
Setting
The character who opposes the main character.
Antagonist
The main character in a story.
Protagonist.
An object that stands for more than itself
Symbol
The overall message in a story.
Theme
What is said is the opposite of what is meant (ie. sarcasm).
The problem in the story (Internal conflict: person vs. self; External conflict: person vs. person, person vs. society; person vs. environment, or person vs. supernatural).
Conflict
The highest point of action in the plot of a story.
Climax
When the opposite of the expected outcome occurs in the plot.
Situational Irony
When the reader and/or other characters know more about an event or situation in the plot compared to another character.
Dramatic Irony
A technique used by the author to keep the audience interested in the plot (keeps the audience/reader wondering what is next).
Suspense
A direct comparison using like or as.
Simile
Giving non-living things (inanimate objects) human qualities.
Personification
The author’s attitude toward his/her subject matter.
Tone
The atmosphere created in a text for the reader.
Mood
A series of repeating consonant or vowel sounds at the beginning of phrases or stressed syllables.
Alliteration
An indirect comparison of two things (not using like or as).
Metaphor
A hint at future events.
Foreshadow
A vivid description that appeals to the readers’ five senses (touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell).
Imagery
A deliberate exaggeration of writing or speech used for effect.
Hyperbole
A brief hint or reference to pop-culture, historical event/figure, mythology, or another work within a text.
Allusion
What is the antagonist?
The character who opposes the main character.
What is personification?
Giving non-living things (inanimate objects) human qualities.
What is an alliteration?
A series of repeating consonant or vowel sounds at the beginning of phrases or stressed syllables.
What is a hyperbole?
A deliberate exaggeration of writing or speech used for effect.