Liter

ary

Devic

esLit

erar

y De

vices

Iambic Iambic Pentameter -

Pentameter - OxymoronOxymoron

Iambic Iambic

PentameterPentameter

The most common form of English

The most common form of English

poetic meter:poetic meter:

Ten beats per line made up of 5

Ten beats per line made up of 5

stressed and 5 unstressed syllables.

stressed and 5 unstressed syllables.

Example #1: “So foul and fair a day I have

Example #1: “So foul and fair a day I have

not seen.” not seen.”

Example #2: “Shall I compare thee to a

Example #2: “Shall I compare thee to a

summer’s day?”summer’s day?”

Imag

ery

Imag

ery

Language that appeals

Language that appeals

to the five major senses

to the five major senses

of sight, smell, hearing,

of sight, smell, hearing,

taste, and touch.

taste, and touch.Example #1: “Thy hair

Example #1: “Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing

soft-lifted by the winnowing

wind” (sight, touch)

wind” (sight, touch)Example #2: “It was on a

Example #2: “It was on a

dreary night of November…

dreary night of November…

when …I saw the dull

when …I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature

yellow eye of the creature

open; it breathed hard, and

open; it breathed hard, and

a convulsive motion

a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.”

agitated its limbs.”

Informal Essay

Informal Essay

A brief work A brief work

of non-fiction of non-fiction

that offers that offers

opinion on a opinion on a

subject, subject,

usually not usually not

in a in a completely completely

serious tone. serious tone.

May be May be

humorous, humorous,

personal, personal,

even even rambling.rambling.

Example: A Example: A

student’s student’s

writing about writing about

the quality of the quality of

the cafeteria the cafeteria

food. food.

Well –known Well –known

example: “An example: “An

Academy for Academy for

Women” by Women” by

Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe

Interior Monologue

Interior Monologue

A character’s flow of thoughts

A character’s flow of thoughts

that reveal the character’s

that reveal the character’s

mind and emotions; may

mind and emotions; may

appear in a series of images

appear in a series of images

and impressions.

and impressions.

Example: Victor’s inner turmoil

Example: Victor’s inner turmoil

and guilt mixed with his anger at

and guilt mixed with his anger at

the creature while wondering

the creature while wondering

through the mountains and

through the mountains and

admiring nature.admiring nature.

The struggle that may

The struggle that may

occur within a character.

occur within a character.Example #1Example #1: Macbeth’s

: Macbeth’s

struggle with the decision to

struggle with the decision to

kill Duncan and the effects of

kill Duncan and the effects of guilt.guilt.

Example #2Example #2: Victor’s inner

: Victor’s inner turmoil regarding his

turmoil regarding his responsibilities.

responsibilities. Internal ConflictInternal Conflict

Internal Rhyme

Internal Rhyme

Rhyme Rhyme

that that occurs occurs

within a within a

single line single line

of poetry.of poetry.

Example:Example:

““Give crowns Give crowns

and pounds and pounds

and guineas, and guineas,

but not your but not your

heart away”heart away”

--From --From “When I Was “When I Was

One-and-One-and-

Twenty” by Twenty” by

A.E. A.E. HousmanHousman

IronyIrony

A contrast between what is expected

A contrast between what is expected

and what actually happens. Three

and what actually happens. Three

types: Situational, Dramatic, Verbal.

types: Situational, Dramatic, Verbal.

Example: Duncan expects peace at

Example: Duncan expects peace at

Macbeth’s castle which looks peaceful, but

Macbeth’s castle which looks peaceful, but

the audience is aware of the Macbeths’

the audience is aware of the Macbeths’

evil plans (situational; dramatic)

evil plans (situational; dramatic)

Italia

n Ita

lian

(Pet

rarc

han)

(P

etra

rcha

n)

Sonn

etSo

nnet

A poem consisting of

A poem consisting of 14 lines, made up of

14 lines, made up of two quatrains and a

two quatrains and a final sestet. The

final sestet. The rhyme scheme is

rhyme scheme is abba, abba, cdc, cdc.

abba, abba, cdc, cdc.Example: Sonnet 292

Example: Sonnet 292 (see page 310 of

(see page 310 of textbook)textbook)

KenningKenning

Examples: “The grey-

Examples: “The grey-

bearded lord” (renames

bearded lord” (renames

Hrothgar)Hrothgar)

““whale-road” (renames

whale-road” (renames

the sea)the sea)

““The sin-stained demon”

The sin-stained demon”

(renames Grendel)

(renames Grendel)

An Anglo-Saxon Metaphor;

An Anglo-Saxon Metaphor;

a compound word or

a compound word or

phrase that renames

phrase that renames

Imagery that recreates

Imagery that recreates

muscle tension and

muscle tension and

movementmovement

Example: “He felt the

Example: “He felt the

chilled dust push up

chilled dust push up

between his toes” or “His

between his toes” or “His

foot pressed up against the

foot pressed up against the

starting block and his body

starting block and his body

tensed, ready for the

tensed, ready for the

shot…”shot…”

Kinesthetic Kinesthetic

ImageryImagery

Lette

rsLe

tters

Written correspondence

Written correspondence between individuals

between individuals (friends, family, (friends, family, acquaintances, etc.) usually

acquaintances, etc.) usually

meant to be private.

meant to be private.Examples: The Paston

Examples: The Paston

Family’s written

Family’s written exchange during the

exchange during the War of the Roses

War of the Roses (Medieval Literature);

(Medieval Literature);

Letters from the Crypt

Letters from the Crypt

Literary BalladLiterary Ballad

Examples: “Barbara

Examples: “Barbara

Allan,” “Sir Patrick

Allan,” “Sir Patrick

Spens,” “Get Up and

Spens,” “Get Up and

Bar the Door”; or “The

Bar the Door”; or “The

Rime of the Ancient

Rime of the Ancient

Mariner” adapted from

Mariner” adapted from

an earlier folk song by

an earlier folk song by

unknown author(s)

unknown author(s)

A narrative poem

A narrative poem

originally intended

originally intended

to be sungto be sung

LyricLyric

A short poem A short poem

in which a in which a

single speaker single speaker

expresses expresses

personal personal

thoughts and thoughts and

feelings; feelings;

(from the (from the

Greek “lyre” Greek “lyre”

= a musical = a musical

instrument instrument

used to used to accompany accompany

songs)songs)

Examples: ; Examples: ;

“The Wife’s “The Wife’s

Lament”; Lament”;

“The “The Moment” by Moment” by

Margaret Margaret

Atwood; Atwood;

ShakespeareShakespeare

’s sonnets; ’s sonnets;

Odes Odes written by written by

John KeatsJohn Keats

Majo

r Cha

ract

ers

Majo

r Cha

ract

ers

The most important

The most important characters in a work; the

characters in a work; the

main characters who

main characters who undergo a change

undergo a change throughout the movement

throughout the movement

of the plot.of the plot.

Examples: Beowulf;

Examples: Beowulf; Macbeth & Lady

Macbeth & Lady Macbeth; Ebeneezer

Macbeth; Ebeneezer Scrooge; Victor & the

Scrooge; Victor & the

CreatureCreature

Memoir

Memoir

A non-fiction, A non-fiction,

auto-auto-biographical biographical

work in work in

which the which the

author author recalls recalls significant significant

events in his events in his

or her lifeor her life

Examples: Examples:

Testament Testament

of Youth of Youth by by

Vera Vera Brittain; Brittain; All All

But My Life But My Life

by Gerta by Gerta

Wiesman Wiesman

Klein; Klein; NightNight

by Elie by Elie

WieselWiesel

MetaphorMetaphor

A direct comparison between two

A direct comparison between two

dissimilar things that may have

dissimilar things that may have

something in common to be

something in common to be

compared for effect.

compared for effect.

Examples: School is torture;

Examples: School is torture;

English class is H.E.11; Marriage

English class is H.E.11; Marriage

is a rose garden; Life is a long

is a rose garden; Life is a long

road of ups and downs

road of ups and downs

Metaphysical Metaphysical

PoetryPoetry

Examples: “A Valediction

Examples: “A Valediction

Forbidding Mourning,”

Forbidding Mourning,”

and “Death Be Not Proud”

and “Death Be Not Proud”

–both by John Donne

–both by John Donne

A 17A 17thth century poetic style

century poetic style

(promoted first by

(promoted first by John DonneJohn Donne) )

that rejected courtly love and

that rejected courtly love and

musical lyrical form and

musical lyrical form and

instead focused on the logical,

instead focused on the logical,

intellectual and philosophical

intellectual and philosophical

aspects of life; often contain

aspects of life; often contain

conversational style, language

conversational style, language

play, unexpected images, and

play, unexpected images, and

paradoxparadox..

Repetition of a regular

Repetition of a regular

rhythmic unit in poetry. Meter

rhythmic unit in poetry. Meter is indicated using a ˘ to

is indicated using a ˘ to

denote an unstressed syllable

denote an unstressed syllable

and a / to denote a stressed

and a / to denote a stressed syllable.syllable.

Example:Example:

˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘

˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / /

I hold it true, whate’ er

I hold it true, whate’ er befall befall

MeterMeter

Minor Minor

CharactersCharacters

The less The less

important important

characters in a characters in a

work of work of

literatureliterature

Examples:Examples:

Wulfgar in Wulfgar in

BeowulfBeowulf; ;

Peter Cratchet

Peter Cratchet

in in A Christmas A Christmas

CarolCarol; Ernest ; Ernest

and William in

and William in

FrankensteinFrankenstein; ;

Ross and Ross and

Menteith in Menteith in

MacbethMacbeth

Miracle PlayMiracle Play

A medieval form of literature that

A medieval form of literature that

dramatized the lives of saints

dramatized the lives of saints..

Examples: A play about the life of

Examples: A play about the life of

the Apostle Paul; A dramatic

the Apostle Paul; A dramatic

performance about John the

performance about John the

BaptistBaptist

Mono

logu

eMo

nolo

gue

A lyric poem or a speech in

A lyric poem or a speech in

a drama in which a speaker

a drama in which a speaker

addresses a silent or absent

addresses a silent or absent

listener in a moment of high

listener in a moment of high

intensity or deep emotion

intensity or deep emotion

for the purpose of revealing

for the purpose of revealing

feelings, motivations, etc.

feelings, motivations, etc.Examples: The poems

Examples: The poems

“My Last Duchess” and

“My Last Duchess” and

“Porphyria’s Lover” by

“Porphyria’s Lover” by

Robert Browning;

Robert Browning; Macbeth’s speech about

Macbeth’s speech about

the meaninglessness of

the meaninglessness of

life after the death of

life after the death of

Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth.

The feeling or atmosphere that a writer

The feeling or atmosphere that a writer

creates for the reader, often with the use

creates for the reader, often with the use

of imagery, details, setting, connotation,

of imagery, details, setting, connotation, etc.etc.

Examples: The eerie feeling that the

Examples: The eerie feeling that the

witches create at the beginning of

witches create at the beginning of

MacbethMacbeth; the gloomy setting of

; the gloomy setting of

Victor’s lab; the description of the

Victor’s lab; the description of the

door where Mr. Hyde receives a

door where Mr. Hyde receives a

checkcheck

MoodMood

Morality PlayMorality Play

A medieval A medieval

form of drama form of drama

in which the in which the

characters characters

were were allegorical allegorical

(symbolic) (symbolic)

figures such as figures such as

Death, Greed, Death, Greed,

Pride, Jealousy, Pride, Jealousy,

etc.etc.

Examples: Examples:

A drama A drama

portraying portraying

an old man an old man

character character

named named

Death who Death who

teaches teaches

three rioters three rioters

a lesson a lesson

about greedabout greed

Motif

Motif

The smallest recurring

The smallest recurring element in a story

element in a story having the power to

having the power to persist in tradition, often

persist in tradition, often related to the theme.

related to the theme.Examples: Water in

Examples: Water in Macbeth; Scrooge’s

Macbeth; Scrooge’s Journey to his past;

Journey to his past; Death in Frankenstein

Death in Frankenstein

Mystery PlayMystery Play

Examples: A dramatic

Examples: A dramatic

performance of “Noah

performance of “Noah

and the Ark,” or “Job,” or

and the Ark,” or “Job,” or

“Joseph and His

“Joseph and His

Brothers,” or “Moses

Brothers,” or “Moses

Leading the Hebrews out

Leading the Hebrews out

of Egypt”of Egypt”

A medieval dramatic

A medieval dramatic

form that portrays a

form that portrays a

biblical story; often

biblical story; often

performed in churches

performed in churches

or the outdoorsor the outdoors

Narra

tion

/ Na

rratio

n /

Narra

tor

Narra

tor

The telling of a story

The telling of a story or the voice of a

or the voice of a story; the voice may

story; the voice may be a character in the

be a character in the story or a voice story or a voice outside the action.

outside the action.Examples: Robert

Examples: Robert Walton, Victor, & the

Walton, Victor, & the

Creature in Creature in FrankensteinFrankenstein; Mr. ; Mr. Utterson in Utterson in Dr. Jekyll

Dr. Jekyll

& Mr. Hyde.& Mr. Hyde.

NarrativeNarrative

Writing concerned with relating a

series of events; it can be imaginary

or factual.

Examples: A short story; a

novel; a newspaper account; a

soldier’s account of his stay in

Iraq; Hiroshima, a journalist’s

compilation of survivor

testimonies

Narrative PoemNarrative Poem

A poem that A poem that

tells a story; tells a story;

narrative narrative

poems poems contain contain

characters, characters,

plot, point of plot, point of

view, and view, and

themetheme

Examples:

Beowulf;

the Iliad;

the Odyssey;

Paradise

Lost; Rime

of the

Ancient

Mariner;

Natu

ralis

mNa

tura

lism

A form of realism in which

A form of realism in which

the writer conveys the belief

the writer conveys the belief

that everything is part of

that everything is part of the natural world and

the natural world and explainable by natural or

explainable by natural or physical causes; characters

physical causes; characters

are victims of natural forces

are victims of natural forcesExamples: Doris Lessing’s “A Sunrise on

the Veld”; Mary Shelley’s

Frankenstein; William

Golding’s Lord of the

Flies

NeoclassicismNeoclassicism

An 18An 18thth century writing style that imitated classical literature

century writing style that imitated classical literature

with the use of strict form, logic, symmetry, restraint, clarity,

with the use of strict form, logic, symmetry, restraint, clarity,

& conciseness; purposes included instruction in moral and

& conciseness; purposes included instruction in moral and

social behavior; essays, epigrams, satire, and parody are

social behavior; essays, epigrams, satire, and parody are

favorite forms of this writing movement

favorite forms of this writing movement

Examples: Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal”; “An

Essay on Man” by Alexander Pope

NonfictioNonfictio

nnProse writing about real

Prose writing about real

people, places, and events

people, places, and eventsExamples:

Autobiographies, biographies, letters,

essays, diaries, journals,

memoirs, speeches; The

Paston Letters; Winston Churchill’s speeches

NovelNovel

An An extended extended

work of work of

fictionfiction

Examples:

Frankenstein

; Lord of the

Flies; The

Strange

Case of Dr.

Jekyll and

Mr. Hyde;

Brave New

World; A

Separate

Piece

Octa

veOc

tave

Eight lines of poetry; the

Eight lines of poetry; the first eight lines of a

first eight lines of a sonnet that may ask a

sonnet that may ask a question or present a

question or present a problemproblem

Example: Shakespeare’s sonnet

29 opens by posing the

problem of despair; might have a rhyme scheme of abba, abba

or ababcdcd

OdeOde

An exalted , complex lyric that develops

An exalted , complex lyric that develops

a serious, dignified theme; often praise

a serious, dignified theme; often praise

people, nature, or commemorate events

people, nature, or commemorate events

Examples: Percy Bysshe Shelley’s

Examples: Percy Bysshe Shelley’s

poems in praise of the West Wind

poems in praise of the West Wind

and in praise of a Skylark (“_____ to

and in praise of a Skylark (“_____ to

the West Wind”)

the West Wind”)

Off Rhyme

Off Rhyme

End rhyme that is not

End rhyme that is not

exact but near rhyme or

exact but near rhyme or

approximate.approximate.

Examples: “come” and

“doom” in “The Frog

Prince” by Stevie Smith

Omni

scie

nt P

oint

Omni

scie

nt P

oint

of

Vie

wof

Vie

w

The all-knowing The all-knowing perspective of the

perspective of the narrator into the minds of

narrator into the minds of

more than one character;

more than one character;

allows depth and

allows depth and complexity not permitted

complexity not permitted

with the first-person or

with the first-person or limited p.o.v.limited p.o.v.

Examples: “The Rocking Horse Winner”

by D.H. Lawrence

OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia

Words whose sounds echo their

Words whose sounds echo their

meaningsmeanings

Examples: buzz, gurgle,

whisper, murmur

OxymoronOxymoron

A “concise” paradox; two contradictory terms

A “concise” paradox; two contradictory terms

that are placed together for effect

that are placed together for effect

Examples: “cruel kindness,” or “brave

fear,” or “brilliant moron”