Literary Elements and Devices!

ARMT/SAT 10 Practice

Symbol/Symbolism

-a person, place, thing, or event that has its own meaning and stands for something beyond itself as well.

Example: a lionLiteral- an animal Symbolic-

courage and nobility

Main IdeaWhat the text is about!

Consider the topic of the text, but remember, the main idea is stated in a sentence.

Look at what all of the details have in common.

May be implied or already stated in the text.

Supporting Details

Details that support the main idea.

The details point to the main idea!

Supporting details may be in the form of facts, examples, basic details, and other types of information that support or back up the main idea.

Foreshadowing-hints that the author gives

so the reader can predict how things might happen later in the story.

Example: In Cinderella, the fairy godmother warns Cinderella that her magic will wear off at the stroke of midnight. This warning hints that Cinderella will stay out too late and will have to race the clock.

Flashback-a scene or event that happened

before the story began. Flashback is often presented as a

memory or a dream or as dialogue between two of the characters.

Example : In Batman, Bruce Wayne remembers how his parents were killed by a robber in the street. This scene helps to explain his motivation to punish criminals and protect the innocent citizens of Gotham.

SettingThe time and place in which the events of a

story occur.

• Historical moment is a part of setting. It refers to the historical backdrop of the setting.

Example: Chicago, late 1800s

Plot Plot Diagram

1. Exposition/IntroductionBeginning of the story.

Characters, setting, conflicts, etc. introduced.

2. Rising ActionThe events that lead

up to the climax.

3. ClimaxHighest point of action.

4. Falling ActionEasing of pressure on

the main character(s). Things BEGIN returning to normal.

5. Conclusion/ResolutionStory ends or is resolved.

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Conflict• Internal Conflict

Character v. Self

Example: A character has to make a tough, moral decision.

• External Conflict

Character v. Character(Ex: Physical/Non physical fight)

Character v. Society(Ex: Character does not fit society’s “mold.”)

Character v. Nature(Ex: A character must survive being stranded on a deserted island, battling Mother Nature along the way.)

TONE• Tone is the expression of

the author’s attitude toward his/her audience and subject matter.

• Consider both WHAT the author says and HOW he/she says it.

RIGHT! Right? Right.

MOOD• Mood is the overall emotion

created by a work of literature.

Consider how the author’stone affects the way you FEELwhile reading the text. That’smood!

Personification

-describes an inanimate object giving it human characteristics.

Example: The flower turned its gaze toward the sun.

ComparisonsSimileCompares two things

using like, as, than, or resembles.

Example: The thick woods were like prison walls.

MetaphorCompares one thing

to something quite unlike it.

Example: The wind is a rake.

Alliteration-the repetition of the same or very similar

consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Example: Becky’s beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy.

What is the alliteration in the followingsentence?

Sara’s seven sisters slept soundly in sand.

Point of View• First Person: The narrator and the main character are thesame person. (I ran down the stairs as quickly as I could.)

• Second Person: The reader is addressed as “you” as if he/sheis an active character in the book. (So you’re walking down thestreet when…)

• Third Person: Narrator moves unseen among the characters.*Omniscient – All-knowing*Limited – centers only on one character.*Objective – “The camera’s eye”…can only narrate on what’s seen, not what’s going on in the characters’ minds.

**From sentence to sentence, point of view must remain consistent!**

Theme• the underlying meaning or point of a work of

literature.

• It is the idea about life that is revealed through some aspect of the story.

• Themes will be stated in complete sentences.

Ironythe contrast between expectation and reality…

…between what is said (verbal)“Oh, I absolutely love that hat. Are those real grapes?”

…between what is expected to happen and what actually does (situational)A soldier survives many grueling battles abroad only to be run over by an ice cream truck back home.

…between what a character thinks to be true and what a audience knows (dramatic)A play’s hero thinks her son is dead, but the audience knows that her son is still alive.

Pun• the usually humorous use of a word or phrase

so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications.

Example: I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

For you!!

This PowerPoint is on my webpage.

You will need to study these notes for Wednesday’s test.

You will also benefit from studying these notes for Thursday’s 9 weeks exam.

Good luck!