DIDLS DICTION WORD CHOICE IMAGERY APPEALS TO SENSES

DIDLS DICTION WORD CHOICE IMAGERY APPEALS TO SENSES DETAIL SUPPORTS ATTITUDE AND TONE LANGUAGE SYNTAX FIGURES OF SPEECH SOUND DEVICES LITERARY TECHNIQUES STYLE TONE WRITER’S MANNER OF EMPLOYING LANGUAGE WRITER’S ATTITUDE TOWARD SUBJECT SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Figures of Speech Words or phrases that describe one thing in terms of something else. They always involve some imaginative comparison between seemingly unlike things. Not meant to be taken literally, figurative language is used to produce images in a reader’s mind and to express ideas in fresh, vivid, and imaginative ways. The most common examples of figurative language, or figures of speech, used both in prose and poetry are simile, metaphor, and personification.

Apostrophe A form of personification in which the absent or dead are spoken to as if present and the inanimate, as if animate. Antony. O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason! (III, ii, 106 -107) Julius Caesar Shakespeare addresses an inanimate noun as though it has human understanding and empathy.

A comparison of two unlike things not using like or as. “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been. “ Frankenstein The quote enhances the readers’ understanding of the character’s emotions and perspective of the past. Metaphor

Metonymy A form of metaphor, the name of one thing is applied to another thing with which it is closely associated. “When they called you crybaby Or poor or fatty or crazy And made you drink their acid And concealed it. ” “Courage” In these lines, the taunts of others hurt a person’s feelings. The speaker calls the taunts acid, an appropriate term because they do sting or burn a person emotionally.

A form of paradox that combines a pair of opposite terms into a single unusual expression ◦ “sweet sorrow” ◦ “cold fire” ◦ “bitter sweet” ◦ “jumbo shrimp” ◦ “baby grand” Oxymoron

Paradox Elements of a statement contradict each other. Although the statement may appear illogical, impossible, or absurd, it turns out to have a coherent meaning that reveals a hidden truth. “To attain peace, we must prepare for war. ” Although Ancient Roman Proverb peace and war are opposites, they can be considered two sides of the same coin, ying and yang: without one, you cannot know or have the other.

Personification A metaphor that gives inanimate objects or abstract ideas human characteristics. ◦ “But when he entered, misery and despair alone welcomed him. ” The comparison of his companions to misery and despair suggests the depth of his unhappiness. ◦ “The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal nature bade me weep no more. ” Frankenstein The character compares nature to a mother soothing her son, suggesting the depth of his love of nature.

Pun A play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings. Puns can have serious as well as humorous uses. “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. ” Romeo and Juliet Grave means serious and also means he will be in the grave. “I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank. Julius Caesar ◦ Rank means what level one holds in the hierarchy and something that smells bad. Caesar is high ranking, and will stink once he is dead.

A comparison of two different things or ideas through the use of like or as. ◦ “The saintly soul of Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home. Elizabeth’s “saintly soul” is compared to a “shrine -dedicated lamp, ” indicating the purity and loyalty of her soul. Simile

Synecdoche A form of metaphor where part of something is used to signify the whole. ◦ “All hands on deck. ” The captain says hands, but he really wants the sailors in their entirety. ◦ “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears” (III, ii, 75). Julius Caesar Marc Antony asks the Roman citizens for their ears, but he is really asking for their attention, consideration, and understanding.

Sound Devices Stylistic techniques that convey meaning through sound Alliteration Assonance Consonance Onomatopoeia Rhyme

Beginning several consecutive or neighboring words with the same sound. “Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin. ” ◦ The repeated “s” emphasizes the strangeness and seriousness of the statement. Alliteration

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words ◦ “But I was doomed to live: and, in two months, found myself as awaking, from a dream, in a prison, stretched on a wretched bed, surrounded by gaolers’ turnkeys, bolts, …” The repeated “e” sound and the “etch” emphasizes the hideousness of the situation, like it might make you “retch”.

Repetition of a consonant sound within a series of words to produce a harmonious effect. ◦ “But sleep did not afford me respite from thought and misery; my dreams presented a thousand objects that scared me. ” ◦ The repeated “d’s” mimic the sound of dread. The repeated “s” sounds string together to make an evil hiss noise. Consonance

The use of words that mimic the sounds they describe. HISS BUZZ BANG Onomatopoeia

Repetition of sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other. ◦ End rhyme occurs at the end of lines. ◦ Rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhymes (in poetry). ◦ Internal rhyme occurs within a line. “I lay down on the grass, and was overpowered by a deep sleep. ” Rhyme

LITERARY TECHNIQUES

Allusion A reference to a mythological, literary, historical or religious person place or thing. ◦ Historical “I heard of the slothful Asiatics; of the stupendous genius and mental activity of the Grecians; of the early Romans – of their subsequent degenerating – of the decline of that mighty empire. . Frankenstein ◦ The allusion to the Asiatics, Grecians, and Romans refers to the ultimate decline of Asian, Greek, and Roman societies and empires, just as the monster thinks the society of his time is declining.

Mythological Allusion ◦ “Induced by these feelings, I was of course led to admire peaceable lawgivers, Numa, Solon, and Lycurgus, in preference to Romulus and Theseus. ” The allusion to the mythological characters Romulus (Roman) and Theseus (Greek) leads the reader to understand why he thought Numa, Solon, and Lycurgus were more peaceful. Allusion (cont. )

Religious Allusion ◦ “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel. . ” The allusion to the Biblical Adam and the comparison of the monster to the fallen angel (devil) lets the reader know the monster’s selfperception. Allusion (cont)

Literary Allusion ◦ “I am going to unexplored regions, to “the land of mist and snow; ” but I shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety, or if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the “Ancient Mariner. ” Frankenstein The author compares Robert Walton to the “Ancient Mariner, ” a poem written by Coleridge. Allusion (cont)

Hyperbole Deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration. It may be used for either serious or comic effect. ◦ “A million times, thank you. ” ◦ “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse. ”

Irony occurs when a author creates a discrepancy between what a reader expects and what is done or said in a work. Verbal irony occurs when a speaker or narrator says something that contradicts what the speaker believes should or would be said. ◦ “The yellow star? Oh, well, what of it? You won’t die of a yellow star. ” Chlomo Wiesel in Night The reader, knowing that Jews bound for concentration camps were forced to wear yellow stars, would not expect the character to say this. The reader know that the star leads to death. Situational irony occurs when a situation turns out differently from what one would normally expect. ◦ A deep sea diver drowning in the bathtub

Irony Dramatic irony occurs when a character or speaker says or does something that has different meanings from what he thinks it means, though the audience and other characters understand the full implications of the speech or action. ◦ Oedipus curses the murderer of Laius, not realizing that he is himself the murderer and so is cursing himself.

A pattern or strand of locations, objects, or events significant to the meaning of a work. ◦ Dreams recur throughout Bless Me, Ultima. ◦ Nature recurs throughout Frankenstein. Motif

The use of verbal irony in which a person appears to be praising something but is actually insulting it. ◦ “As I fell down the stairs headfirst, I heard her say, ‘Look at that coordination!’” Sarcasm

The use of humorous devices like irony, understatement, and exaggeration to highlight a human folly or a societal problem. The purpose is to bring the flaw to the attention of the reader in order that it may be addressed, remedied, or eradicated. ◦ In his work “A Modest Proposal, ” Jonathan Swift suggests hunting/eating children as a solution to the poverty, starvation, and child abuse running rampant in 1700’s Ireland. Satire

Symbolism The use of any object, person, place, or action that both has a meaning in itself and one that stands for something larger than itself, such as quality, attitude, belief, or value. ◦ Universal symbolism is common to all mankind (red symbolizes love, power, etc. ) ◦ Contextual symbolism is used in a particular way by an individual author.

A. K. A. Meiosis, litotes ◦ The opposite of hyperbole. ◦ An irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is “I could probably live on two million dollars a year. “ay, a scratch, a scratch…” ◦ Mercutio says this when he is mortally wounded in Hamlet Understatement

The study of sound and rhythm in poetry. ◦ While you may claim to not like writing or reading poetry, you need to develop an appreciation for the elements of language that a poet must master in order to master his craft. Prosody