It changes the literal meaning of words • to express complexity,
• to capture a physical or sensory effect, or
• to extend meaning.
There are a number of figures of speech.
Some of the more common ones
Simile
Making a comparison between unlike things, using “like” or “as.”
Forrest Gump’s famous simile is
“Life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna
Metaphor
Making a comparison between unlike things without the use
“like” or “as.”
An example is, “Your eyes are the windows to your soul.” – Immanuel
Kant.
Hyberbole
An exaggeration.
For example:
I told you a million times to be quiet. You never speak to me.
The teacher gave us tons of work.
Personificatio
Giving humann qualities to an animal, thing or idea.
The wind screamed my name.
The window flew open.
The book jumped out of my locker. Narrator
Someone who tells the story.
There are 3 types:
Protagonist - main character
Observer - person who is indirectly involved in the story
Non-participant - not at all involved, can be omniscient (knows everything) Tone
The attitude an author takes toward the audience, subject or character.
The tone is conveyed through the author’s words and details.
Think of when someone says,
“Don’t use that tone with me!”
Your tone can change the meaning of what you say.
Theme
A theme is the main idea of a story, or the message the author is conveying. This message is usually about life, society or human nature.
Flashbacks
A scene in a narrative that returns to an earlier time.
Irony is a literary device for conveying meaning by saying the exact opposite of what is really meant.
(Sarcasm is one kind of irony.
It is praise which is really an insult.
Sarcasm generally involves malice, the desire to put someone down, for example “This is my brilliant son who failed
Life is filled with ironies.
Listen to the following TRUE accounts… 1. The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez