Name: __________________________
Figurative Language refers to words, and groups of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual meanings
of those words. Figurative language may involve analogy to similar concepts, and may involve
exaggerations.

Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole
Imagery - language that appeals to the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch
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Sight
o
o
Sound
o
o
Smell
o
o
Taste
o
o
Touch
o
o
The bright yellow sun hurt our eyes.
The soft glow of the candle flickered like a firefly dancing in the wind.
The loud roar of the crowd sounded like a beast.
The soft whisper of her dainty voice tickled his ears.
The room reeked of month old rancid milk.
The smell of spring filled our nostrils as the freshly cut flowers were placed on the
mantle.
The sweet bread was laden with thick honey.
The tarts and sweet pies tantalized the tongue with a myriad of tangy flavors.
The smoothness of the bird's feathers reminded him of rose petals.
He considered that the volcano's heat on his skin was the equivalent of being inside of
an oven.
Tone

the writer’s attitude as revealed by diction

the author’s purposeful word choice

The effect of the writer’s use of tone on the reader
Diction
Mood
Characterization
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
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.
Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their
mother.”
o Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two
children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”
Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different
methods of indirect characterization:
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
Speech - What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts - What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
Effect on others - What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do
other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions - What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks - What does the character look like? How does the character dress?
Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their
actions etc. are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing
comparisons and contrasts.
 EXAMPLE: William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet
We notice the juxtaposition of “light and “darkness” repeatedly. Consider an
example from Act I scene v :
“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;”
Here, the radiant face of Juliet is juxtaposed with a black African’s dark skin.
Romeo admires Juliet by saying that her face seems brighter than brightly lit
torches in the hall. He says that at night her face glows like a bright jewel that
shines against the dark skin of an African.
Symbolism


Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic
meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another object to
give it an entirely different meaning much deeper and more significant. Sometimes,
however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For

instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you
may stand as a symbol of the feel of affection which that this person has for you.
Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. “A chain”, for
example, may stand for “union” as well as “imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meanings of an
object or an action are understood by when, where and how they are used. It also depends
on who reads them.
Common Examples of Symbolism
o
o
o
o
o
o
In our daily life, we can easily identify objects, which are treated as symbols. Let us
have a look at some common examples:
Dove is a symbol of peace.
Red rose or red color stands for love or romance (but it can also be a symbol of
anger or hate).
Black color is a symbol that represents evil or death.
A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the earth.
A broken mirror may symbolize separation
Dialogue



The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.
It gives literature a more natural, conversational flow, which makes it more readable and
enjoyable. By showcasing human interaction, dialogue prevents literature from being
nothing more than a list of descriptions and actions.
Dialogue varies in structure and tone depending on the people participating in the
conversation and the mood that the author is trying to maintain in his or her writing.
Name: __________________________
__________________________ refers to words, and groups of words, that _____________________
the usual meanings of those words. Figurative language may involve analogy to similar concepts, and
may involve exaggerations.

__________________________, __________________________,
__________________________, __________________________.
__________________________ - language that appeals to the __________________________: sight,
sound, smell, taste, and touch





__________________________
o The bright yellow sun hurt our eyes.
o The soft glow of the candle flickered like a firefly dancing in the wind.
__________________________
o The loud roar of the crowd sounded like a beast.
o The soft whisper of her dainty voice tickled his ears.
__________________________
o The room reeked of month old rancid milk.
o The smell of spring filled our nostrils as the freshly cut flowers were placed on the
mantle.
__________________________
o The sweet bread was laden with thick honey.
o The tarts and sweet pies tantalized the tongue with a myriad of tangy flavors.
__________________________
o The smoothness of the bird's feathers reminded him of rose petals.
o He considered that the volcano's heat on his skin was the equivalent of being inside of
an oven.
__________________________

The writer’s __________________________as revealed by diction
__________________________

The author’s purposeful __________________________
__________________________

The ______________________ of the writer’s use of ____________________ on the reader
__________________________

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
__________________________ of a character.

Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.
__________________________ __________________________what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their
mother.”
o Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two
children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”
__________________________ __________________________the personality of a character. There are
five different methods of indirect characterization:





__________________________- What does the character say? How does the character speak?
__________________________- What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and
feelings?
__________________________- What is revealed through the character’s effect on other
people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
__________________________- What does the character do? How does the character behave?
__________________________- What does the character look like? How does the character
dress?
__________________________

A literary technique in which __________________________ideas, places, characters and their
actions etc. are placed __________________________in a narrative or a poem for the purpose
of __________________________.
 EXAMPLE: William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet
We notice the juxtaposition of “light and “darkness” repeatedly. Consider an
example from Act I scene v :
“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;”
Here, the radiant face of Juliet is juxtaposed with a black African’s dark skin.
Romeo admires Juliet by saying that her face seems brighter than brightly lit
torches in the hall. He says that at night her face glows like a bright jewel that
shines against the dark skin of an African.
__________________________



The __________________________ __________________________by giving them symbolic
meanings that are ____________________________________________________.
Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another object to
give it an entirely different meaning much deeper and more significant. Sometimes,
however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For
instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you
may stand as a symbol of the feel of affection which that this person has for you.
Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. “A chain”, for
example, may stand for “union” as well as “imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meanings of an
object or an action are understood by when, where and how they are used. It also depends
on who reads them.
Common Examples of Symbolism
o
o
o
o
o
o
In our daily life, we can easily identify objects, which are treated as symbols. Let us
have a look at some common examples:
Dove is a symbol of peace.
Red rose or red color stands for love or romance (but it can also be a symbol of
anger or hate).
Black color is a symbol that represents evil or death.
A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the earth.
A broken mirror may symbolize separation
__________________________



The __________________________between characters in a drama or narrative.
It gives literature a more natural, conversational flow, which makes it more readable and
enjoyable. By showcasing human interaction, dialogue prevents literature from being
nothing more than a list of descriptions and actions.
Dialogue ____________________________________________________ depending on the
people participating in the conversation and the mood that the author is trying to maintain
in his or her writing.