Literary Terms I

Back to: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH SS1

 

Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about literary terms. Enjoy the class!

Literary Terms I 

Meaning of literary terms

Literary terms are techniques that writers use to create a special and pointed effect in their writing, to convey information, or to help readers understand their writing on a deeper level.

Often, literary terms are used in writing for emphasis or clarity. Authors will also use literary terms to get readers to connect more strongly with either a story as a whole or specific characters or themes.

So why is it important to know different literary terms? Aside from helping you get good grades on your literary analysis, there are several benefits to knowing the techniques authors commonly use.

Being able to identify when different literary techniques are being used helps you understand the motivation behind the author’s choices. For example, being able to identify symbols in a story can help you figure out why the author might have chosen to insert these focal points and what these might suggest regarding his/her attitude toward certain characters, plot points, and events.

Besides, being able to identify literary terms can make a written work’s overall meaning or purpose clearer to you. For instance, let’s say you’re planning to read (or re-read) The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka. By knowing that this particular book is a satire with references made to the characterization of Lakunle and Baroka, who both represent modernity and traditional ways of life, as well as being portrayed as an idealist and a realist respectively, in their pursuit of the jewel, Sidi. It will be clearer to you why Soyinka uses certain language to describe certain characters and why certain events happen the way they do.

Finally, literary terms are important to know because they make texts more interesting and more fun to read. If you were to read a novel without knowing any literary devices, chances are you wouldn’t be able to detect many of the layers of meaning interwoven into the story via different techniques.

Now that we’ve gone over why you should spend some time understanding the importance of knowing literary terms let us take a look at some of the most important literary terms to know.

The following are some of the literary terms/devices/techniques in literature:

1. Diction (Language): This is a term that describes the use of words in oral discourse. It is a simple list of words that make up the vocabulary, the accurate, canny use of these words in discourse makes up good diction.
2. Allusion: Allusion is when an author makes an indirect reference to a figure, place, event, or idea originating from outside the text. Many allusions refer to previous works of literature or art.
3. Anaphora: This is when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences throughout a piece of writing. It’s used to emphasize the repeated phrase and evoke strong feelings in the audience.
4. Asyndeton: This is when the writer leaves out conjunctions (such as “and,” “or,” “but,” and “for”) in a group of words or phrases so that the meaning of the phrase or sentence is emphasized. It is often used for speeches since sentences containing asyndeton can have a powerful, memorable rhythm.
5. Epigraph: An epigraph is when an author inserts a famous quotation, poem, song, or other short passage or text at the beginning of a larger text (e.g., a book, chapter, etc.). An epigraph is typically written by a different writer (with credit given) and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work.
6. Flashback: A flashback is an interruption in a narrative that depicts events that have already occurred, either before the present time or before the time at which the narration takes place. This device is often used to give the reader more background information and details about specific characters.
7. Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is when an author indirectly hints at – through things such as dialogue, description, or characters’ actions – what’s to come later on in the story. This device is often used to introduce tension to a narrative.
8. Malapropism: Malapropism happens when an incorrect word is used in place of a word that has a similar sound. This misuse of the word typically results in a statement that is both nonsensical and humorous; as a result, this device is commonly used in comedic writing.
9. Soliloquy: A type of monologue that’s often used in dramas, a soliloquy is when a character speaks aloud to himself (and to the audience), thereby revealing his inner thoughts and feelings.
10. Symbolism: Symbolism refers to the use of an object, figure, event, situation, or other ideas in a written work to represent something else – typically a broader message or deeper meaning that differs from its literal meaning. The things used for symbolism are called “symbols,” and they’ll often appear multiple times throughout a text, sometimes changing in meaning as the plot progresses.
11. Tone: While the mood is what the audience is supposed to feel, the tone is the writer or narrator’s attitude towards a subject. A good writer will always want the audience to feel the mood they’re trying to evoke, but the audience may not always agree with the narrator’s tone, especially if the narrator is an unsympathetic character or has viewpoints that differ from those of the reader.

 

In our next class, we will be talking more about Literary Terms.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

Should you have any further question, feel free to ask in the comment section below and trust us to respond as soon as possible.

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