Definition of Rising Action Rising action in a plot is a series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative. In literary works, a rising action includes all decisions, characters’ flaws, and background circumstances that together…
Author: admin
Hook
Definition of Hook Have you ever read a book that could not grab your attention after reading a couple of sentences? On the contrary, you would have definitely read a book that has immediately captured your attention, after which you…
Atmosphere
Definition of Atmosphere A literary technique, atmosphere is a type of feeling that readers get from a narrative, based on details such as setting, background, objects, and foreshadowing. A mood can serve as a vehicle for establishing atmosphere. In literary…
Proverb
Definition of Proverb A proverb is a brief, simple, and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense. A proverb may have an allegorical message behind its…
Dichotomy
Definition of Dichotomy Dichotomy is from the Greek word dichotomia, which means “dividing in two.” Dichotomy is a literary technique that divides a thing into two equal and contradictory parts, or between two opposing groups. In literary works, writers use…
10 Great Metaphors from Popular Music
Metaphors are devices usually used in poetry, novels, movies, and books to make a comparison between two things. In music, the comparison often connects with themes, popular gossip of the time, or other songs. If the artist or writer is…
5 Metaphors in Harry Potter
What is a metaphor? Metaphors make a comparison between two things, objects, people, or even feelings. This comparison is often hidden, but can sometimes be quite obvious, depending on the intent of the author. If you compare or portray a…
8 Song Lyrics that Use Alliteration
Alliteration is a commonly used style of figurative language that most people don’t even realize they are using. The word “alliteration” comes from the Latin word latira, which means “letters of the alphabet.” This may be because alliteration deals directly…
10 Memorable Uses of Apostrophe by Shakespeare
What is an Apostrophe? Apostrophe is one of the more elusive literary devices and presents students with difficulty in identifying its usage. Not to be confused with the punctuation mark of the same name, apostrophe is a rhetorical device used…
Farce
Definition of Farce A farce is a literary genre and type of comedy that makes use of highly exaggerated and funny situations aimed at entertaining the audience. Farce is also a subcategory of dramatic comedy, which is different from other…
Paraphrase
Definition of Paraphrase Often when we hear news stories and watch television shows, we want to tell our families, friends, and colleagues about what, how, and why something happened. In fact, we recount the story, its main characters, and events…
Refrain
Definition of Refrain Refrain is a verse, a line, a set, or a group of lines that appears at the end of stanza, or appears where a poem divides into different sections. It originated in France, where it is popular…
Myth
Definition of Myth Myth is a legendary or a traditional story that usually concerns an event or a hero, with or without using factual or real explanations. These particularly concern demigods or deities, and describes some rites, practices, and natural…
Aside
Definition of Aside Normally playwrights use characters’ dialogues to tell their stories, but often it becomes difficult for them to express what their characters are thinking. Hence, they use a typical dramatic device, called “aside,” to solve this problem. An…
Expletive
Definition of Expletive Expletive is a grammatical construction that starts with words like it, here, and there. This rhetorical device usually interrupts normal speech and lays emphasis on certain words. It originates from the Latin word explore, which means “to…
Propaganda
Definition of Propaganda Propaganda is the spreading of rumors, false or correct information, or an idea, in order to influence the opinion of society. It may advance an idea or bring into disrepute an opposite idea. In literature, writers use…
Poem
Definition of Poem A poem is a collection of spoken or written words that expresses ideas or emotions in a powerfully vivid and imaginative style. A poem is comprised of a particular rhythmic and metrical pattern. In fact, it is…
Intertextuality
Definition of Intertextuality Intertextuality is a sophisticated literary device making use of a textual reference within some body of text, which reflects again the text used as a reference. Instead of employing referential phrases from different literary works, intertextuality draws…
Parable
Definition of Parable Parable is a figure of speech, which presents a short story, typically with a moral lesson at the end. You often have heard stories from your elders, such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and All is…
Ode
Definition of Ode An ode is a form of poetry such as sonnet or elegy. Ode is a literary technique that is lyrical in nature, but not very lengthy. You have often read odes in which poets praise people, natural…