Literary Devices

the emotional quality or atmosphere of a story/poem

author/poet's attitude toward his/her subject

where and when a story takes place; includes: time, place, & environment

the point in the story when the conflict is either solved or coped with

the main character, who undergoes the conflict

the reason why a character acts the way he/she does; why a character does something

a struggle that takes place within a character's mind/heart

the way an author lets the reader know what a character is like

the opposite of what you expect to happen actually happens

introduces all of the main characters, the setting, and the conflict

the cause of the problem -- not always a character; can be an idea, object, or feelings

a figure of speech where an object/situation has meaning other than its literal meaning

The events following the climax, leading to the resolution

a conversation between two or more characters in a story; words spoken by a character

descriptive adjectives used to describe a character's personality and physical attributes

the author goes back to an earlier time to help the reader understand something better

a struggle between a character and the expectations of society

when a writer gives a hint of what is to come later in the story

a struggle that takes place between two (or more) characters

the story is told by a character who uses pronouns such as: I, me, my, our, or we

the underlying message or meaning of a story

the turning point in the story

a comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as"

a comparison of two unlike things without using "like" or "as"

language that appeals to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch