Literary Techniques
Literary techniques are tools, methods and a part of author's style to express and give more meaning to their writing. Just like character, plot, setting and theme are critical aspects of story telling or novel writing, these are methods used by writers to give depth, subtlety and express ideas by fabricating them in bunch of words that can convey many things in just few lines.
List of Literary Techniques
Mentioned below is the list of literary techniques that we often encounter in our readings especially while reading passages of SAT exams. Besides the descriptions, you can also go through some related to the same, in examples in the further paragraphs...
Alliteration
Often, you might come across certain consonants repeated in a novel or a piece of art. These literary techniques are known as alliteration and their purpose is to create some musical effects, imitate sounds and give more thrust to certain words.
Example: Touch each object you want to touch as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail. Helen Keller, "The Seeing See Little".
Aside
Aside is another character (behind the screen or a third person or a person expressing thoughts of the character). Aside is specifically meant for audience and actors involved are unable to hear aside.
Example: Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene II
Caesar: Bid them prepare within:
I am to blame to be thus waited for.
Now, Cinna: now, Metellus: what, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in store for you;
Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember you.
Trebonius: Caesar, I will:
Trebonius: They all make hasty plans to go to the capital. [Aside]: and so near will I be,
That your best friends shall wish I had been further.
Blank Verse
Written in iambic pentameter lines, that was mostly used by Shakespeare, this form of poetry is written in nonrhythmic style. Iambic pentameter uses patterns of light syllables and they're accompanied by accented or stressed syllables.
Example: Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene I
Romeo: But soft! What light through yon-der win-dow breaks?
It is the East and Ju-liet is the sun!
A-rise fair sun and kill the en-vious moon,
Who is al-rea-dy sick and pale with grief
That though her maid art far more fair than she.
Climax
The situation, that often concludes the drama, at the highest point of any drama scene which makes it more intense for the further scene is known as climax.
Comic Relief
Comic relief provides ease and comfort in case of tense and difficult situations in novels and dramas. Finding humor in time of problems is an interesting way to keep the story alive and keep the audience engaged.
Conflict
Conflict, as the word means is a struggle between two forces of opposite nature. Characters in many movies, dramas, stories and novels struggle with themselves or with some external situations. A struggle that takes place inside the mind of a character is called internal conflict while that takes outside is called external conflict. Man Vs Himself, is, for example a literary example of internal conflict. Man Vs Nature is an example of external conflict.
Cliche
It is an expression that has been so popular that it might have lost its meaning. For example, the expression, "turn over a new leaf".
Caricature
A caricature is description or portrayal of a character by exaggerating its characteristic features written with the intention of mocking it. For example, caricatures of political leaders is very often seen in newspapers or during strikes.
Epiphany
A profound spiritual realization, often called life changing event in the life of the character. Epiphany has been used in many plays when a character realizes truth that is different than what he or she expects.
Hyperbole
An exaggerated expression that intensifies a fact. Examples of hyperbole are found abundantly in various plays of Shakespeare.
Example: If thou dost slander her and torture me,
Never pray more; abandon all remorse;
On horror's head accumulate;
Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed;
For nothing canst thou to damnation add
Greater than that. Shakespeare (Othello)
Imagery
Words weaved in such a style that they bring sensory impressions to the reader. There are numerous imagery examples in literature especially in poetry. For example, consider the statement, "He could hear the footsteps of doom nearing as she walked away from him, leaving him all alone".
Irony
Irony is, by far, one of the most commonly used techniques. Literature abounds in irony examples and you can find numerous irony examples in literature right from writings of Shakespeare to present day writers.
Example: Poetry from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
"Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink."
Metaphor
Comparison of two things without using words 'like' or "as". One of the examples of metaphor is, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:" by William Shakespeare.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that describes the origin of a sound or imitates a sound. For example, in Batman movies words like KABOOM, BANG, POW, WHACK, WHAM, BOINK, POP, are used to add sound effects to action scenes.
Oxymoron
An integral part of figures of speech list, oxymoron are words that contradict each others meaning. For example, "he is a wise fool".
Paradox
A statement that although may appear contradictory expresses a deeper truth or another facet of the same expression. For example, A rich man is no richer than a beggar. Another example of paradox is What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." George Bernard Shaw
Personification
In personification, human qualities are given to objects and things. One of the simple personification examples is, opportunity knocked on the door.
Certainly, you may be reminded of some techniques that haven't been mentioned here. You can share them with us in the comments column and reach out to a large number of readers.
