Literary Elements Review

a literary technique in which a brief reference is made to a specific person, place, thing, or event unconnected with the immediate framework of the subject being discussed.

• allusion

• archetype

• conflict

• dialogue

a specific kind of symbol or motif that recurs in literature and art in the form of an image, character type, or plot

• allusion

• archetype

• conflict

• dialogue

a struggle between opposing forces

• allusion

• archetype

• conflict

• dialogue

a conversation between characters in a literary work

• allusion

• archetype

• conflict

• dialogue

when readers are aware of events or circumstances in a story of which the characters have no knowledge

• dramatic irony

• flashback

• foreshadowing

• hyperbole

an interruption in the plot of a literary work in order to relate a scene from an earlier time

• dramatic irony

• flashback

• foreshadowing

• hyperbole

a device used by the writer in which clues are placed in a story to prepare the reader for events that will happen later

• dramatic irony

• flashback

• foreshadowing

• hyperbole

intentional, extravagant exaggeration, usually used for dramatic or comic effect

• dramatic irony

• flashback

• foreshadowing

• hyperbole

a direct comparison

• metaphor

• mood

• motif

• personification

the overall emotional quality that a poem or story creates for the reader

• metaphor

• mood

• motif

• personification