Literary Elements & Literary Devices

Through literature, we can get a glimpse of the author’s personality, thoughts, and point of views. I strongly believe literary elements and literary devices are the salt in literature. They provide the flavor and uniqueness to a story, novel, or play. These components are what make a story entertaining and engages the reader. That is my job: to engage all readers! By being familiar with literary elements, I am able to better provide students with books they will enjoy and positively impact their opinion of libraries and nurture their love of reading.

Literary Elements

Antagonist- This may be the character that works against the story’s main character. In some novels, the main character may be both the protagonist and antagonist because of internal conflicts.

Character- A character is a participant in the story. There are different types of characters (confidante, dynamic character, static character, antagonist, round character, flat character, and stock character). Characters do not have to be humans; animals can also be characters.

Conflict- Conflict is the struggle that occurs in one’s mind or it can also be the rivalry between two characters. There are two types of conflict: internal and external. Internal conflict occurs when there is a battlefield in the mind of a character or a fight between good and evil.  External conflict may be caused by an antagonist who is trying to work against the main character’s plans or actions.

Mood And Tone- Mood is a literary element that causes the reader to experience different feelings caused by the author’s choice of words. Just like in films, the setting may influence the mood or tone of a piece of literature.

Plot- The plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. A plot is composed of different parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The exposition is basically the beginning of the story in which characters, conflict, and settings are introduced. In the rising action, the reader may see tension or excitement. The climax is the culmination of the story that will make the reader bite his nails and wonder what will happen next. The falling action is when things start falling into place and the resolution is the end of the story in which the problem is completely resolved.  

Protagonist- The story revolves on the protagonist; he is the main character and the hero of the story.

Setting- The setting is the location in which the story takes place. Usually, authors introduce the setting right at the beginning of a story.

Themes- Theme is the message the author wants to convey through his work.  The theme is not a single word but a complete sentence. There are two types of themes: major and minor. The reader must identify the story’s major theme by paying attention to what ideas are being repeated throughout the story. Minor themes are ideas that appear briefly in a story.

Literary Devices

Allegory- Allegory is a philosophical, artistic, and literary concept that has symbolic meaning. Writers are able to show the reader his particular moral and political views. By doing this, the reader can have a better understanding of the author’s way of thinking.

Allusion- An allusion is a clever way to make reference to a person, place, thing, or idea without giving too many details. The reader must have specific knowledge of the particular subject to fully understand why the author chose to include it in his work.

Archetype- Is an ideal or original model that is perfect for copying because of its perfect nature. In literature, archetypes may be characters, themes, symbols, or settings.

Deus ex machine- Deus ex machine is an unexpected event or power that comes into the plot to resolve a situation that seemed unsolvable.

Hyperbole- Authors use hyperboles or exaggerations to emphasize an idea. This is a great way to add humor!

Imagery- Writers use imagery to help the reader see, feel, taste, smell, hear, and experience what is happening in the story. These words help the reader visualize the story and makes him feel like he is part of the plot.

Metaphor- Our rich language allows us to compare things that may normally not be connected but share common characteristics. A metaphor is a comparison between two things that helps us understand  something we do not have much knowledge of.

Motif- A motif is a dominant idea that is repeated throughout the entire story.

Point of view- Point of view is the way the story is told or narrated. When a character is narrating the story by using the pronouns “I” or “we,” it is an example of a first person point of view. The story can be narrated in third-person point of view by a character who is outside of the story. When the narrator has access to the minds and thoughts of the characters, the story is told from a third- person omniscient point of view.  

Simile- Simile is a direct comparison between two things by using “like” or “as.”

Symbolism- Symbolism is using symbols in literature that adopt a completely new meaning. These symbols have a literal meaning, but they are used to represent something else (an idea, a message, etc) that is more profound or significant.