Lit Device Review

A central topic, subject or message within a narrative (story). Themes can be divided into two categories: what readers think the work is about (interpretation) and what the work says about a subject (author’s message).

• Author's Purpose

• Mood

• Theme

• Tone

The emotional response that the writer wishes to evoke in the reader; also described through a single adjective

• Tone

• Theme

• Author's Purpose

• Mood

The why behind the author’s writing - the reason they decided to write about something

to persuade - to inform - to entertain

• Author's Purpose

• Personification

• Theme

• Metaphor

The writer’s attitude toward their audience or subject, often described by a single adjective (e.g. hostile, sarcastic, ironic)

• Theme

• Tone

• Mood

• Symbol

Anything that stands for or represents something else; an object that serves as a symbol has its own meaning, but it also represents abstract ideas

• Theme

• Personification

• Symbol

• Idiom

A figure of speech in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics

• Hyperbole

• Personification

• Symbol

• Imagery

Descriptive language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader through details of the 5 senses 

(sight - sound - touch - taste - smell)

• Symbol

• Tone

• Imagery

• Theme

A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else instead of making the comparison with “like” or “as”

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Personification

• Imagery

A figure of speech in which “like” or “as” is used to make a comparison between two unlike ideas

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

• Simile

• Theme

Phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message or point across

• Imagery

• Figurative Language

• Symbol

• Hyperbole