![]() This goes beyond the talking animals in fairy tales and cartoons. AnthropomorphismĪnthropomorphism is a literary device that assigns human characteristics to non-human things, like animals and inanimate objects. One example is Uncle Sam, a common personification of the United States government. Personification is another form of allegory, in which human (or human-like) characters represent a broader concept. For example, on its surface, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is simply a tale of dissatisfied livestock-but it’s really a scathing criticism of the abuses and hypocrisy Orwell perceived during and after the Russian Revolution. Authors use fictional narratives to represent a seemingly unrelated real-world situation while concealing a hidden meaning. Some of the oldest writing in human history uses this literary device. “She saw-horror of horrors-that someone, or some thing, had absconded with her beloved cake” is playful and infuses the same scene with far more character. Tone can be consistent throughout a work, or it can shift following the action or a change in the narrator’s psyche.Įxample: “The lack of cake in the refrigerator displeased the lawyer” is direct and clear in its narrative (if a bit dry and aloof). Or it can be whimsical, punchy, and rich with its own personality. ![]() Writing can be verbose, academic, and dispassionate, presenting just the facts as they are. Regardless of the point of view, the words used are essential for creating a mood for the reader and an understanding of the emotions at play. The words an author chooses can convey their attitude toward a subject. The second sentence shows that the observer can see what the lawyer sees, thinks, and feels. She saw that there was no birthday cake left, and this filled her with despair.” Here we have an initial observation from a third party. Often, the third-person narrator is only privy to the knowledge and emotions of the protagonist, while this protagonist filters other characters through their lens.Įxample: “The lawyer opened the refrigerator. In our example below, we have an omniscient (all-knowing) narrator-but third-person narrators can also be limited in what they know or untrustworthy-providing their own interpretation of events. This presents a lot of flexibility for the information the reader will access. The most common point of view for fiction and non-fiction, the third person is delivered in the voice of an observer-typically understood to be the author. This point of view is less common in classic literature and more often found in immersive poetry or interactive media like video games.Įxample: “You open the refrigerator. You are the person experiencing and describing the action. The reader will know what the narrator (usually the protagonist) knows, and only that.Įxample: “I opened the refrigerator and was disappointed to find the leftover birthday cake had disappeared.” Second person The story is told from the point of view of someone experiencing and narrating it. This has many permutations, but in general, it falls into three categories: First person Point of view is the perspective from which you tell your story. ![]() Writers frequently use these literary devices in conjunction with others to great effect. (That was a triple alliteration there.) And heads up: You’ll find there’s plenty of overlap. ![]() Some you’ll recognize (if not by name) because good writing inevitably uses a few of these tried-and-true tricks. We’ll start big with literary devices that shape and permeate an entire composition and work our way down to little bits of wordplay you can sprinkle in just about anywhere.
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