Literary Devices Solutioning with Examples

Reading – Literary Devices Solutioning

Activity:

Here are some lines from famous poems. Study the lines and match them against the literary devices given on the right. Some words are in bold to ease your identification of literary devices.

1. “From the burning bowels of the earth.” A. Antithesis
2. “Mars is the Greek god of war.” B .Hyperbole
3. “Every night from dusk to dawn“. C. Assonance
4. “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” D. Alliteration
5. My name is Ozymandias, King of kings“. E. Simile
6. “The snake lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do. F. Allusion

Here are the Answers!!!

1. “From the burning bowels of the earth.” Alliteration
2. “Mars is the Greek god of war.” Allusion
3. “Every night from dusk to dawn”. Antithesis
4. “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players“. Assonance
5. “My name is Ozymandias, King of kings“. Hyperbole
6. “The snake lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do. Simile

Further Explanation:

1. Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of 2 or more consecutive words. Use of B sound in burning bowels.
2. Allusion: A reference or suggestion to a historical or well-known person, place or thing. Mars is the Greek god of war. (Reference of well-known person, here God)
3. Antithesis: Use of opposite words in close placement. The meaning of dusk is sunrise and dawn is sunset. So, the two opposite words are in close placement.
4. Assonance: The repetition of a vowel sound within a sentence. Use of sound’ e’ (men, women, merely, players)
5. Hyperbole: The use of exaggeration to lay emphasis. Here they have used hyperbole because Ozymandias refers to himself as king of the kings.
6. Simile: It compares two things or persons by using like or as. Here the snake is compared with cattle by using ‘as.’

The Purpose of Literary Devices.

Authors use literary devices to underscore the meaning of their texts.

Whether it is poetry or prose, recognizing different literary devices can help you understand and appreciate what you’re reading — or watching.

How to Identify Literary Devices

1. A metaphor compares by substituting one thing for another:

Example: My hostel is a jail.

2. A simile makes a comparison, using the words “like” or “as”:

For example, Jude slithered during her dance show on the floor like a snake.

3. Personification: When the human characteristics are given to inanimate objects, it is called personification.

Example: The flower looked at the sun and reached for its light.

4. Setting identification

The setting denotes the time and place or the incidents of a story.

It’s specific, but often it’s implied or ambiguous.

5. Recognize Themes

The main idea of a story is called the theme.

There can be more than one theme in a story. The theme is also called the message the story conveys to its reader.

6. Explore allegory: The aspect of the story symbolizes something
7. Look for Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds which are in close proximity to one another is called alliteration.

She sells shells at the seashore.

8. Watch Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggeration of an idea or description:

For example, the Sahara Desert was so hot fire burned high along the sand.

9. Look for Allusions

Look for allusions. An allusion, not an illusion, is an indirect reference to something else, often in a historical sense. For example, often numerous allusions to Greek mythology are commonly found.

10. Pick up on Puns

Pick up on puns or words or phrases with double meanings.

Example: “I get a charge out of working with electricity.” Puns are usually used for humorous effects.

Given below are some stanzas from the poem “The Book” by Tennyson

Read it carefully.

The Brook

by Lord Tennyson

I come from haunts of coot and hern,

I make a sudden sally,

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills, I hurry down,

Or slip between the ridges,

By twenty thorps, a little town,

And half a hundred bridges.

Now, let’s discuss different literary devices in the above stanza:

The Brook’ by Lord Tennyson is packed with Literary Devices. A List of such devices employed by Tennyson is given below:

1. ‘I” – The brook is personified – PERSONIFICATION
2. ‘I` …………….`(Line – 1) & ‘I……………`(Line – 2) of the first stanza is an examples of Anaphora. Certain words or phrases are repeated at the beginning of successive lines of a poem is called Anaphora.
3. “Sudden sally” Twenty thorpes (ALLITERATION)
4. “Bicker” – (ONOMATOPOEIA)