Literature notes-S2-Chap III

        COURSE CONTENTS

UNIT I: KEY ASPECTS OF PROSE
UNIT II: SUBJECT, THEMES AND MESSAGES
UNIT III: LITERARY DEVICES AND AUDIENCE
UNIT IV: BALLADS
UNIT V: POETIC DEVICES
UNIT VI: SUBJECT, THEME AND CONTEXT
UNIT VII: DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES
UNIT VIII: SUBJECT MATTER, THEME AND MESSAGE
…………………………………………………………………………

UNIT III:  LITERARY DEVICES AND AUDIENCE

        III.0. DEFINITION

Literary devices or literary techniques (narrative techniques) are the methods a writer uses to convey/deliver his/her message properly. They are the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey their messages in a simple manner to their readers. They help the reader to visualize what an author is saying.

III.1. IMAGERY

Imagery refers to the use of words and phrases that create “mental pictures” for the readers. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. It makes use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds.

Imagery which entails the use of words that create mental pictures in the reader’s mind, enables us to see, taste, hear, smell and touch what the author says. It is done by using simile, metaphor, personification, …

• Simile

A simile is a literary device which compares two unlike things by using the words “like”, “as…as” or “than”

       Ex: He is as strong as a lion
She is beautiful like an angel.
It shines like a diamond.
They work as hard as their parents.
That exam was more complicated than the previous one.

• Metaphor

Metaphor is a literary device which compares two unlike things without using words “like”, “as….as” or “than”. It is when you say that one thing is another.

Ex: My father is a lion
She is an angel.
That man is a dog.
Her smile was a ray of sunshine.
She is a peacock.
The classroom was a zoo.
My teacher is a dragon
He is a night owl
Jamal was a pig at dinner
The snow is a white blanket
You are my sunshine
The sun is a golden ball
Books are the keys to your imagination
He couldn’t stand because his legs were rubber.

• Personification

It is a figure of speech which gives human traits or qualities to animals or things. By here a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. It is when the non-humans are given human characteristics.

Ex₁: Lightning danced across the sky.
The wind howled in the night.
The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition.
My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning.
The door protested as it opened slowly.
The moon played hide and seek with the clouds.
The approaching car’s headlights winked at me.
The camera loves her since she is so pretty.
The stairs groaned as we walked on them.
My flowers were begging for water.
The thunder was grumbling in the distance.
The wildfire ran through the forest at an amazing speed.
The moon smiled at the stars in the sky.
The leaves waved in the wind.

Ex₂: Pregnant clouds
Ride stately on its back,

Ex₃: The wind whistles by
And trees bend to let it pass.

Ex₄: The cow jumped over the moon;
        The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
        And the dish ran away with the spoon.

     III. 3. AUDIENCE

We modify what we say and how we say it depending on who our audience is. Our content, tone and language changes according to what we know about our audience. In writing, audience is whom you are writing for.

• Audience is the number of people or particular group of people who watch, read or listen to the same thing.
• It is also the group of people who have gathered to watch or listen to something (a play, a concert, somebody speaking…)
•   For books, audience refers to people who read that book.

In few words, audience refers to the spectators, listeners and intended readers of a writing, performance or speech.

• Target audience

Target audience refers to the person or group of people a piece of writing is intended to reach.

• Intended audience

It refers to the group of people for whom a service or product (novel, novella, poem, play) is designed.