Analogy is a comparison between things, typically for the purpose of explaining or clarifying. It is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is really different from it in order to show ...

Consonance refers to the repetition of consonant sounds within words of close proximity. It is the repeating of consonant sounds within neighbouring words, phrases, or sentences.             Example1   – Gatera Fabregas was tagged in Agnes’s ...

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds within nearby words,  lines, phrases, or sentences. It is the repetition of vowel sounds in adjacent words. Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same ...

Alliteration refers to the repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or neighbouring words. It is the repeating of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words. This means that alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning ...

Foreshadowing is a technique in which a writer gives an advance hint or clue of what is to come later in the story. It often appears at the beginning of the story or chapter and helps the reader develop expectations ...

Flashforward (or prolepsis), is a literary device which reveals the events that will occur in the future. This means that it is an insertion of a later event into the chronological structure of a story. It is also a sudden ...

The flashback (analepsis) occurs when the writer breaks away from the current action of a story to recount events that happened earlier. It is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point. It is ...

An allusion is a figure of speech that is a reference to a well-known person, place, thing, idea or event. Each of these concepts can be of historical, cultural, literary, religious or political significance. The referred thing can be real ...

Allegory is a representation of abstract ideas and principles by using characters, figures and events. It describes situations, events or express abstract ideas in terms of material, objects, persons, and actions. An allegory is a narrative form in which the ...

The term paradox is from Middle French paradoxe. It also comes from the Greek word paradoxon which means “contrary to expectations, existing belief, or perceived opinion”, and directly from Latin paradoxum “paradox, statement seemingly absurd yet really true”. Paradox is therefore, a phrase/statement that appears ...

Oxymoron is derived from the Greek oksús which means “sharp, keen, pointed” and mōros which means “dull, stupid, foolish“. Once those meanings are put together, they can be “sharp-dull”, “keenly stupid”, or “pointedly foolish”. Oxymoron is then a figure of speech in which two words or phrases with opposing ...

Repetition is the repeating of a word, a phrase, sentence or idea within a story. It is used to add more emphasis to an idea and make it clearer and more memorable. Due to this definition, repetition is a common ...

The word onomatopoeia comes from two Greek words: onoma, meaning “name,” and poiein, meaning “to make”, so onomatopoeia means “to make a name/or a sound”.    Onomatopoeia as a literary device includes words that imitate, resemble or suggest the sound of the things they ...

It is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing or the whole thing is used to refer to the part of that thing. This means that the part of ...

It is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something which is closely associated with that thing or concept. It is a figure of language where instead of using the ...

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

Metaphor is a figure of speech which compares two unlike thinks without using ‘as’, ‘like’ or ‘than’. It says that one thing is another. It is a comparison that show how two things, that are not alike, in most ways, ...

It is a comparison between two unlike things by using the words ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘than’. It is a figure of speech which uses the words ‘like’, ‘as’, ‘than,’ or ‘as if’ to show the resemblance between two things which ...

It is a deliberate exaggeration which is not intended to deceive but rather to create a special effect. It involves the exaggeration of ideas in order to express strong emotions or create a comic effect. Hyperbole is used to create a strong ...

A symbol is a sign, a colour, a figure or object that is used to signify something else. Symbolism therefore is the use of symbols in stories to represent ideas, qualities or concepts. A literary symbol (thing/event/character/quality/relationship…) is something that ...

Satire is the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.         It can also be explained as:   -a ...

The word “irony” comes from a Greek comic character Eiron, a clever underdog who by his wit repeatedly triumphs over the boastful character Alazon. Eiron was weaker and used his wit to overcome a stronger character. This word, therefore, means ...

Key aspects of prose are the basic elements on which the story is built upon. Those key aspects of prose include plot, setting, characters, point of view, subject, themes, messages, audience, atmosphere and purpose.      A. PLOT Plot is ...

A record (originally in handwriting) with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what happened over the course of the day or other period. It is also a daily record of personal activities, reflections, or feelings. A diary can also ...

It is a story of the author’s own life written by him or a self-written account of the life of oneself. Autobiography is one type of biography, which tells a life story of its author, meaning it is a written ...

It is an account (story) of a person’s life written by someone else. A biography/bio is simply an account or detailed description about a person’s life. It involves more than just the basic facts like as childhood, education, career, relationships, ...

> It is a short story that features animals and conveys a specific moral lesson. > It is a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral. > It is a short tale to teach a moral lesson, ...

> It is a story about magic and legendary deeds. > It is a children’s story involving magical events, imaginary creatures, and lands. > It is a story usually for children, about dwarfs, dragons, elves, fairies, witches, giants, or other ...

It is a brief fictional work of narrative prose that is shorter than a novella, or a fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novella. It is also an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with ...

A novella is a short novel. It is a written, fictional, prose narrative normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. It is also a short novel or a long short story.        Examples √ ...

It is a long work of narrative fiction normally in prose, and typically published as a book. The novel is also a type of prose; which is a long narrative that describes fictional characters and events in form of a ...

     a. A novel It is along work of narrative fiction normally in prose, and typically published as a book. The novel is also a type of prose; which is a long narrative that describes fictional characters and events ...

The word “genre” refers to a kind or a category of literature. Written literature is divided into three broad genres or categories based on how or the way words are written and sometimes on the kind of meaning an author ...

Literature exists in two forms: Oral literature and written literature.           Oral literature Oral literature refers to literature which is disseminated/transmitted or spread by word of mouth. It refers to any form of verbal art which ...

Literature, as a term, etymologically comes from Latin “litaritura/litteratura” which means “writing formed with letters”. “Litteratura” also comes from “litera/littera” which signifies “letter or handwriting”.  The term was used to refer to all written accounts. The concept has changed meaning over ...