Imagery

When imagery is used, the author describes a

vivid picture to provide the reader with a
Literary mental image.

Devices The gushing brook swooshed down the soft

green mountain slope that was dotted with
small pink and white flowers.

8th Grade Literature and Writing

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

Personification Irony
Personification is when an object or animal takes Irony is when strange coincidences occur, often
on characteristics of a human. using opposites.

The sun smiled brightly. I won the lottery, but my ticket fell out of my
pocket and got flushed down the toilet.
The cat sang a sour note as it meowed
sorrowfully for the long lost kitty. The thief was really upset that his most precious
and expensive piece of art was stolen.
The laughing cow didn’t make many friends
because he ate all the hay.

 Tone Example of Tone
Tone is the attitude the author takes toward the
central theme or subject. Authors use specific
words, imagery, and figurative language to help
portray the tone.

Works of literature are not limited to having only one

tone. Tone may shift throughout a work as the
narrator’s perspective changes, or as the plot
thickens, or takes a certain turn.

The tone can be humorous, solemn, ironic,

condescending, sentimental, etc.

Conflict
Another Example of Tone

A conflict is the problem a character has to
overcome or defeat.

In the story, Zane and the Hurricane, Zane has to

figure out a way to reunite with his mother
and great grandmother.

Clare Innes in The Great Fire had to figure out

how to get to safety and find her family.
 Setting Alliteration
The setting is where and when a story takes An alliteration is when words have the same
place. beginning sound.

In a galaxy far, far, away. . . The Wicked Witch of the West went wild!

He hated doing chores on the farm and couldn t Green grass grows rapidly in the green garden.
wait to escape to the big city.
Silly Sally says serious sentences several times a
day.

Theme Plot
The theme of the story is the author’s message The plot of the story refers to the events of a
or life lesson in the story. story, and can usually be stated in a summary,
or on a plot map. Points included when
One theme of Romeo and Juliet is that true love is discussing plot include the basic situation
worth sacrifice. (main character and conflict), the main events,
climax, and resolution.
One of themes of The Crossover is that becoming
and adult, or coming of age can be difficult and In the story, “The Three Little Pigs” there are three
a challenge. pigs who are leaving home to start their own lives.
They want to build their own homes, but have trouble
with a hungry wolf. The wolf eats the first two
brothers, but the third pig outsmarts the wolf.
 Simile
Character Development

Characters are the people in the story. Character A simile is a comparison between objects that
development shows character traits, and how the use the words like or as.
characters change in a story. Authors may show this
through the character’s own actions and words, how He danced as gracefully as a bull in a glass china
the character responds to problems, what others shop!
think about the character, or how others respond to
Helen’s smile is like a beam of sunshine!
the character.
Kevin found a wallet on the ground. He opened it
and saw an old woman’s ID card. He took out the ID

out of the wallet, walked to the woman’s house, and
returned the wallet to her.

Metaphor Allusion
A metaphor is a comparison that does not use An allusion is a reference to a place, event of
like or as. literary work such as a story or poem.

The policeman reminded me of a cheerleader The tall prairie grasses reminded him of the
while directing traffic with his hands. series, Little House on the Prairie and western
frontier movies.
The shiny diamond of a moon lit the frosty path.
Paul thinks he is a modern day Robin Hood who
takes lunch money from mean kids to feed
poor ones.

 Flashback Hyperbole
A flashback is a reference to an event that has Hyperbole is a literary device that is an over
happened in the past that the narrator refers exaggeration.
to while telling the story.
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!
Back in the day when I was a young girl. . .
She is so busy, she meets herself coming and
I remember as though it were yesterday when going.
we sailed on the Titanic.
Larry is so tired, he could fall asleep standing up.
The whistling reminded me of the day we took
the long car ride to California when I was
seven years old.

Symbolism Foreshadowing
Symbolism is a literary device that has different When an author uses the literary device of
layers of meaning. foreshadowing, the author gives the reader a
hint about something that will happen in the
There is a new dawn upon us. future.
All the world s a stage and all the men and Because he had no idea of the damage the
women merely players. floodwaters had caused to his home, he
approached a disaster unknowingly.
A black cloud of death swept over the house.

He gave me the red rose to let me know he loved The minute I turned on the light, I knew things
would not be good.
me.

 Mood Example of Mood
The mood of a story refers to the emotional and
mental state that the author wants the reader
to adopt.

The movie Hunger Games is filled with adventure

and excitement in every scene!

I cry every time I read the book, The Fault in Our

Stars.

Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is when a word’s pronunciation
imitates its sound.

The race care zoomed past the finish line.

Beth’s little dog would not stop yapping.

Ronald zipped up the sleeping bag.

Time just keeps on ticking.

Shaun loved the swish of the basketball.