LITERARY TECHNIQUES

MICHELLE B. MAGCALAS
-specific
methods
writers employ in
their works to
convey messages.
1. ANAPHORA
- repetition of a
word or phrase at
the beginning of a
sentence to create
an artistic effect
EX. OF ANAPHORA
 1. TOM NEVER READS
BOOKS. TOM NEVER
WATCHES MOVIES. TOM
NEVER TALKS TO HIS
FRIENDS.
 2.SARAH WENT TO THE
PLAYGROUND THIS
MORNING. SHE PLAYED ON
THE SWING THIS
MORNING. SHE ALSO ATE
BANANA THIS MORNING.
2. ANTIHERO

-A CHARACTER WHO
DOES NOT POSSESS
THE TRAITS OF A HERO
SUCH AS BRAVERY,
PRIDE AND VALOR.
EX. OF ANTIHERO
 1. CAPTAIN JACK
SPARROW FROM
“PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN”
 2. GREGORY HOUSE
FROM “HOUSE”
3. JUXTAPOSITION
 -USED TO COMPARE TWO
DIFFERENT THINGS OR
TWO CONTRASTING IDEAS
TO BE ABLE TO EMPHASIZE
THEIR DIFFERENCES( GOOD
& EVIL; LIFE & DEATH;
TRUTH & LIES )
EX. OF JUXTAPOSITION
 1. TOMORROW IS THE
FUTURE’S ( YESTERDAY/
TODAY )
 2. SHE HAD THE ( LOUDEST/
SOFTEST) WHISPER I HAVE
EVER HEARD
 3. BETTER ( LATE/ EARLY )
THAN NEVER.
4. FORESHADOWING

LINES OR DIALOGUES IN A
-
STORY WHICH GIVE THE
READER AN IDEA OF WHAT IS
ABOUT TO HAPPEN WITHOUT
SPOILING THE PLOT’S THEME.
 -A HINT ON WHAT IS TO
COME LATER ON
EX. OF FORESHADOWING
 1. THE WIND IS
HOWLING LIKE THIS
SWIRLING STORM
INSIDE
 2.SHE GREW DARING AND
RECKLESS, OVER
ESTIMATING HER
STRENGTH. SHE WANTED
TO SWIM FAR OUT, WHERE
NO WOMAN HAD SWUM
BEFORE.
5. CATHARSIS

- THE CHARACTER’S
EMOTIONAL RELEASE OR
CLEANSING ; USUALLY
BROUGHT BY LEARNING OF
THE TRUTH OR WHEN
CONFRONTED WITH
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.
EX. OF CATHARSIS

. AFTER A LONG SCENE OF
1

INTENSE DRAMA, THE

LOVERS FINALLY EMBRACE
 2. RAIN AFTER A
CONFESSION.
 SUN AFTER A DARK PERIOD.
6. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 - - THE PLOT IS
DEVELOPED BASED ON
THE CHARACTERS’
RECOLLECTION OF
EVENTS AND THOUGHT
7. HAMARTIA

- REFERS TO THE
TRAGIC HERO’S
ERROR IN JUDGMENT
WHICH LEADS TO
HIS/HER DOWNFALL
EX. OF HAMARTIA
 1. A HERO IS BLINDED
BY HIS LOYALTY TO
HIS BEST FRIEND,
EVEN THOUGH HIS
FRIEND IS WORKING
TO BETRAY HIM
 2.
A HEROINE IS SO
CONSUMED WITH PRIDE IN
HER OWN BEAUTY THAT
SHE FALLS WILLINGLY
INTO THE TRAP SET BY
THE EVIL WITCH.
8. ASSONANCE
 -REPEATINGA VOWEL
SOUND THROUGHOUT
A SENTENCE,
PHRASE , PARAGRAPH
OR ENTIRE PIECE.
EX. OF ASSONANCE
 1. IT BEATS AS IT SWEEPS
AS IT CLEANS
 2. TRY TO LIGHT THE FIRE
 3. CLAP YOUR HANDS AND
STAMP YOUR FEET
9. CLIFF HANGER

-USED BY THE AUTHOR
TO AROUSE CURIOSITY
AMONG READERS BY
ENDING A CHAPTER A
STORY ABRUPTLY
EX. OF CLIFF HANGER
 1.
A BOOK ENDS WITH
THE PROTAGONIST
SAFE AND SOUND BUT
THE VILLAIN STILL ON
THE RUN
 2. A TELEVISION
SERIES GOES TO
COMMERCIAL WHEN
THE BAD GUYS HAVE
TIED THE HERO TO A
CHAIR.
10. FLASHBACK

-AN INTERJECTED SCENE
THAT TAKES THE
NARRATIVE BACK IN
TIME FROM THE
CURRENT POINT IN THE
STORY.
EX. OF FLASHBACK

1. A GIRL WHO IS AFRAID
OF HEIGHTS, THERE IS A
FLASHBACK TO A TIME
WHEN SHE FELL OF THE
TOP OF A PLAYGOUND.
11. IMAGERY

- USED FOR
LANGUAGE AND
DESCRIPTION THAT
APPEALS TO OUR
FIVE SENSES
EX. OF IMAGERY
 1.I COULD HEAR THE
POPPING AND CRACKLING
AS MOM DROPPED THE
BACON INTO THE FRYING
PAN, AND SOON THE
SALTY, GREASY SMELL
WAFTED TOWARD ME.
12. ALLITERATION

THE USED OF CLOSELY
-

SPACED WORDS THAT HAVE

THE SAME INITIAL SOUNDS
 EX.
 1. SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY
THE SEASHORE
13. BIOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT

- AUTHOR’S LIFE AND
THE FACTORS THAT
INFLUENCED HIS/ HER
CONDITION WHILE
DOING THE
MASTERPIECE
14. CONTEXT

- THE BACKGROUND OF
THE TEXT WHICH MAY
HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED
THE AUTHOR’S LIFE,
LANGUAGE, SOCIETY AND
CULTURE
A. EXERCISES
1. PAT PICKED
THE PURPLE
PLATE ON THE
PANTRY
 2.
A STORY BEGINS WITH
A SCENE OF DESTROYED
TOWN. THEN A SCENE
TAKING BACK TO A TIME
WHEN THE TOWN WAS
FULL OF LIFE AND PEOPLE
 3. GLITTERING
WHITE, THE BLANKET
OF SNOW COVERED
EVERYTHING IN SIGHT
 4. THE GOLDEN YELLOW
SUNLIGHT FILTERED DOWN
THROUGH THE PALE NEW
LEAVES ON THE TREES,
COMING TO REST ON JESSICA’S
BROWN TOES THAT WERE
SPLAYED IN THE RED MUD.
 5.A CHAPTER ENDS
WITH THE
PROTAGONIST FACING
A TOUGH DECISION
ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT TO FORGIVE A
6.MEN SELL
THE WEDDING
BELL.
 7. A MOVIE ABOUT A
BASEBALL TEAM ENDS WITH
THE TEAM WINNING THE
SERIES, BUT WITH A NEW
ROOKIE JOINING THEM IN
THE LOCKER ROOM FOR
SPRING TRAINING
 8. IN FROZEN, ELSA
NEARLY DESTROYS HER
SISTER AND HER KINGDOM
BECAUSE SHE REFUSES TO
ACCEPT HERSELF- LOVE
HERSELF AND ALLOW
OTHERS TO LOVE HER IN
 9. MOTHER AND
DAUGHTER HUGGED
EACH OTHER AFTER
KNOWING THAT THEY
ARE BIOLOGICALLY
RELATED.
 10. SNOW WHITE IS
TOO TRUSTING, AND
SHE WILLINGLY TAKES
A POISENED APPLE
FROM THE DISGUISED
QUEEN
B. ACTIVITY
1.
 “ONE MINUTE TO GO AND
HE’D BE ELEVEN. THIRTY
SECONDS…TWENTY…TEN…
NINE- MAY BE HE’D WAKE
DUDLEY UP, JUST TO
ANNOY HIM- THREE…TWO
…ONE… BOOM!”
2.

A HERO IS BLINDED BY
HER LOYALTY TO HER
BESTFRIEND, EVEN
THOUGH HER FRIEND IS
AN ACCESSORY ON HER
DOWNFALL.
3.
 DON QUIXOTE- TALL,
GAUNT, FICTION
OBSESSED NOBLEMAN;
A KNIGHT- NOBLE,
IDEALISTIC, FOOLISH
4.
 IT
WAS AT THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT, BLACK
AND DULL
EVERYWHERE, THEN
WE HEARD A
DEAFENING CRUSH
5.
 THE CHAPTER STARTED
WITH A SCENE HAPPENED
IN THE PREVIOUS
CHAPTERS, TO RELAY
THE CHARACTER’S
THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS
6.
 THE REVELATION OF
THE CHARACTERS’
REAL IDENTITIES,
LEADING THE ENDING
OF THE STORY INTO A
HAPPY ONE.
7.
A CLUMSY AND
IMMATURE CHARACTER
BUT WAS ABLE TO
SAVE HIS FAMILY INTO
A DISASTER
8.
 KITJOINS THE GROUP;
KIT SHOWS HIS TALENTS
WITH THE GROUP; KIT
SUCCESSFULLY SHOWS
WHO HE IS IN THE
GROUP.
9.
.A STORY BEGINS WITH A
SCENE OF DESTROYED
TOWN. THEN A SCENE
TAKING BACK TO A TIME
WHEN THE TOWN WAS
FULL OF LIFE AND PEOPLE
10.
A MOVIE ENDED WITH THE
WEDDING OF THE
COUPLE; BUT WITH THE
BOY’S EX GIRLFRIEND
SMILING, WITH PLAN IN
HER EYES.
A. EXERCISES
B. ACTIVITY
 1. CLIFF HANGER
 2. HAMARTIA
 3. JUXTAPOSITION
 4. IMAGERY
 5. FLASHBACK
 6. CATHARSIS
 7. ANTIHERO
 8. ANAPHORA
 9. FLASHBACK
 10. CLIFF HANGER