LITERA

RY
DEVIC
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Identify the different literary devices.

2. Appreciate the usage of literary devices to improve writing.
3. Apply the different literary devices in writing tasks.
Most Essential Learning Competencies:
EN12Lit-Ie-27

Analyze the figures of speech and other literary techniques

and devices in the text.
LITERA
RY
DEVICE
LITERARY
DEVICES
• Literary devices take writing beyond its literal meaning.
They help guide the reader in how to read the piece.
• Central to all literary devices is a quality of connection:
by establishing or examining relationships between
things, literary devices encourage the reader to perceive
and interpret the world in new ways.
LITERARY
DEVICES
• One common form of connection in literary devices is
comparison.
• Metaphors and similes are the most obvious examples of
comparison. A metaphor is a direct comparison of two
things—“the tree is a giant,” for example. A simile is an
indirect comparison—“the tree is like a giant.” In both
instances, the tree is compared to—and thus connected
with—something (a giant) beyond what it literally is (a tree).
LITERARY
DEVICES
• Other literary devices forge connections in different ways.
For example, imagery, vivid description, connects writing
richly to the worlds of the senses. Alliteration uses the sound
of words itself to forge new literary connections (“alligators
and apples”).
1.
FIGURES
OF
is when words are used in a non-
literal way to express certain
SPEECH
ideas or add a flourish to speech
or writing.
Figures of speech
Figures of speech refers to the use of words or
expressions that deviate from their literal meaning to
create a particular effect or convey a vivid image or idea.

The purpose of using Example

figurative language in :His voice His voice was a
writing is to enhance the is loud . thunderous roar
reader's experience and
during the argument.
engage their
imagination.
Simile Metaphor Personification

figures of speech

Hyperbole Alliteration Idioms

Metonymy Synechdoche Assonance

figures of speech

Onomatopoeia Cliché Symbolism

1. Figures of speech
▪ Simile
Similes, also known as indirect comparisons, are similar in
construction to metaphors, but they imply a different meaning.
Like metaphors, two unrelated objects are being compared to
each other. Unlike a metaphor, the comparison relies on the
words “like” or “as.”
Example:
This tree is like the god of the forest.
OR: This tree acts as the god of the forest.
1. Figures of speech
▪ metaphor
Metaphors, also known as direct comparisons, are one of the
most common literary devices. A metaphor is a statement in
which two objects, often unrelated, are compared to each other.
Example:
This tree is the god of the forest.
Obviously, the tree is not a god—it is, in fact, a tree. However, by stating that the tree is the god, the
reader is given the image of something strong, large, and immovable. Additionally, using “god” to
describe the tree, rather than a word like “giant” or “gargantuan,” makes the tree feel like a spiritual
center of the forest.
1. Figures of speech
▪ hyperbole
Hyperbole refers to any sort of exaggerated description or
statement. We use hyperbole all the time in the English language,
and you’ve probably heard someone say things like:

Example:
I’ve been waiting a billion years for this.
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
I feel like a million bucks.
You are the king of the kitchen.
1. Figures of speech
▪ Onomatopoeia
when you call something by the sound that it
makes.

Example:
I could hear the birds chirping.
1. Figures of speech
▪ personification
Personification is exactly what it sounds like: giving
human attributes to nonhuman objects.

Also known as anthropomorphism, personification is a

powerful way to foster empathy in your readers. You can
even impute thoughts and emotions—mental events—to a
nonhuman or even nonliving thing.
1. Figures of speech
▪ personification
Example:
Personification (using sight): The car ran a marathon down the highway.
Personification (using sound): The car coughed, hacked, and spluttered.
Personification (using touch): The car was smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Personification (using taste): The car tasted the bitter asphalt.
Personification (using smell): The car needed a cold shower.
Personification (using mental events): The car remembered its first owner fondly.
1. Figures of speech
▪ irony
Is irony a literary device? Yes—but it’s often used incorrectly.
People often describe something as being ironic, when really it’s
just a moment of dark humor. So, the colloquial use of the word
irony is a bit off from its official definition as a literary device.

Irony is when the writer describes something by using opposite

language. As a real-life example, if someone is having a bad day,
they might say they’re doing “greaaaaaat”, clearly implying that
they’re actually doing quite un-greatly.
Other figures of speech
▪ analogy
An analogy is a comparison that presents the similarities
between two concepts or ideas.

“Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of

a writer.”

In the example, the sword and the pen were compared because
both of them are weapons or instruments used by a warrior and a
writer, respectively. Both occupations will not function without
their respective instruments.
Other figures of speech
▪ cliche
A cliché is a word, a phrase, a sentence, or a whole text that used to
be perceived as clever but has become démodé. One reason may be
through frequency of use and that it no longer provides surprise to the
reader nor vivid imagery. This is something that must be avoided in writing.

Example:
raining cats and dogs
lovely as a rose
quick as lightning
The abovementioned statements are so overused that they no longer
give an artistic effect.
Other figures of speech
▪ connotation
Connotation is the secondary or suggestive meaning of the word, one that is not
its literal or primary meaning in the dictionary. To better understand connotation, it
would be helpful to become familiar with denotation as well. Denotation is the literal
meaning of the word, one that is usually its primary meaning in the dictionary.

Example:
green home
green products
green living
The word green in the examples does not only refer to the color but has
also become synonymous to being environmentally sound.
Other figures of speech
▪ euphemism
Euphemism is used to substitute for a description that is considered
harsh or blunt. This figurative language is most often used for delicate
matters such as sex, death or violence, and embarrassing topics.

Example:
She is with our Creator now.

This means that the subject has died. Other euphemisms for death are
“gone to heaven,” “eternal peace,” “at rest,” and “left the earth.”
Other figures of speech
▪ oxymoron
An oxymoron is a combination of two ideas that appear to be
opposite or contradictory.
Example:
The gossip is old news.
A small crowd gathered to watch the concert.

In the first example, wheels are used to stand for the term car.
In the second example, heads stand for people.
Other figures of speech
▪ paradox
A paradox is an assertion that seems to be contradictory or silly but
actually reveals some truth.

Example:
"I must be cruel to be kind."
- Hamlet, William Shakespeare

Being cruel is the opposite of being kind; however, this is a paradox many
parents are familiar with. Some actions such as giving their children a curfew or
restricting some of their spending may be seen as cruel, but it is actually
beneficial or kind for the children in the long run.
Other figures of speech
▪ metonymy
Metonymy is a word or phrase that is substituted for another
that is closely associated to it.

Example:
The Malacañang Palace released a statement regarding the President’s
health.
In the example above, the term Malacañang Palace was used to
substitute for the representative from the Office of the President of the
Philippines since Malacañang Palace is the proper noun for the place
where the Philippine president resides and takes office.
Other figures of speech
▪ synecdoche
Synecdoche is used when a part or portion of something is used to
represent the whole or vice versa.

Example:
"I must be cruel to be kind."
- Hamlet, William Shakespeare

In the first example, wheels are used to stand for the term car. In
the second example, heads stand for people.
Metonymy synecdoche
“King Leonard lost There are too
the crown through many mouths to
a series of ill- feed.
conceived plans.”

''crown'' is terms associated ''mouths'' is a part of the

with the monarchy whole representing people
2. Literary
techniques
These techniques also have the
power to give knowledge to
those readers who seek to
understand deeper and more
abstract concepts such as
freedom, equality, and justice.
2. Literary technique
▪ allusion
It is a passing reference, without explicit identification, to a
literary or historical person, place, or event, or to another literary
work or passage.

Example:
“My sister has many pets I’m going to call her Old McDonald”
“She was teased for being the ugly duckling.”
2. Literary technique
▪ allusion
Example:

“I scored a line of nine in all my exams, except for math. Math is my waterloo.”

Waterloo is an allusion to the Battle of Waterloo

(a city in Belgium) where Napoleon faced his defeat in 1815.
2. Literary technique
▪ allusion
Allusion is just a fancy word for a literary reference; when a writer alludes
to something, they are either directly or indirectly referring to another,
commonly-known piece of art or literature.

The most frequently-alluded to work is probably the Bible. Many colloquial

phrases and ideas stem from it, since many themes and images from the Bible
present themselves in popular works, as well as throughout Western culture.
Any of the following ideas, for example, are Biblical allusions:

Example:
Referring to a kind stranger as a Good Samaritan.
Describing an ideal place as Edenic, or the Garden of Eden.
2. Literary technique
▪ allusion
▪ allusion 2. Literary technique
2. Literary technique
▪ allegory
It is a narrative in which the characters and their actions, and
sometimes the setting, are contrived by the author to represent
something happening in the current situation. It may be historical, political
or ideological in form.

Literal meaning + Hidden meaning = Allegory

Figurative language, like metaphor, personification, and simile, helps

convey an allegory’s deeper meaning. However, symbolism reigns in
allegory with characters, action, even setting becoming fair game.
2. Literary technique
▪ allegory
Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo is an
allegorical novel.
“Bapor Tabo,” was a symbol of the state of the Philippines wherein
Rizal compares the slow movement of our country to that of the
boat because there is no clear direction as to where it is going.
2. Literary technique
▪ allegory
Aslan the lion, who sacrifices
himself and then resurrects,
stands for Jesus Christ.
▪ allegory 2. Literary technique
2. Literary technique
▪ allegory
Pre-teen Riley struggles with conflicting
emotions after she moves with her family to San
Francisco.
Symbolism: Major characters like Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust are
personifications of Riley’s emotions.

Hidden meaning: When you work with all of your emotions instead of fighting
them, you can achieve mental wellbeing.
2. Literary technique
▪ dichotomy
It divides a concept, idea, story, or plot into two
equal and contradictory parts; or between two opposing
groups.

This is often used for creating conflicts in stories

and plays.
2. Literary technique
▪ dichotomy
In Modesto de Castro’s Urbana at Felisa, the dichotomy between
the life of a woman in the city (Urbana) and the life of a woman in
the province (Felisa) was portrayed.

Another example if the book, Flipped. We see the perspective of

the girl first then the boy.
▪ dichotomy 2. Literary technique
2. Literary technique
▪ juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a technique wherein two or more ideas,
places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side
to develop comparisons and contrasts.

In popular culture, the use of “Reality vs. Expectation

Memes” is an example of juxtaposition wherein what a
person expects and what really happens are compared and
contrasted.
▪ juxtaposition 2. Literary technique
▪ juxtaposition 2. Literary technique
▪ juxtaposition 2. Literary technique
2. Literary technique
▪ RECAPITULATION
What are the 4 Literary
Techniques?
2. Literary technique
▪ RECAPITULATION
Allusion - passing reference, without explicit identification
Allegory - Literal meaning + Hidden meaning

Dichotomy - divides a concept, idea, story, or plot into two equal and
contradictory parts to create conflict
Juxtaposition - placed side by side to develop comparisons and contrasts
3. imagery

Imagery can be both literal and

figurative, and it relies on the
interplay of language and
sensation to create a sharper
image in your brain.
3. imagery
Is imagery a literary device? Absolutely! Imagery can be both literal
and figurative, and it relies on the interplay of language and sensation to
create a sharper image in your brain.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to

describe something. In fact, we’ve already seen imagery in action through
the previous literary devices: by describing the tree as a “god”, the tree
looks large and sturdy in the reader’s mind.

However, imagery doesn’t just involve visual descriptions; the best

writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses. By appealing to the
reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, your writing will
create a vibrant world for readers to live and breathe in.
3. imagery
Visual imagery: The tree spread its gigantic, sun-flecked shoulders.

Auditory imagery: The forest was hushed, resounding with echoes of the
tree’s stoic silence.

Tactile imagery: The tree felt smooth as sandstone.

Gustatory imagery: The tree’s leaves tasted bitter, like unroasted coffee
beans.
3. imagery
Olfactory imagery: As we approached the tree, the air around it smelled
crisp and precise.

Organic imagery: The tree felt its xylem collapse at the news. (This is also
an example of personification, since trees can’t “feel” the way people
feel.)
Kinesthetic imagery: The tree cooled down as its own leaves rushed
against its bark.
references
1. Quipper Study Guide.
2. Glatch, S. (2023). 112 Common Literary Devices:
Definitions, Examples, and Exercises. [Link].
[Link]
Thank
you!