Literary Devices

Example:



When the going gets tough the tough get going. (famous saying)

All for one and one for all. (Moto associated with The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas)

Irony

Irony is a figure of speech in which there is a contradiction of expectation between what is said and what is really meant.

It is characterized by an incongruity, a contrast, between reality and appearance.

There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational.

Verbal Irony

When someone says one thing but means the opposite.

Examples:

Saying “Oh, fantastic!” in a bad situation that is definitely not fantastic. If someone gets in a car accident and says, “Guess today’s my lucky day…”

Situational Irony

When something opposite of what is expected happens. Examples: A fire truck is on fire A teacher fails their own test

Dramatic irony

When the audience is aware of something that the characters are not. Examples: In Shakespear’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo thinks that Juliet has died and kills himself, while only the audience is aware that she is actually alive. In Superman, most of the characters in the comic/show/movies don’t know who Superman’s true identity  really is (Clark Kent), but the audience knows.

In conclusion, there are many different literary devices that can be found in writing.

The effect of these literary devices is to create texts that are more vivid and interesting to read.

Learning to recognize literary devices can help you become a better reader, and utilizing them in your own writing can help you create more interesting stories.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!