lit devices: types of writing 1

allegory: a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea or generalization about life; allegories often have a strong moral or lesson example: Allegory of the Cave by Plato

autobiography: an author's account or story of her or his own life example: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

biography: the story of a person's life written by another person example: Albert Einstein: a Biography

comedy: literature that deals with life in a humorous or satiric manner; in comedy, human errors or problems appear funny; comedies end on a happy note example: The Taming of the Shrew *

drama: the form of literature known as plays; but drama also refers to the type of serious play that is often concerned with the leading character's relationship to society example: 12 Angry Men

epic: a long narrative poem that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero example: The Epic of Gilgamesh

epitaph: a short poem or verse written in memory of someone example: famous epitaphs

essay: a piece of prose that expresses an individual's point of view; usually, it is a series of closely related paragraphs that combine to make a complete piece of writing example: "Self-Reliance"

fantasy: a piece of prose that takes place in a nonexistent and unreal world, such as fairyland, or concerns incredible and unreal characters, or relies on scientific principles not yet discovered or contrary to present experience example: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

fiction: narrative writing drawn from the imagination rather than from history or fact example: Wicked

genre: refers to a category or type of literature based on its style, form, and content

gothic novel: a type of fiction that is usually characterized by gloomy castles, ghosts, and supernatural or sensational happenings -- creating a mysterious, chilling, and sometimes frightening story example: Frankenstein

legend: a narrative or tradition handed down from the past; distinguished from a myth by having more of a historical truth and perhaps less of the supernatural; legends often indicate the lore of a people and thus serve as at least partial expressions of a national spirit example: King Arthur

memoir: a form of autobiographical writing dealing usually with the recollections of one who has been a part of or has witnessed significant events; memoirs differ from autobiographies in that they are usually concerned with personalities and actions other than those of the writer, whereas autobiographies stress the inner and private lives of their subjects example: Out of Africa

Fiction and Nonfiction

*** for more information, consult your textbook on pages 4-5

Narrative is a term which applies to both fiction (not a true story) and nonfiction (true story). The term, itself, means "story."

Setting refers to the time and place of the action.

Characterization occurs in four ways:

• what a character says about himself / herself
• what a character does
• what other characters say about a character
• what a narrator says about a character

Plot refers to the course of action for a narrative (see diagram below)

Dialogue is the conversation between or among characters

Point of view concerns the perspective from which a story is told, usually in one of the following forms:

• 1st person (one of the characters directly involved in the action tells the story)
• 3rd person limited (a narrator with limited knowledge tells the story)
• 3rd person omniscient (a narrator with unlimited knowledge of all characters tells the story)

Theme refers to the underlying meaning or insight for a narrative

Types of fiction:

• novels (To Kill a Mockingbird)
• novellas ("The Metamorphosis")
• short stories ("The Monkey's Paw")

Writers of nonfiction present information for one of three reasons:

• persuasion
• information
• entertainment

When reading nonfiction, students should:

• recognize whether the information is organized in order of importance, chronological order (the order in which they occurred), or spatial order (how the topics relate to one another)
• identify the author's purpose
• distinguish between facts and opinions
• evaluate whether the author adequately supports his/her argument

The tone of a piece refers to the author's attitude toward a subject and/or its readers

The perspective of a piece refers to the author's point of view on the subject, including any opinions in the piece