Test your understanding of figurative language and authorial expression
The chapter defines literary devices as "expressions of an author's personality in literature. They are the little tricks and fun elements that authors use to make the story (and experience) more interesting."
The chapter explains that "Because they help the author express their personality, they are also very good at communicating themes (the author's big ideas- their messages and worldviews that they are trying to share by writing)."
The chapter states, "Whenever you're not speaking literally, you're speaking figuratively. We do this a lot: to make comparisons and to have fun with language."
A metaphor is defined as "a poetic comparison: usually between very different things and usually seeing the second thing through the lens of the first." The chapter emphasizes that "Metaphor is the primary way that people express their personalities."
The chapter states that "All figurative language (and most literary devices) are some kind of metaphor." This highlights metaphor's fundamental role as "a major driving force of how literature works."
Symbolism is "A type of metaphor where you relate something to an already well-known comparison in a culture or group. For example, an eagle is considered a symbol for freedom and a four clover is a symbol for luck."
A motif is "a feature or phrase that repeats again and again throughout a story. This can take the form of an image, a setting element, or a line of dialog. When we're brought to something again and again, we stop and think critically about that element."
Alliteration is defined as "when the first letter of a word is repeated throughout a phrase. This can make use of the beautiful qualities of language to be poetic or to make a point."
Foreshadowing is "when the author gives us clues about what might happen in the future. This often happens at the end of a chapter. It can help us to be more engaged by making us wonder about the big picture and the repercussions of choices down the line."
A flashback "breaks the timeline in order to give us a scene from a time before. This is often used to give the audience more perspective about a character and how they got to this point."