Understanding Key Literary Devices

Characterization

Definition:

Characterization in literature refers to the step-by-step process wherein an author introduces and then describes a character. The character can be described directly by the author or indirectly through the actions, thoughts, and speech of the character.

Example:

Michael Corleone was not just a mafioso, but a family man. A man who walked the knife's edge to preserve his sanity.

Imagery

Definition:

In literature, one of the strongest devices is imagery, wherein the author uses words and phrases to create "mental images" for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author's writings. The usage of metaphors, allusions, descriptive words, and similes, among other literary forms, in order to "tickle" and awaken the readers' sensory perceptions is referred to as imagery. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal, and auditory sensations as well.

Example:

The gushing brook stole its way down the lush green mountains, dotted with tiny flowers in a riot of colors and trees coming alive with gaily chirping birds.

Internal Rhyme

Definition:

In literature, internal rhyme is a practice of forming a rhyme in only one lone line of verse. An internal rhyme is also known as the middle rhyme because it is typically constructed in the middle of a line to rhyme with the bit at the end of the same metrical line.

Example:

The line from the famed poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, "We were the first that ever burst".

Juxtaposition

Definition:

Juxtaposition is a literary device wherein the author places a person, concept, place, idea, or theme parallel to another. The purpose of juxtaposing two directly or indirectly related entities close together in literature is to highlight the contrast between the two and compare them. This literary device is usually used for etching out a character in detail, creating suspense, or lending a rhetorical effect.

Example:

In Paradise Lost, Milton has used juxtaposition to draw a parallel between the two protagonists, Satan and God, who he discusses by placing their traits in comparison with one another to highlight their differences.