1. ELEMENTS OF STYLE: LITERARY DEVICES
Figures of Speech, Irony, Imagery & Dialect

2. FIGURES OF SPEECH
Imagery is created when a writer uses different figures of speech in his or her writing.
Figures of speech are expressions that are not literally true but that suggest similarities between usually unrelated items.
Some figures of speech are so common, we use them without even noticing that they aren’t literally true.
Figures of speech are an important part of a writer’s style.

3. FIGURES OF SPEECH
Some of the most commonly used figures of speech include:
Simile: Compares two unlike things, using comparison words such as “like” or “as.”
Metaphor: Compares two unlike things directly, without using a specific comparison word, such as “like” or “as.”
Extended Metaphor: A metaphor that extends over several lines, stanzas, or an entire poem.
Personification: Description of an object, animal, or idea as if it has human qualities and emotions.

4. FIGURES OF SPEECH
Symbolism: People, places, or events that have meaning in themselves but also stand for something beyond themselves.
Hyperbole: An obvious and intentional exaggeration, not intended to be taken literally.
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together.
Onomatopoeia: The use of words with sounds that sound like what they describe. Examples include: buzz, crash, bang, hiss, and boom.

5. IRONY Irony is when reality contradicts what is expected.
There are three types of irony:
Verbal Irony: When what is said is not the same as what is meant.
Situational Irony: When a situation turns out to be the opposite of what is expected.
Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something a character does not know.

6. IMAGERY
Imagery is language that creates a picture in the reader’s mind and appeals to the senses.
The reader feels that they are seeing, touching, tasting, hearing, or smelling what the author is describing.

7. DIALECT
Dialect is a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain place.
Accents can be depicted in literature
A writer can create an English accent or a Boston accent for a particular character.
Certain words are spoken in different regions
“Y’all” is used in the South; “y’uns” is used in Western Pennsylvania.
Some areas call a dollar bill a single, while others call it a dollar.
Some people say pop, while others say soda.