Literary Elements

Stories/Novels  Paragraph form with indentions  Problem/solution  Strict grammar rules (only exception- characters can speak incorrectly)

Dramas/Plays  Format- character:  Acts, scenes  Problem/solution

Poetry-Poems  Lines and stanzas or free verse  Poetic license  Often illicit emotions

Repetition  Repetition- REPEATING a word or phrase over and over:

How Many, How Much By Shel Silverstein “Repetition” How many slams in an old screen door? Depends on how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends on how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends on how good you live ‘em. How much love inside a friend? Depends on how much you give ‘em.

Alliteration Alliteration is when a beginning sound is repeated. Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

Betty Botter by Mother Goose “Alliteration” Betty Botter bought some butter, but, she said, the butter’s bitter; if I put it in my batter it will make my batter bitter, but a bit of better butter will make my batter better. So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter, and she put it in her batter and the batter was not bitter. So ’twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

Repetition or Alliteration?  Row, row, row your boat  Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.  Al the alligator ate apples.  The wind went by like a wish.  I see, I see.

Personification  Personification- when the author gives human-like qualities to inanimate things. Examples: The leaves danced in the wind. The trees waved goodbye to summer.

Dancing Pants by Shel Silverstein “ Personification ” And now for the Dancing Pants Doing their fabulous dance. From the seat to the pleat They will bounce to the beat, With no legs inside them And no feet beneath. They'll whirl, and twirl, and jiggle and prance, So just start the music And give them a chance Let's have a big hand for the wonderful, marvelous, Super sensational, utterly fabulous, Talented Dancing Pants!

Rhyme  Poets often use rhyme in poetry.  The words at the end of the lines often rhyme.  Sometimes they form patterns.

Patterns  AA- every line  AB- every other line  AABB- couplets rhyme

Onomatopoeia

Similes  Similes compare two things using the words like or as.  He is fast like a cheetah.  Your head is as hard as a rock.

Birds by Niemi Simile Chirping non-stop, like a machine in the trees, Building their nest like little worker bees. They sing their songs, like chatter-boxes. As regular as alarm clocks, Waking up each day. They are silent at night, Like snakes advancing on prey.

Metaphor  A metaphor compares two seemingly unrelated things WITHOUT using like or as.  My brother is a dragon.  Mr. Hughes is a teddy bear.

The Metaphor Family by Lill Pluta “Metaphor ” My brother is a dragon. My mom’s a teddy bear. I am a shaggy sheepdog with a ton of tangled hair. My father is a monkey. He likes to make us laugh, especially my sister, who is a tall giraffe. We are a busy family With many things to do. Our home is always happy, But sometimes it’s a zoo.