Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education

Region IV-A CALABARZON

Division of Lipa City

Inosloban-Marawoy Integrated National High School

Marawoy, Lipa City

A Detailed Lesson Plan in English 9

Date: September 4, 2019

I. Learning Competency:

● EN9RC- IIb-19:
Get information from various print media like brochures, pamphlets, periodicals
and audio-video recordings.

● EN9LC-IIb-15:
Listen to get important information from argumentative/persuasive texts.

● EN9VC-IIb-21:
Summarize the information contained in the material viewed.

● EN9LT-IIb-15:
Analyze literature as means of valuing other people and their various circumstances
in life.

Objectives:

At the end of the discussion, the students are able to:

1. identify what the selection Sonnet 29 is all about;

2. elaborate the message that the selection was conveying;
3. relate the message that the selection was conveying in everyday life.

II. Subject Matter:

a. Topic: Sonnet 29
b. References: A Journey through Anglo-American Literature
Learner`s Material, p. 137
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/george-santayana ﾧ
Date accessed: October 31, 2019
 c. Materials: visual aids, marker, audio-visual presentation
d. Values Integration: Life, as we feel it, is something indescribable;
what is it or what it means can never be said.
Teacher`s Activities Students` Activity

Daily Routine
1. Greetings
Good morning, class! Good morning, Ma`am!

2. Prayer
Let us pray. The students will pray.

3. Classroom Management
Before taking your seats, kindly check the
alignment of your chairs and pick up the piece of
papers under it. (The students will follow)

4. Checking of Attendance
Is there any absentee for today? (The class secretary will give the
list of absentees to the teacher)

A. Motivation

Before we proceed to our lesson, we will play a

game called “Guess the Word.” In this game, you
need to guess what is being asked in each sentence.
By doing so, you will form a word that would reveal
our topic for today. You will write the word that you
have formed on the piece of paper that is provided
for each group and prepare a yell if you`re done with
the task.
You are given five minutes to finish your task.
The group who will be able to finish first will receive
15 points.
Is it clear?
Yes, Ma`am!
Crumbs of Clues

(Groups will form the word

SONNET 29)
 ● The seventh letter in the word
Mississippi
● The 15th letter in the English
alphabet
● The letter before O
● The silent letter in the word
AUTUMN
● It is in the words LEFT and FEET SONNET 29, Ma`am!
but not in the word FLAT
● The last letter in the word
PRUDENT
● The number of twins
● The number after eight

So, what is the hidden word formed from our

“Guess the Word?”
Congratulations! The group who got it correctly
earned 15 points.

B. Activity

Group 1: Rich, because he has

lots of money.

Group 2: Poor, because he was

wearing ragged clothes.

Group 3: Sad. Because he

was crying.

Group 4: Happy, because

he was smiling.
 I have another set of task for you. (Each group was
given a picture.) In one word, describe the state of the
person in each picture. Then choose a representative in
your group to explain why you had that kind of
perception on the picture that was assigned to your group.
I will give you three minutes to finish this task.

(Students will listen)

Group 1 Group 2
 Group 3 Group 4

Very good! Every group will have 5 points each for

doing a great job in the task.

The words that you surmised are words that we can

associate with our poem for today which is Sonnet 29. It
is an example of sonnet which is a kind of poem that has
14 lines, where the traditional division of lines is an
octave or octet consisting of the first eight lines and a
sestet consisting of the last six lines.
 Sonnet 29
was written
by George
Santayana
who was a
Spanish-born
American
philosopher,
poet and
humanist who
made
important
contributions to aesthetics, speculative philosophy and
literary criticism.
He was born on December 16, 1863 in Madrid, Spain.
He was the only child of Agustin Santayana and
Josephine Sturgis who unfortunately got separated when
he was only nine years old.
He had a rich early education, spending eight years at
the Boston Latin School. Santayana received his Ph.D.
from Harvard in 1889 and became a faculty member at
Harvard University. He retired in 1912 at the age of 48
and lived the remainder of his life in England and Europe.
He died of cancer in September 26, 1952.

His first published book was a book of poetry titled

Sonnets and Other Verses where Sonnet 29 is included.
This particular poem is about the perception of the
society to a particular persona based entirely on its
standard belief.
Now, let`s listen to the audio-visual presentation of
Sonnet 29.

C. Analysis
I want you to answer the following questions. Each
group will answer the question that corresponds to the
number of the group. For example, Group 1 will answer
question number 1, Group 2 on question number 2 and so
on. Is it clear? Yes, Ma`am!

1. What does the opening line of the poem mean? 1. The narrator of the poem is
questioning the reasons of why
this person believes the narrator is
“poor” and “sad.”

2. Why does the poet consider the faiths of old 2. The narrator finds riches and
his daily bread? happiness in the traditions and
former instruction of his
ancestors.

3. How does the persona deal with the 3. He is secure and confident in
 circumstance he is in? his own views that is why he is
not afraid to defend himself.

4. How do you view the narrator? 4. He does not compare himself to

others and does not measure what
he believes is success against
what others believe.

(answers may vary)

D. Abstraction

Sonnet 29 is about the perception of the society to a

particular persona based entirely on its standard belief.
Like when you label someone as "poor", then such a
comparison must be made against some level of monetary
value. The narrator of the poem is defending his position
regarding things like being poor and being sad. For him,
it is a subjective state. It’s all about peoples’ respective
personality inclinations and how people view situations.
For students like you, a failing grade may mean the
end of the world for some but for others, it may serve as a
motivation for them to study harder. Which of the two are
you more inclined of?
● It will serve as a motivation for
us to study harder.

Being poor or rich is more than just the amount of (Student`s answer may vary)
money a person has. Someone`s richness may not be on
material things like friends and family. The same goes on
feelings. Being sad or happy is also subjective because
we have our own definition of happiness. Some may be
alone but not lonely.

On your part, what makes one person rich and another

person poor? ● If you have many friends, then
you can consider yourself rich.
Those that don`t have even one
person to call a friend is poor.

● You can consider yourself rich

if you have a loving family who
supports you. You are poor if you
have none to call a family.

(Student`s answer may vary)

E. Application
 (Every group will present the task
assigned to them.)

This is Nick Vujicic. He was born with no limbs. Do

you think he is happy to have no arms and legs? I want
you to interpret your answer by doing the assigned task
for each group.

Group 1: Write a slogan.

Group 2: Sing a song.
Group 3: Write a one-stanza poem.
Group 4: Write a short letter for the man in the picture.

Good work! Each group will receive 10 points for

doing a great job.
F. Assessment
Directions: Get a ¼ sheet of paper and answer the
following questions. Answers:

1. What do you call the kind of poem that has 14 lines? 1. sonnet
2. What do you call the first eight lines in a sonnet? 2. octave or octet
3. What do you call the last six lines in a sonnet? 3. sestet
4. Who was the author of Sonnet 29? 4. George Santayana
3. What was the cause of death the author? 5. cancer
 G. Assignment

Search for a short story that conveys the same message

on Sonnet 29. Write a short paragraph about it.

Prepared by:

MARY GELYN F. CARDEÑO

Practice Teacher

Checked by:

MARIA JESSA L. BULI-BULI

Cooperating Teacher
Laura from Canzoniere
Translated by Morris Bishop
She used to let her golden hair fly free (a)
For the wind to toy and tangle and molest; (b)
Her eyes were brighter than the radiant west. (b)
(Seldom they shine so now.) I used to see (a)
Pity look out of those deep eyes on me. (a)
(“It was false pity,” you would now protest.) (b)
I had love’s tinder heaped within my breast; (b)
What wonder that the flame burned furiously? (a)
She did not walk in any mortal way, (c)
But with angelic progress; when she spoke, (d)
Unearthly voices sang in unison. (e)
She seemed divine among the dreary folk (d)
Of earth. You say she is not so today? (c)
Well, though the bow’s unbent, the wound bleeds on. (e)
1 The comparison of Laura to divine is a metaphor showing or implying the greatness of her.
2 The comparison of her eyes to the radiant west is also a metaphor to imply their brightness.

3 One more is the comparison of her hair to gold implying its beauty and and rich color.

Allusion and Metaphore in Laura

By Ryan Walton
Possible answers:
Laura being divine.
Eyes being radiant.
Any others that I allow.

Petrarchan Sonnet

What was one example of allusion in the poem?

4 Within "Laura" there is allusion concerning her hair and also her eyes.
5 The hair allusion is how it talks of golden hair flowing and being tangled in with the wind.

6 The eyes allusion is how it speaks of eyes brighter than that of the radiant west or their
deepness.

7 Each of these is creating a picture within your mind.

Ect. about Petrarchan Sonnet

Metaphors in "Laura"
What was the Petrarchan poetry form for the poem and what letter rhymes were added to the poem in
the sestet?
8 Allusion is an expression used to bring something to mind when read and make it real.
9 Allusion is used well when things a very deeply described and is able to create a vivid picture in
your mind.

'a' 'b' 'b' 'a'

'c' 'd' and 'e' is added.

Question two

Metaphor
10 Typically follows an 'a' 'b' 'b' 'a' rhyme scheme.
11 Laura does follow it until a variation in the end.

What is an example of a metaphor found in "Laura" from Canzoniere?

Question three

Reveiw

12 This is the variation in the end of "Laura"

13 Adds a 'c', 'd', and an 'e' into the poem

14 The sestet is the part of the poem that solves the problem that was introduced earlier on

Allusion
15 Metaphor is where an action is put to something else. Can be said as something being symbolic
of another thing.
16 Shows a direct relation from one thing to another.
Possible answers:
Her hair being golden and tangled in the wind.
Her eyes being bright like the radiant west and deep.
any other suggestions that I may qualify.
17 Petrarchan sonnet was a song as 'canzoniere' actually means.
18 "Laura" from Canzoniere was written to praise Laura as a song for her.

19 Petrarch created the petrarchan sonnet and therefore he influenced many future writers or
poets.

vLaura from Canzoniere

Translated by Morris Bishop
She used to let her golden hair fly free (a)
For the wind to toy and tangle and molest; (b)
Her eyes were brighter than the radiant west. (b)
(Seldom they shine so now.) I used to see (a)
Pity look out of those deep eyes on me. (a)
(“It was false pity,” you would now protest.) (b)
I had love’s tinder heaped within my breast; (b)
What wonder that the flame burned furiously? (a)
She did not walk in any mortal way, (c)
But with angelic progress; when she spoke, (d)
Unearthly voices sang in unison. (e)
She seemed divine among the dreary folk (d)
Of earth. You say she is not so today? (c)
Well, though the bow’s unbent, the wound bleeds on. (e)
20 The comparison of Laura to divine is a metaphor showing or implying the greatness of her.
21 The comparison of her eyes to the radiant west is also a metaphor to imply their brightness.

22 One more is the comparison of her hair to gold implying its beauty and and rich color.

Allusion and Metaphore in Laura

By Ryan Walton
Possible answers:
Laura being divine.
Eyes being radiant.
Any others that I allow.

Petrarchan Sonnet

What was one example of allusion in the poem?

23 Within "Laura" there is allusion concerning her hair and also her eyes.
24 The hair allusion is how it talks of golden hair flowing and being tangled in with the wind.

25 The eyes allusion is how it speaks of eyes brighter than that of the radiant west or their
deepness.

26 Each of these is creating a picture within your mind.

Ect. about Petrarchan Sonnet

Metaphors in "Laura"
What was the Petrarchan poetry form for the poem and what letter rhymes were added to the poem in
the sestet?
27 Allusion is an expression used to bring something to mind when read and make it real.
28 Allusion is used well when things a very deeply described and is able to create a vivid picture in
your mind.

'a' 'b' 'b' 'a'

'c' 'd' and 'e' is added.

Question two

Metaphor
29 Typically follows an 'a' 'b' 'b' 'a' rhyme scheme.
30 Laura does follow it until a variation in the end.

What is an example of a metaphor found in "Laura" from Canzoniere?

Question three

Reveiw

31 This is the variation in the end of "Laura"

32 Adds a 'c', 'd', and an 'e' into the poem

33 The sestet is the part of the poem that solves the problem that was introduced earlier on

Allusion
34 Metaphor is where an action is put to something else. Can be said as something being symbolic
of another thing.
35 Shows a direct relation from one thing to another.

Possible answers:
Her hair being golden and tangled in the wind.
Her eyes being bright like the radiant west and deep.
any other suggestions that I may qualify.
36 Petrarchan sonnet was a song as 'canzoniere' actually means.
37 "Laura" from Canzoniere was written to praise Laura as a song for her.

38 Petrarch created the petrarchan sonnet and therefore he influenced many future writers or
poets.

The message of the poem Laura, written by Petrarch and translated by Morris Bishop is that of a
love that can't be because of of the two implied in it is not free. Laura was the woman Petrarch
fell in love with when he abandoned the idea of becoming a priest. Although he was very
interested in her, she rejected him because she was already married.

Through Laura's lines a person that is considered an angel, and therefore will live forever, is
unveiled before our eyes. She is described as the ideal woman, but she is also unreachable to the
author. Laura is the love everyone deserves to find, but who only a few do.

Read more on Brainly.com - https://brainly.com/question/11288884#readmore ﾧ

Sonnet 18: An Analysis

Repetition of Phrases:
Stratford-upon-Avon, England

SONNET?

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

- Speaker’s tone is inquisitive and uncertain
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
- Tone is sincere and loving in connection with
summer and his friend.
Popularly known as English Sonnet, consists of 14 Lines in Iambic Pentameter, Often following a rhyming
scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and a composition of 3 Quatrains and ending with a Couplet.
Sonnet 18 is one of the Most Popular.

William Shakespeare
Summer’s lease (line 4) – change in weather during the season
Eternal lines to time – poetry Shakespeare believes will become recognized and in time the referred as
well
Parallelism(line 9 to line 12) eternal summer to eternal lines –
means something like if this poem goes down in history, so shall you (person referred to by speaker)
Line 14 – “so long lives this” refers to the poem itself allowing this person
perpetuity in its splendour, prominence, exclamation
Line 10 – That fair thou ow’st – possession of beauty
Line 11 – shade is the afterlife; apparently after death one still wanders so Shakespeare doesn’t seem to
believe in a complete end to one’s life.
About the Author:

3. What do you call the last 2 lines in a Shakespearean Sonnet, often concluding the poem?

Rhyme Scheme:

4. Determine the Figure of Speech: " Nor Shall Death Brag..."

Meter and Length:
Wrote 154 Sonnets in total, published in 1609 in a Quarto entitled "Shakespeare's Sonnets: Never Before
Imprinted
Type of Poem:
3. Hyperbole - an exaggeration of an idea or instance
Gopez, Matthew
Bulario, Sharmaine Niccolai
Del Puerto, Maria Krizia Jane
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
World's greatest writer in English Language
6. Thou – you
7. Thy – you
8. Thee – you
9. Owest – own
10. Wander’st – wanderest; wander, roam or travel

5. Determine the Structure of the Poem in Foot and Length (e.g Patterned with Unaccented, Accented
foot, with 5 feet each line.
The entire poem itself represents Shakespeare’s desire to immortalize the person he speaks of through
poetry (lines 13-14)
Lines 9-14(summer) symbolizes immortality.
Line 4(Summer’s lease) – likens Summer to a person who has pay rent, and cannot pay on the property
without doing so, so then a new tenant takes his or her place; Summer is limited by the end of its 3
months until it transitions to Fall
1. Personification - Human Characteristics among inanimate objects
"thy eternal summer" as peak of someone's life/loveliness

Shall - I - com – PARE – thee - TO – a – SUM - mer's - DAY?

Thou – ART - more – LOVE – ly - AND – more – TEM – pe - RATE.

STRUCTURE

Consists of 14 Line-poem with Strict Rhyme Scheme

2. How many lines does a sonnet have?

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
"When in eternal lines to time thou growest"

Discussion

William Shakespeare
11. temperate - evenly-tempered; not overcome by passion.
12. the eye of heaven (line 5): i.e., the sun.
13. every fair from fair sometime declines (line 7): i.e., the beauty (fair) of everything beautiful (fair) will
fade (declines).
14. nature's changing course (line 8): i.e., the natural changes age brings.
How do you view love?
- Having gained recognition as an actor and playwright Shakespeare had clearly ruffled a few feathers
along the way – contemporary critic, Robert Green, described him in the 1592 pamphlet as an, "upstart
Crow".
"And every Fair from Fair Sometimes Declines"
Poetic form which originated in Italy; the Sicilian poet Giacomo Da Lentini is credited with its invention.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
- The speaker returns to a certain and loving tone. His certainty is emphasized by his repetition of
references to eternity and time. These references serve the purpose of conveying the idea that his friend
will live on through the poem.
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
- Lines 9 through 14: The speaker uses an earnest, eloquent, poetic, passionate, and loving tone as he
praises his friend and exudes certainty that his beloved friend will remain immortal.

Tone
Shall I compare you to a summer's day?
You are more lovely and more constant:
Rough winds shake the beloved buds of May
And summer is far too short:
At times the sun is too hot,
Or often goes behind the clouds;
And everything beautiful sometime will lose its beauty,
By misfortune or by nature's planned out course.
But your youth shall not fade,
Nor will you lose the beauty that you possess;
Nor will death claim you for his own,
Because in my eternal verse you will live forever.
So long as there are people on this earth,
So long will this poem live on, making you immortal.

Symbolism
1. Lease – a period of time
2. Dimm’d – dimmed; make or
become less bright or distinct.
3. Fair – beauty or brightness
4. Untrimm’d – untrimmed; uncut
5. Hath – has
1564-1616
Alliteration
And every fair from fair sometimes declines, (F)
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. (L,T)

ABABCDCDEFEFGG

SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET?

Repetition: Single Sounds

Rhyme: Internal
(Repetition of Words)
- According to Ben Jonson: Shakespeare’s works are “timeless… not of an age but for all time.”
"Rough Winds shake the Darling buds of May"
"Nor Death shall Brag"

Symbolism
the sonnet was in the form of choice for lyric poets particularly poets seeking to engage with traditional
themes of love and romance.

Personification

I can add a couple more examples to the previous answers if it will help.

Of course the entire sonnet creates the idea that all the elements of nature share human characteristics
which can be compared to the speaker's love. To the examples already discussed I can add some less
literal examples.

In line 2, the speaker uses the word "temperate." While this word does refer to the climate of a region, it
also can define a personality type that features restraint and moderation, belonging to a person who is
not prone to tantrums, violence, or even unexpected mood swings. Here, the speaker is suggesting that
his love is less extreme than the summer day, which may switch quickly between mild mornings,
extremely hot afternoon temperatures and violent evening storms. This word is an interesting one which
can refer to climate or to an individual.

In line 4, the speaker references "summer's lease" to refer to the duration of time that summer exists.
The term "lease" is a human concept which indicates an amount of time that a person may occupy a
house, apartment, or even a car. The speaker is making the comment that summer does not stay all year,
but his true love will be in his life all year long and forever.

10 Common Literary Devices (With Examples)

There are certain literary devices that I use often in my writing because they are simple and seem to
make it flow. I never bothered to intentionally use them when I wrote in the past, but now I find that
they just add that extra something. A literary device has to do with the sound, repetition, meaning, and
description of words or phrases. Used wisely, these devices can really enhance your work and create a
deeper level of meaning that readers will enjoy decoding. Try some of these in your next poem or story.

(Mini Magnum by hobvias sudoneighm via CC)

39 Alliteration. This is one of the easiest go-to devices to use. Alliteration involves the quick
repetition of the first letters, and therefore the first sounds, of words.
1 The white witch wanted to write a new spell.
2 New aunt Anita aimed to avoid annoying her tired sister.
40 Personification. Giving inanimate objects and other phenomena human traits.
3 The leaves danced in the wind, twirling round and round before bowing out and resting on the
cold ground.
41 Simile. Comparing two unrelated things to creating new understanding and meaning. They are
marked by the use of "like," "as,"or "such as."
4 She ran like the wind.
5 His eyes were as blue as the sky.
42 Foreshadowing. Words, phrases, or events that hint or suggest to the reader what's going to
happen in the story.
6 In To Kill a Mockingbird, finding the presents in the oak tree foreshadows the truth about Boo
Radley.
7 Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" foreshadows the narrator's actions from the start of the
story: I can't say how the idea first entered my brain, but once it was there, it haunted me day and night.
There wasn't any reason for it. I liked the old man.
43 Satire. Using humor, wit, or sarcasm to expose human vice or folly.
8 In television, the creators of South Park have built their success on satire.
9 My favorite example is Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal."
44 Symbolism. Using objects or action to mean something more than what appears on the surface.
10 The dawn of a new day often is used to symbolize a new beginning.
11 The albatross in in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" symbolizes a
burden: Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks / Had I from old and young ! / Instead of the cross, the Albatross
/ About my neck was hung
12 In daily life, people often associate colors with ideas. Black with death. Red with love. White with
purity or peace.
45 Onomatopoeia. Words whose sound mimics natural sounds or sounds of an object. These words
help bring the reader into the scene by working on the senses.
13 Bang! Flutter. Buzzzzz! Hum.
14 The birds tweet in chipper chatter outside the window.
15 A loud bang jarred me from sleep.
46 Metaphor. A device that asserts that one object is another, bringing new meaning to the original
subject for a fresh understanding.
16 A common metaphor: it's raining cats and dogs.
17 From Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet": But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? /
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
18 Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. - George Orwell
47 Hyperbole. Exaggerating a statement or idea to emphasize a point or emotion.
19 If I take another step, my feet will fall off.
20 She's so thin she could thread a needle.
21 If his teeth were any whiter, I'd be blind.
48 Oxymoron. A device that puts two contradictory ideas together to create complex meaning.
(See top photo)
22 Their relationship was an open secret.
23 The sight of the living dead shuffling below sent a blazing chill down her spine.
24 It's hard to explain that comforting pain to those who don't understand.

What are some of your favorite literary devices? Do you have a favorite example of one of these? Please
share in the comments!

List of literary devices

1. Allegory
The Tortoise and the Hare is about more than just a turtle, a rabbit,
and a race. It also aims to teach the lesson: slow and steady wins
the race. That’s what an allegory does — it’s a type of narrative
that uses characters and plot to exemplify abstract ideas and
themes, such as patience. In an allegorical story, events and
characters tend to represent more than they appear on the surface.

Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell. This dystopian novella is

one of modern literature’s best-known allegories. A commentary on
the events leading up to Stalin's rise and the formation of the Soviet
Union, the pigs at the heart of the novel blatantly represent figures
such as Stalin, Trotsky, and Molotov.

2. Alliteration
Alliteration is a series of words used in quick succession that all
start with the same letters or sound. It lends a pleasing cadence to
prose or poetry. And if you doubt whether alliteration really has an
impact on a reader’s experience, just think of the following unforgettable titles
ﾧ: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Sense and Sensibility, The Haunting of Hill
House.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

3. Allusion
You probably allude to things all the time in everyday speech. An
allusion is a passing or indirect descriptive reference to something.

Example: “This list of literary devices will turn me into a bona fide
Hemingway.”

4. Anachronism
When something happens or is attributed to a different era than
when it actually existed. Anachronism is usually a mistake, e.g. an
author writing a period piece and accidentally using language that’s
too modern, or including some object that had not been invented at
the time of the story. However, it can also be intentionally used as a
literary device, if the author wants to comment on a theme like time
or society.

Example: When Cassius in Julius Caesar says that “the clock has
stricken three” — mechanical clocks had not been invented in 44
A.D. Of course, it’s debatable whether Shakespeare did this on
purpose, to signify something else. Indeed, there are many famously
prominent anachronisms in Shakespeare, such as his inclusion of the
University of Halle-Wittenberg in Hamlet and his mention of the
dollar as currency in Macbeth.

5. Anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a
series of clauses or sentences. It’s often seen in poetry and
speeches, intended to provoke a emotional response in its audience.
(Did you know there's over 15 types of repetition? Learn them all in
our guide to repetition ﾧ!)
Example: Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech. “I
have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed … and I have a dream that one day on
the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of
former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of
brotherhood… I have a dream that little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character.”

Similar term: repetition (see below)

6. Anastrophe
Anastrophe is a figure of speech in which the traditional sentence
structure is reversed. So a traditional verb-subject-adjective
sentence such as “Are you ready?” becomes a Yoda-esque adjective-
verb-subject question: “Ready, are you?” Or a standard adjective-
noun pairing like “tall mountains” becomes “mountains tall.”

Example: “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there

wondering, fearing.” — Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven

7. Anthropomorphism
When one applies human traits or qualities to a non-human thing —
such as objects, animals, or weather — the thing becomes
anthropomorphized.

Examples: In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Mrs. Potts the teapot,
Cogsworth the clock, and Lumière the candlestick are all household
objects that act and behave like humans (which, of course, they
were when they weren’t under a spell).

Similar term: personification (see below)

 The household items in "Beauty and the Beast" have been anthropomorphized. (Image: Buena Vista)

8. Aphorism
A universally accepted truth stated in a concise, to-the-point
manner: that's an aphorism. They typically possess a sharp or witty
style that gives them staying power, often taking the form of an
adage or proverb.

Example: “To err is human, to forgive divine.” — Alexander Pope

9. Chiasmus
When two or more parallel clauses are inverted. “What does that
mean and why would I do that?” you might be wondering. Well, a
chiasmus might sound confusing in definition, but you’ve more
than likely come across it in execution.

Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what
you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy

10. Colloquialism
The use of casual and informal language in writing; this can also
include slang. Writers use colloquialisms to provide further context
to settings and characters. Imagine reading a YA novel that takes
place in modern America, and the characters speak to each other
like this:

“Good morning, Sue. I hope that you slept well and are prepared for
this morning’s science exam.”

It’s not realistic. Inject colloquialisms for more believable dialogue.

“Hey Sue, what’d you get up to last night? This science exam is
gonna suck.”

Example: Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh takes place in Scotland — a

fact undeniably apparent by simply glancing at the use of dialect:
“Thing is, as ye git aulder, this character-deficiency gig becomes
mair sapping. Thir wis a time ah used tae say tae aw the teachers,
bosses, dole punters, poll-tax guys, magistrates, when they telt me
ah was deficient: ’Hi, cool it, gadge, ah’m jist me, jist intae a
different sort ay gig fae youse but, ken?’”

11. Euphemism
A euphemism is an indirect or “politer” way of describing
something deemed inappropriate or awkward to address directly.
However, most people will still understand the truth about what's
actually happening.

Example: When an elderly person is forced to retire, it’s often said

that they’re being “put out to pasture.”

12. Flashback
Though you probably already know what a flashback is — they’re
only used in just about every psychological thriller ever ﾧ — you may not know how
they should be employed. As a literary device, flashbacks typically
split up other scenes of present-day events, building suspense
toward a big reveal. Flashbacks are also an interesting, dramatic
way to present exposition for your story, unveiling to the reader
what happened in the past.

Example: Every other chapter in the first part of Gone Girl is a

flashback, with Amy’s old diary entries painting a picture of her
relationship with her husband before she disappeared.
Similar term: foreshadowing (see below)

13. Foreshadowing
When authors hint at events yet to come. Foreshadowing is often
used to create tension or suspense ﾧ — leaving readers just enough
breadcrumbs to keep them hungry for more.

Want to become a foreshadowing expert? Check out our post on the subject ﾧ,
which is full of examples.

Example: While there are many ways to foreshadow, a popular

method is through partial reveals: the narrator says something, but
leaves out key facts to prompt readers’ curiosity. Jeffrey Eugenides
does this in The Virgin Suicides: “On the morning the last Lisbon
daughter took her turn at suicide – it was Mary this time, and
sleeping pills, like Therese, the two paramedics arrived at the house
knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and
the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope.”

Similar term: flashback

14. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that emphasizes the
significance of the statement’s actual meaning. When a friend says,
"Oh my god, I haven't seen you in a million years" — that's
hyperbole.

Example: “At that time Bogota was a remote, lugubrious city where
an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th
century.” — Gabriel García Márquez,Living to Tell the Tale

15. Hypophora
Much like a rhetorical question, wherein someone asks a question
that doesn't require an answer. Hypophora is where the person
raises a question and answers it immediately themselves (hence the
prefix hypo, meaning "under" or "before"). It’s often used when
characters are reasoning something aloud.

Example: “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and
then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then
miss it.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
 Musing Daisy Buchanan has a habit of hypophora. (Image: Warner Bros)

16. Imagery
Imagery is a way of appealing to readers’ sense through descriptive
language. It’s also crucial for any writer looking to follow the commonly
cited rule ﾧ “show, don’t tell."

Example: “In the hard-packed dirt of the midway, after the glaring
lights are out and the people have gone to bed, you will find a
veritable treasure of popcorn fragments, frozen custard dribblings,
candied apples abandoned by tired children, sugar fluff crystals,
salted almonds, popsicles, partially gnawed ice cream cones and
wooden sticks of lollipops.” — E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

17. Irony
Creates contrast between how things seem and how they really are
beneath the surface. There are three types of literary irony ﾧ: dramatic
(when readers know what will happen before characters do),
situational (when readers expect a certain outcome, only to be
surprised by a turn of events), and verbal (when the intended
meaning of a statement is the opposite of what was said).

Example: This opening scene ﾧ from Orson Welles’ A Touch of Evil is a

great example of how dramatic irony can create tension.

18. Isocolon
If you’re a neat freak who likes things just so, isocolon is the
literary device for you. This is when two or more phrases or clauses
have a similar structure, rhythm, and even length — such that, when
stacked up on top of each other, they would line up. Isocolon often
crops up in brand slogans and famous sayings; the quick, balanced
rhythm makes the phrase more memorable and catchy.

Examples: Veni, vidi, vici (“I came, I saw, I conquered”)

19. Juxtaposition
Sometimes the best way for us to understand something is by
understanding what it’s not. This is the point of juxtaposition: by
placing two or more characters, themes, concepts, places, etc. side
by side, the profound contrast highlights their differences.

Example: In the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens ﾧ

uses juxtaposition to emphasize the societal disparity that led to the
French Revolution: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was
the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season
of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it
was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had
nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all
going direct the other way…”

Similar terms: oxymoron, paradox

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20. Litotes
Litotes (pronounced lie-toe-teez) is the signature literary device of
the double negative. Writers use litotes to express certain
sentiments through their opposites, by saying that that opposite is
not the case. Don’t worry, it makes more sense with the
examples. �

Example: “You won’t be sorry” (meaning you’ll be happy); “you’re

not wrong” (meaning you’re right); “I didn’t not like it” (meaning I
did)

21. Malapropism
If Shakespeare is the king of metaphors, Michael Scott is the king of
malapropisms ﾧ. This is when similar-sounding words replace their
appropriate counterparts, typically to comic effect — one of the
most commonly cited is “dance a flamingo,” rather than a
“flamenco.” Malapropisms are usually employed in dialogue when a
character flubs up their speech.

Example: “I am not to be truffled with.”

His last name is Christ. He has the power of flight. He can heal leopards. (Image: NBC)

22. Metaphor
When it comes to literary devices, this one is a heavy hitter. Unlike
juxtaposition, metaphors help us make sense of things by
comparing the common characteristics of two unlike things.

Example: Metaphors are literature’s bread and butter (metaphor

intended) — good luck finding a novel that is free from a single one.
Here’s one from Frances Hardinge’s A Face Like Glass: “Wishes are
thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into
our skin and hurt us.”

(One metaphor example not enough? Check out this post ﾧ, which has 97
of ‘em!)
Similar term: simile

23. Metonymy
Metonymy is like symbolism, but even more so. A metonym doesn’t
just symbolize something else, it comes to serve as a synonym for
that thing or things — typically, a single object embodies an entire
institution.

Examples: “The crown” representing the monarchy, “Washington”

representing the U.S. government

Similar term: synecdoche (see below)

24. Motif
Whatever form a motif takes, it recurs throughout the novel and
helps develop the theme of the narrative. This might be a symbol,
concept, or image. Check out this post for an helpful guide to motifs ﾧ!

Example: In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the

yellow brick road is a motif that represents the journey of life and
growing up.

Similar term: symbol

25. Onomatopoeia
Amusingly, this difficult-to-pronounce word refers to words that
sound like the thing they’re referring to. Examples of
onomatopoeia include whiz, buzz, snap, grunt, etc.

Example: The excellent children's book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows

That Type. "Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All
day long he hears: Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety,
clack, moo."

26. Oxymoron
When you put two contradictory words together in a sentence to
describe something, you create an oxymoron. While juxtaposition
contrasts two story elements, oxymorons are about the actual words
you are using.
Example: "Parting is such sweet sorrow.” — William Shakespeare,
Romeo and Juliet. Find 100 more examples of oxymorons here ﾧ.

Similar terms: juxtaposition, paradox

For Romeo and Juliet, parting is — oxymoronically — such sweet sorrow. (Image: 20th Century Fox)

27. Paradox
From the Greek word paradoxon, which means “beyond belief.” It’s a
statement that asks people to think outside the box by providing
seemingly illogical — and yet latently true — premises. Often,
authors uses paradoxes themselves as a novel’s theme ﾧ.

Example: In George Orwell’s 1984, the slogan of the totalitarian

government is built on paradoxes: “War is Peace, Freedom is
Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.” While we might read these
statements as obviously contradictory, in the context of Orwell’s
novel, these blatantly corrupt sentiments have become an accepted
truth.

Similar terms: oxymoron, juxtaposition

28. Personification
While anthropomorphism applies human traits to non-human things
(think of Donkey from Shrek — or any animal character from any
cartoon), personification uses human traits to describe non-human
things (such as animals, object, or natural phenomena). The
behavior of the thing does not change.
Example: “Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of
Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though
the ocean were making love with something under a yellow blanket,
his small line was taken by a dolphin.” — Ernest Hemingway, The
Old Man and the Sea

Similar term: anthropomorphism

29. Point of View

The mode of narration in a story. There are various types of point of
view (POV) an author can choose, and each one will have a huge
impact on the reading experience. To learn more about first, second,
and third person POV, check out our comprehensive guide on the subject ﾧ.

Example: Second person POV is the least common because it

directly addresses the reader — not an easy narrative to pull off.
One popular novel that manages to employ this perspective
successfully is Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney: “You are not
the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the
morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is
entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.”

30. Polysyndeton
This one is definitely for authors looking to add a bit of artistic flare
to their writing. Instead of using a singular, technically-necessary
conjunction or connecting word, polysyndeton involves several
used in succession for a dramatic effect.

Example: “Luster came away from the flower tree and we went
along the fence and they stopped and we stopped and I looked
through the fence while Luster was hunting in the grass.” — William
Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

31. Repetition
Repetition, repetition, repetition… where would we be without it?
Though too much repetition is rarely a good thing, occasional
repetition can be used quite effectively to drill home a point, or to
create a certain atmosphere. For example, horror writers ﾧ often use
repetition in one way or another to make the reader feel trapped
and scared, especially since repeating things is seen as a sign of
mental instability.
Example: In The Shining, Jack Torrance types over and over again
on his pages, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” In this
case, obsessive repetition demonstrates the character’s unraveling
mind.

Similar term: anaphora

Not exactly what you want to see on your husband's desk. (Image: Warner Bros)

32. Satire
Writers use satire to make fun of some aspect of human nature or
society — usually through exaggeration, ridicule, or irony.

Example: The famous adventure novel Gulliver’s Travels by

Jonathan Swift is a classic example of satire — criticizing English
society: “As to the first, you are to understand, that for above
seventy Moons past, there have been two struggling Parties in this
Empire, under the Names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan from the
high and low Heels on their shoes, by which they distinguish
themselves.”

33. Simile
While both metaphors and similes draw resemblances between two
things, the former says that “Thing A is Thing B,” whereas the latter
says that “Thing A is like Thing B.” It might also use the words
“such as” or “as.”
Example: “Time has not stood still. It has washed over me, washed
me away, as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a
careless child too near the water.” — Margaret Atwood, The
Handmaid’s Tale

Similar term: metaphor

34. Soliloquy
Yet another device for which Shakespeare is famous, soliloquy
involves a character speaking their thoughts aloud, usually at
length. They may be alone or in the company of others, but they’re
not speaking for the benefit of other people — the purpose of a
soliloquy is for a character to reflect independently.

Example: Hamlet’s “to be or not to be”ﾧ speech, in which he ruminates

on the nature of life and death, is a classic dramatic soliloquy

35. Symbolism
To represent abstract concepts and ideas in their stories, authors
turn to symbols and symbolism. Symbols typically derive from
objects — for instance, a dove might represent peace, or raven
might represent death.

Example: In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the Valley of Ashes

— a barren wasteland between East and West Egg — as a symbol to
represent the waste and moral decay of the elite.

Similar term: motif

36. Synecdoche
Synecdoche is the usage of a part to represent the whole. That is,
rather than an object or title that’s merely associated with the larger
concept (as in metonymy), synecdoche must actually be attached in
some way: either to the name, or to the larger whole itself.

Examples: “Stanford won the game” (Stanford referring to the full

title of the Stanford football team) or “Nice wheels you got there”
(wheels referring to the entire car)

Similar term: metonymy

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Readers and writers alike can get a lot out of understanding literary
devices and how they're commonly used. If you’re a reader, you can
use this knowledge to your advantage, as you pore over fiction and
gain insight into the author’s intended meaning and motivation
behind their work. Meanwhile, writers can use literary devices to
connect with readers, giving their words a boosted opportunity of
providing audiences with lasting meaning.

Have you ever struggled to use a literary device in your

writing? Let's get technical — share your questions or
thoughts in the comments below!

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