LITERARY ELEMENTS UPPER INTERMEDIATE LITERATURE

1- What is Imagery?

Imagery is language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader. Imagery
includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the reader’s experience through their senses.

Why is it important to use imagery

Because we experience life through our senses, a strong composition should appeal to them through the use of imagery.
Descriptive imagery launches the reader into the experience of a warm spring day, scorching hot summer, crisp fall, or
harsh winter. It allows readers to directly sympathize with characters and narrators as they imagine having the same
sense experiences. Imagery commonly helps build compelling poetry, convincing narratives, vivid plays, well-designed film
sets, and descriptive songs.

a.Visual Imagery

Visual imagery describes what we see: comic book images, paintings, or images directly experienced through the
narrator’s eyes. Visual imagery may include:

 Color, such as: burnt red, bright orange, dull yellow, verdant green, and Robin’s egg blue.
 Shapes, such as: square, circular, tubular, rectangular, and conical.
 Size, such as: miniscule, tiny, small, medium-sized, large, and gigantic.
 Pattern, such as: polka-dotted, striped, zig-zagged, jagged, and straight.

b. Auditory Imagery

Auditory imagery describes what we hear, from music to noise to pure silence. Auditory imagery may include:

 Enjoyable sounds, such as: beautiful music, birdsong, and the voices of a chorus.
 Noises, such as: the bang of a gun, the sound of a broom moving across the floor, and the sound of broken glass
shattering on the hard floor.
 The lack of noise, describing a peaceful calm or eerie silence.

c. Olfactory Imagery

Olfactory imagery describes what we smell. Olfactory imagery may include:

 Fragrances, such as perfumes, enticing food and drink, and blooming flowers.
 Odors, such as rotting trash, body odors, or a stinky wet dog.

d. Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery describes what we taste. Gustatory imagery can include:

 Sweetness, such as candies, cookies, and desserts.

 Sourness, bitterness, and tartness, such as lemons and limes.
 Saltiness, such as pretzels, French fries, and pepperonis.
 Spiciness, such as salsas and curries.
 Savoriness, such as a steak dinner or thick soup.

e. Tactile Imagery

Lastly, tactile imagery describes what we feel or touch. Tactile imagery includes:

 Temperature, such as bitter cold, humidity, mildness, and stifling heat.

 Texture, such as rough, ragged, seamless, and smooth.
 Touch, such as hand-holding, one’s in the grass, or the feeling of starched fabric on one’s skin.
 Movement, such as burning muscles from exertion, swimming in cold water, or kicking a soccer ball.

2. Imagery: Related Terms

Metaphor

Metaphor is often used as a type of imagery. Specifically, metaphor is the direct comparison of two distinct things. Here
are a few examples of metaphor as imagery:
 Her smiling face is the sun.
 His temper was a hurricane whipping through the school, scaring and amazing his classmates.
 We were penguins standing in our black and white coats in the bitter cold.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is also a common tool used for imagery. Onomatopoeia is a form of auditory imagery in which the word
used sounds like the thing it describes. Here are a few examples of onomatopoeia as imagery:

 The fire crackled and popped.

 She rudely slurped and gulped down her soup.
 The pigs happily oinked when the farmer gave them their slop to eat.

Personification

Personification is another tool used for imagery. Personification provides animals and objects with human-like
characteristics. Here are a few examples of personification as imagery:
 The wind whistled and hissed through the stormy night.
 The tired tree’s branches moaned in the gusts of wind.
 The ocean waves slapped the shore and whispered in a fizz as they withdrew again.

What is a Simile?
Simile (pronounced sim--uh-lee) is a literary term where you use “like” or “as” to compare two different things and show
a common quality between them. A simile is different from a simple comparison in that it usually compares two unrelated
things. For example, “She looks like you” is a comparison but not a simile. On the other hand, “She smiles like the sun” is a
simile, as it compares a woman with something of a different kind- the sun.
 3- What is a Symbol?

A symbol (pronounced SIM-bull) is any image or thing that stands for something else. It could be as simple as a letter,
which is a symbol for a given sound (or set of sounds). Similarly, every word is a symbol for the idea it represents. Flags
are symbols for nations. And of course, we have all sorts of visual symbols that we use every day: $ @ & =

However, symbols don’t have to be the kind of things you only find on keyboards. A tree might symbolize nature. Einstein
symbolizes genius in our culture. Anything can be a symbol, if we make it one. In literature, symbols are
often characters, settings, images, or other motifs that stand in for bigger ideas. Authors often use symbols (or
“symbolism”) to give their work with more meaning and to make a story be about more than the events it describes. This
is one of the most basic and widespread of all literary techniques.

Example 1
In the Lord of the Rings movies and books, the One Ring is a symbol for power, selfishness, and greed. Everyone wants it
and many characters are willing to kill for it. Some begin with good intentions, but ultimately the Ring corrupts them and
bends them to its will. The symbolism of the story implies that power seduces, corrupts, controls, and destroys people
who are attached to it, just as the Ring does to its owners.

4- Allegory

An allegory is a complex form of symbolism in which the entire story is a symbol for something else.

For example, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union. Each
of the characters is symbolic – Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, for example, while the cart-horse Boxer represents the
Russian working class. The novel as a whole describes Orwell’s interpretation of the events in Russia, and warns of the
dangers of Communism while simultaneously making a case that it was individual evil, not Communism as an ideology,
that caused the injustices of the Soviet Union. So an allegory is a big symbol that contains many symbols within it.
Allegories have been used since ancient times to deliver stories about cultural values, heritage, and history. Ancient
mythologies often take the form of allegories for deep psychological and spiritual truths, while several stories in the New
Testament are allegories for Christian moral truths.

5- What is Atmosphere?
Atmosphere is the overall MOOD of a story or poem. It’s usually something readers can’t quite put their finger on – not
a motif or a theme, but a “feel” that readers get as they read. It’s very difficult to define, but you know an atmosphere
when you read it. Atmosphere mainly emerges through description rather than action – it’s not what people do that
creates an atmosphere, but the settings and environments that stage what they do.

Examples of Atmosphere - MOOD

These two examples describe the same scene, but they create a very different atmosphere. Notice how they both end
with similes describing the same sound in opposite ways:
Example 1

Marilyn’s small apartment was bathed with light from the new floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the sounds of a balmy
summer day floated up to her ears like the gurgle of a cool, clear brook.
Example 2
Marilyn’s cramped apartment was roasting in the scorching sunlight that burned through her floor-to-ceiling windows.
And if there was anything more oppressive than the heat, it had to be the constant din that bubbled up from the city
street below like steam from a putrid stew.

6- What is a Motif?

A motif is a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story. Motifs can be symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or
words. Motifs strengthen a story by adding images and ideas to the theme present throughout the narrative.

Examples of Motif

Example 1
The typewriter:
Throughout a novel, the main character considers buying a typewriter but decides against it, as they are too expensive or
old-fashioned. Deep-down she wants one, as she has always dreamed of being a writer. The typewriter emphasizes the
theme of avoidance and the protagonist’s temptation to pursue a different career.
Example 2
Bad weather:
Throughout a story, there is surprisingly bad weather—snow, freezing rain, and even a tornado. These weather conditions
further emphasize the larger theme of nature’s power over humans.
Example 3
A tuxedo:
Throughout a poem, a man wears a tuxedo for a variety of occasions: his wedding, his father’s funeral, and his own
daughter’s wedding. The tuxedo becomes a symbol of his changing duties as a husband, son, and father as he ages.
As can be seen from these examples, motifs by definition are repetitive throughout a narrative, to emphasize larger
themes and ideas.

7- What is Flashback?
Flashback is a device that moves an audience from the present moment in a chronological narrative to a scene in the past.
Often, flashbacks are abrupt interjections that further explain a story or character with background information and
memories.

. Examples of Flashback
Flashback can occur as a sudden thought sequence, a hazy dream, or a vivid memory. It can be announced or
unannounced in the line of narrative.

Example 1
As example of flashback, consider the following short story interrupted by flashback:

A man is about to give a speech to a large audience on biology. Suddenly, he remembers playing with frogs and toads in
his backyard as a curious child. He smiles at the memory, and then begins to speak to the audience about a new,
groundbreaking finding about frogs.
In this example, the flashback happens when the man remembers his childhood. The flashback serves to reveal that the
man had an early passion for animals and has now, as an adult, made a fantastic discovery in that area of science.
Example 2
Here is another example of flashback as a memory:

A woman is about to get married. As she puts on her veil, she remembers her fiancé three years before, swearing he would
make her his wife someday. A tear comes to her eye and she prepares to walk down the aisle.
Here, the flashback is the memory of the woman’s fiancé three years before. The memory serves to show that her fiancé
was sure of their relationship early on, and that his prediction has come true. The memory brings a tear of happiness to
her eye.

8- Foreshadowing
I. What is Foreshadowing?
Foreshadowing gives the audience hints or signs about the future. It suggests what is to come through imagery, language,
and/or symbolism. It does not directly give away the outcome, but rather, suggests it.

II. Examples of Foreshadowing

To foreshadow an event in a story, the audience is given direct and/or subtle clues about what will happen. Imagine this
scene:
Example 1
A professionally dressed woman hurriedly leaves the house, slamming the front door. She frantically searches for her keys
in the bottom of a giant purse while balancing a briefcase under her other arm. She finds her keys, gets in the car and
begins backing out of the driveway, and then slams on the brakes. “I feel like I’m forgetting something,” she says. She
shrugs and drives away.
With only this information, we can predict the outcome of this story—the woman has forgotten something important at
home, and she probably won’t realize it until she needs it, perhaps at a meeting. Her clothing, behavior, and dialogue are
all clues that work together to foreshadow what will happen in her future. Now, imagine the same situation, reenacted
with slight differences:
Example 2
A professionally dressed woman hurriedly leaves the house, slamming the front door. She frantically searches for her keys
in the bottom of a giant purse while balancing a briefcase under her other arm. She finds her keys, gets in the car, and
backs out of the driveway. As the car drives away, the camera moves back towards the front door and into the house,
where a USB stick is sitting on a shelf next to the front door.
In this scene, the situation is the same, but the details are different. It shows us the USB stick, forgotten by the woman,
which foreshadows a future conflict.

Types of Foreshadowing
There are many different techniques by which foreshadowing is employed. It can be used directly, indirectly, by prophecy,
and through symbolism and omens.

a. Foreshadowing – Direct

Hinting at an outcome or event by openly (directly) suggesting what could happen.

b. Foreshadowing – Indirect (subtle)

Hinting at an outcome or event by leaving subtle (indirect) clues to the plotline.

c. Foreshadowing by Prophecy

A prophecy foreshadows a crucial event without revealing the details on how it will occur. In storytelling, as a general
rule, a prophecy always comes true in one way or another, which makes it a very effective foreshadowing tool. Some of
the most famous uses of foreshadowing through prophecy can be found in the Bible.

d. Foreshadowing through Symbolism and/or Omen

This uses minor or insignificant things as symbols that foreshadow something that will happen. For example, a crow is
often an omen of death, thus, the appearance of a crow could foreshadow a character’s demise.

Importance of Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is used for many different purposes; however, its target is always the audience. It is a technique used to
change the perception of the audience by providing them with more knowledge than to some or all of
actual characters involved. Depending on how it is used, it can serve as an element for humor, fear, tension, excitement,
suspicion or, most commonly, suspense and anticipation.
Furthermore, by revealing clues to the plotline, foreshadowing works as a tool to help the audience feel more invested in
a story. It encourages them to develop personal opinions and predictions about the outcome, which in turn makes
them more likely to continue watching, listening, or reading. Without the use of foreshadowing, the audience would
rarely feel the desire to finish a story.

Examples of Foreshadowing in Literature

Example 1
Some of the most famous examples of foreshadowing in literature can be found in Shakespeare’s works. Romeo and
Juliet is brimming with lines that foreshadow future events in the play. For example, in the famous balcony scene, Romeo
expresses that he wouldn’t mind being caught by Juliet’s guards, stating that,
life were better ended by their hate, / Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

In simple terms, Romeo would rather die than live his life without Juliet’s love. His words foreshadow Romeo and Juliet’s
suicides, and the family conflict that precedes their deaths.

Example 2
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the students have an Herbology lesson with Professor Sprout, who begins by
asking the class is they know what “Mandrakes” are, to which Hermione answers,
Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative…It is used to return people who have been transfigured our cursed
back to their original state.

While Harry and his classmates attend many classes each day, Rowling specifically chooses to share this class with her
readers. Professor Sprout’s lesson teaches them that one of the Mandrake’s healing properties can bring a cursed (or
petrified) person back to their normal state. Rowling is hinting to the readers that the Mandrakes will be necessary later
in the book, foreshadowing that a character (or characters) will be cursed later in the story. Furthermore, it foreshadows
that the monster from the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk, as this is a beast whose gaze can lead to a person becoming
petrified.