English Literature

Learning competency:

EN7LIT-II-1: Analyze literary

texts as expressions of individual or communal values

Identify various figures of speech, point of view and narrative techniques in literary texts.

Learning Objectives

Define figures of

speech, point of view

and narrative
techniques.

Understand the

importance of figures of speech, point of view, and narrative techniques in literary texts.

Figures of Speech

• A figure of speech is a word or phrase that possesses a separate meaning from its literal definition. It is an expression that is designed to evoke emotion or create deeper meaning.

• Figures of speech lend themselves particularly well to literature and poetry. They also pack a punch in speeches and movie lines. Indeed, these tools abound in nearly every corner of life.

PERSONIFICATION

SIMILE

METAPHOR

HYPERBOLE

IRONY

ONOMATOPOEIA

ALLITERATION

A simile is a figure of speech that

compares two things that are different

from each other but have similar

qualities. These are generally formed
through the usage of the words ‘as’ or

‘like’.

Some examples of similes in a

sentence include:

• He is as brave as a lion.

• Her expression was as cold as ice.

• Swim like a fish.

• As light as a feather.

METAPHOR

A metaphor is used to imply a

comparison between two things that
have something in common but are in

general different from each other.

Some examples of the usage of
metaphors in a sentence are as

follows:

• It is raining cats and dogs.
• He is the star of our class.

• Life is a highway.

• Her eyes were diamonds.

For example, we often use phrases like the
howling wind, dancing leaves, time flies etc.

Some examples of personification in a

sentence are:

• The opportunity knocked at his door.

• The plants in her house silently begged to be

watered.

• Lightning danced across the sky.

• The wind howled in the night.

Personification attributes human

nature or human qualities to abstract

or inanimate objects.

HYPERBOLE

A hyperbole is a figure of speech
that consists of an exaggeration. It
is the usage of exaggerated terms
in order to emphasize or heighten

the effect of something.

Some examples of using hyperboles in a

sentence include:

• I have told you a million times to not •

touch my stuff!

• She has got a pea-sized brain

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

• She’s as old as the hills.

Irony or sarcasm is a figure of speech
in which the usage of words conveys
the opposite of their literal meaning.
These are often used in a humorous

manner.

Some examples of irony include:

• Your hands are as clean as mud.

• The dinner you served was as hot as ice.
• Coming home to a big mess and saying,

“it’s great to be back”.

•Telling a rude customer to “have a nice

day”.

ONOMATOPOEIA

This is a figure of speech that is
used to express a sound. To be
more precise, it involves the use
of words that imitate the sounds

associated with the action or

object referred to i.e. hiss, clap

etc.

Some examples of onomatopoeia

include:

• The buzzing bee flew over my head.
• The stone hit the water with a splash.

• The boulder hit the ground with a

flump.

• Leaves rustle in the wind and are

whipped into the air.

Alliteration is a sentence that

consists of a series of words that

have the same consonant sound at

the beginning.

Some popular examples of alliteration in a

sentence include:

• She sells sea shells on the seashore.

• A good cook could cook as many cookies as

a good cook who could cook cookies.

• All Adam ate in August was apples and

almonds.

• Barry bought a book to bring to the

backyard barbecue.

Point of view

The point of view is the narrator's position or perspective through which the story is being
communicated. An author's point of view tells the reader who the person is experiencing the event or the topic of the writing.

All types of writing — fiction, song lyrics, nonfiction — are written from a point of view.

Second Point

of View

Types of point of view

First Point of

View

Third Point of

View

Identifying a point of view in a writer's work can sometimes be challenging.

The best way to find the point of view is to skip the dialogue, go to the

narration, and look at the pronouns used in the narrative:

I, me, my, mine, myself, we, our, ours, ourselves — First person

You, your, yours, yourself — Second person

She, her, hers, herself, he, him, his, himself, they, them, themselves, their,

theirs — Third person

• Usually, we speak in the first person when
we talk about ourselves, our opinions, or our

experiences.

• Anytime a writer wants to share another
person's life, you will see the first-person

perspective. With a first-person view, every

person reading the passage sees into the

character's life.

• The first-person point of view is identified

by singular pronouns such as; me, my, I,
mine, and myself or plural first person

pronouns like we, us, our, and ourselves.

• Second person point of view is known as the “you”

perspective. It is the perspective of the person or

persons that the narrator is addressing. The second

person perspective is identifiable by the author's use of
second-person pronouns: you, yourself, your, yours, or

yourselves.

• The second person point of view attempts to
turn the reader into the character. It is seldom
used in novels but does give an immediate jolt.

• Never use second person point of view in

academic writing.

• The third-person point of view belongs to the

people or person the narrator is referring to.
Third-person pronouns are she, he, her, him,
hers, his, herself, himself, it, its, itself, they,

their, theirs, them and themselves.

• For the writer who must tell several

interwoven stories, provide psychological

distance between the subject and the reader,
or who needs to stay neutral, nothing beats

the third-person viewpoint.

• All academic writing, most advertising, many
novels, and most quotations or aphorisms are

written in the third person.

Narrative techniques

Narrative technique is the way in which a writer conveys what they want to say to their reader and the methods that they use to develop a story.

TYPES OF NARRATIVE

TECHNIQUES

As the name suggests, writers will use foreshadowing to suggest events or outcomes that will happen later in the writing, using either characters or objects within the story.

“My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

EXAMPLE:

Taking the reader out of an otherwise
chronological story, a flashback or flash forward will show events that happened in the past or future that impact the characters in the present day of the story timeline.

A Christmas Carol by Charles
Dickens is one of the most notable
examples of flash forward in classic
literature.

Flashback or
flash forward

EXAMPLE:

A cliffhanger is when a story is left open-ended and unresolved. This is a commonly used narrative technique in television and film, as creators want the viewers to come back for the next episode or sequel to see if the answers are revealed.

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens has plenty of examples of cliffhangers throughout the story. It was originally released in weekly newspapers and chapter endings were left deliberately open ended to encourage readers to
purchase the next week’s issue.

EXAMPLE:

Reflects on events that happen before the main body of the story being told, giving context for what happens in the present time. This is often featured as a prologue but can also be shared throughout a linear
timeline using character reflections.

Throughout Frankenstein, references are
made to the past events of both Dr.
Frankenstein and the creature. Those events
impact the reader’s understanding of the
characters.

Backstory

EXAMPLE:

• Figures of speech, such as metaphors, similes, personification, and hyperbole, are literary devices that add depth and color to writing.

• Point of view (POV) determines the perspective from which the story is told. It

influences how readers perceive the story and characters.

• Narrative techniques encompass a variety of methods that writers use to tell their stories.