Why Literary Devices Are Important in Writing?
When in college, there are many essays that you are expected to compete in every study period. They include argumentative, narrative, and definition essays. The obvious fact is that the professors look at the quality of the paper that you present to them as they assess your competence. Although preparing these essays is not easy, there is no way you can have an exemplary performance if you do not submit impressive papers. Again, there is no escape from these writing tasks.
There are many things you need to do to obtain the quality of the essay that can assure you of a good grade. First, you have to carefully study the essay question that you are expected to do, obtain the content that suits it, and ensure that your essay is properly organized before you hand it in.
One of the things you need to know is how to make your essay interesting. The professors are humans, and their attention has to be drawn to the content in the essay. The proper use of literary devices makes your writing superb. While some students know how to use them in their pieces, others have no idea how they are used in essays. Improper use of these devices can worsen the quality of your paper.
To be on the safe side, you need to know the literary terms, their meaning, how they are used in academic pieces and a list of the most suitable ones depending on the piece of writing that you are dealing with. Here is critical information you need to know.
Expert Literary Devices Definition for You
What is a literary device? When you read different stories, you notice that the authors do not just narrate the stories. There are certain stylistic devices that these writers use to make their stories more interesting. So, what is the literary devices definition? These are the devices or the techniques that the authors use to make their narrations interesting, attract the attention of the professors, and pass their messages more effectively.
Why People Use the Apostrophe Literary Device
What is apostrophe literary definition
Any piece of writing is meant to send a particular message to the professors. If you write an essay and there is no lesson that the professors draw from it, the piece is useless. By the use of the apostrophe literary device, the professor can understand the piece better.
Secondly, the literary expressions make a piece a story interesting. Humans have a short concentration span. Therefore, they find it hard to focus on a given story for a long period. As a narrator, you need to find ways of keeping them interested in the story. It is these devices that make the professors pay attention to your work. As for a writer, these devices also make it easy for you to continue writing your story. As you know, writing should not be a boring affair.
Writing is also a skill that learned and nurtured. When it gets to the point where you can use literary techniques, it means that your writing abilities are going to a new level. It is not all the writers that know the specific application of these devices. The more you use them, the better you become at writing.
How to Use Stylistic Devices Effectively When Writing
In everyday life, you use stylistic devices in your speech. You mostly use them without knowing. They creep in your writing as well. You need to know that there is a list of literary devices, that can only apply in certain stories and not others.
There are different things you need to learn to be on the safe side:
Understand the Specific Story You Have
It is not all devices that can be used in a given piece of writing. Some factors determine the specific style that you can use. The first is the type of story you are writing. The first task you have is to ensure you properly understand the kind of story that you are dealing with to ensure that you do not misplace a given literary device. When you use these tools in the wrong places, you end up confusing the professors who assess the papers. Therefore, you need to be cautious about the specific tools you decide to pick on. As a writer, you are expected to be particular, so the choice of words you choose. There is no room for ambiguity.
Read Other Literary Pieces to Understand Better
There are different books, articles, other publications that are either available online or in your school library. You need to pick those that are prepared by reputable authors. In most cases, they have different examples of literary devices and how they are used. You should read these pieces carefully to understand the context within which some styles are used. The more books you read, the easier it can be for you to apply the styles in your pieces. Pick the styles that suit you based on your specific writing style.
Write Essays Frequently to Master the Skill
The mastery in the use of literary tools does not just come magically. You have to take a step and learn how to use them in your daily writing. Consequently, you need to write your stories frequently. You can give the professor the pieces you have prepared so that they can correct you in the areas that you have not done well. In your next work, ensure you do not repeat the same mistakes. You can also give the essays to your friends to help you identify any mistakes. With time you can have a literary devices list that you can use effectively in your writing.
The Most Common Literary Devices
You come across common literary devices, either knowingly or unknowingly. The trick is that you need to know how to use them for the best results as you write your literary pieces. Below is a list that can be of help to you:
- Allusion
This is a technique in which the author refers to the happenings, people, or objects that are in a different story and uses them in the current story. The essence is to bring out more meaning and contextualize their own story. Besides, this technique can also add depth to the story being told.
However, the problem of using this technique is that the professor may not be familiar with the stories that you are referring to. To ensure the technique is more effective, the authors use the stories that are common such as the Bible stories.
Here is an illustration:
“Every single night, our hero cried and said he felt pain everywhere in his body. As evidence of the suffering he was going through, we could see mucus and blood oozing from his eyes, ears, nose, and the wounds that were on his back. One fine evening, like Lazarus, our hero was fine again…”
The mention of the story of Lazarus from the Bible is a classic example of allusion. The professor can get the picture that the process of recovery was faster than expected. The various types of literary devices are used differently. It is upon the writer to know what works perfectly in their situation.
- Euphemism
There are those cases when an author may want to describe certain things that may be considered offensive in normal life. In such cases, the writer may not say it directly. Instead, they can use a mild language but still pass the intended message.
Take a situation where a broadcaster is informing people about a game, and there is a player who has been hit in their genitals. In such a case, you do not expect the broadcaster to mention the exact name of the genitals that the player has struck. Instead, the place may be referred to as ‘below the belt.’ In that case, the exact name of the sensitive area may not be mentioned. As a writer, you need to have a literary terms list that you can use in such situations.
- Alliteration
While using this literary technique, some words begin with the same letters that are used in quick succession. The point here is to have words that have the same sounds used in a literary piece. The main reason for using words that alliterate is to create musicality in the piece of writing and make it more interesting to read. An example is, “the witch went west with the waist wriggling.” In this case, you notice that there is a repetition of the sound “w” in quick succession. You can only use these tools when you already know what are literary devices.
- Anastrophe
In this literary technique, the writer uses a sentence with the order of adjectives and nouns jumbled up. The writer, in this case, intends to bring out o more vivid description of the subject in question. You need to have a comprehensive list of literary elements to use these tools effectively. Any misplaced word may harm the piece you write. Therefore, you have to be cautious as you use these devices.
More Tips on Using Stylistic Devices
Sometimes, the feeling that you have to write something may overwhelm you. The ideas come easily, and you find that you have completed the writing task within a few hours. However, there are those moments that you may stare at a piece of paper for hours without getting an idea of what you need to write.
In such cases, you do not need to panic. Stop your mind from thinking hard and relax. When you force your brain to be creative at such moments, you may write wrong and misplaced phrases. Get something fun to do like jogging or watching your favorite movie.
As a writer, you should always have a paper and other writing materials where you can write the literary techniques list you come across in the course of doing other things. Once you already have a title, ideas can come to you any time. At those moments, you feel creative, write until your motivation withers again. After that, you can take another break.
As you use literary tools, there are certain principles that you need to stick to. First, do not write anything unclear. People love ideas that flow logically. Professors can easily switch off once they notice that you keep confusing them with the literary tools you employ. Therefore, you should only use the tools that sure of the situations where they are applied. If you cannot use an apostrophe literary term appropriately, avoid it.
Additionally, you need to meet the requirements of the professors. Therefore, use literary tools that the professor can identify with. It makes your piece presentable, relevant, and entertaining to read.
Use some literary tools sparingly. No one wants to read a piece that is full of alliteration. Use your writing experience to determine where these devices are necessary. When you use them in moderation, you make the piece easy to read.
Finally, you need to proofread your work to ensure that the devices fit properly where they are used. Any cases where the devices are misused should be corrected. The trick is to read many literary devices examples and learn how to use them effectively in your work.
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