L1.3 | LITERARY TECHNIQUES AND TRADITION

• LITERARY TECHNIQUES

  1. Flashback
  2. Foreshadowing
  3. Symbolism
  4. Simile
  5. Metaphor
  6. Hyperbole
  7. Personification
  8. Oxymoron
  9. Paradox
  10. Irony
  11. Situational Irony
  12. Dramatic Irony
  13. Soliloquy
• FLASHBACK

  • Scene that takes the story back in time to provide background or context.
• FORESHADOWING

  • Hints or clues about future events in the story.
• SYMBOLISM

  • Using objects, colors, or actions to represent deeper meanings.
• SIMILE

  • Comparison using "like" or "as." (more explicit)
• METAPHOR

  • Direct comparison without "like" or "as".
• HYPERBOLE

  • Extreme exaggeration for emphasis or humor.
• PERSONIFICATION

  • Giving human traits to nonhuman things.
• OXYMORON 

  • Combination of opposite words. 
• PARADOX

  • Seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
• IRONY

  • Unexpected twist or opposite of what is expected
• SITUATIONAL IRONY 

  • Opposite of what is expected happens.
• DRAMATIC IRONY

  • Audience knows something the characters don’t.
• SOLILOQUY

  • Character is alone on stage (or believes they are) and speaking their thoughts aloud to the audience.
• LITERARY TRADITION

  1. Earlier Period
  2. Contemporary Period
• EARLIER PERIOD

  • Rooted in oral storytelling, mythology, and religious texts.
  • Followed strict structures (epics, sonnets, tragedies).
  • Themes focused on heroism, morality, and tradition.
  • Written in formal, poetic, or symbolic language.
  • Limited accessibility — mainly for the educated or elite.
• CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

  • More diverse and experimental in style and structure.
  • Explores modern themes like identity, technology, and social issues.
  • Breaks traditional rules, allowing for free verse, hybrid genres, and digital literature.
  • More accessible — published in books, social media, blogs, and spoken word performances.
  • Reflects current realities, making literature more personal and inclusive.