← Written text essay: respond critically to written texts
3 Literary-technique reference
For each device: what it is, and an Excellence-style sentence pattern. Swap in your own text’s quotations.
Language & imagery
| Technique | Definition | Example sentence (pattern) |
|---|
| Metaphor | Direct comparison (X is Y) | The metaphor of [quote] casts [idea] as [effect], positioning the reader to see [character] as… |
| Simile | Comparison using like/as | Through the simile “…”, the author makes [abstract idea] vivid and tangible, so the reader feels… |
| Symbolism | An object standing for an idea | The recurring symbol of [X] comes to represent [theme], reminding the reader that… |
| Imagery | Sensory description | Vivid [visual/aural] imagery in “…” immerses the reader in [mood], reinforcing the idea that… |
| Personification | Human qualities to non-human | By personifying [X] as “…”, the author suggests [idea], unsettling/comforting the reader. |
Structure & voice
| Technique | Definition | Example sentence (pattern) |
|---|
| Characterisation | How a character is built | The author characterises [name] through [action/dialogue], leading the reader to judge/sympathise… |
| Motif | A repeated image/idea | The motif of [X] recurs at key moments, building the theme of [idea] across the text. |
| Structure | Order/shape of the text | The non-linear structure withholds [information], positioning the reader to reassess [character] once… |
| Irony | Gap between appearance & reality | Dramatic irony in [moment] lets the reader see what [character] cannot, creating [tension/pathos]. |
| Foreshadowing | Hints at what’s to come | The foreshadowing in “…” primes the reader for [event], making its arrival feel inevitable. |
| Tone | The author’s attitude | The shift to a [bitter/elegiac] tone in [section] signals the author’s critique of [idea]. |