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A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story.

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Power in Literature, Short Stories Part 4: Plot

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It's the words and the author chooses to use in his/her writing and what that shoes about the character.

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Point of view is a way where the reader can be reading it as if it really happened.

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Figurative language is the use of words that gives conventional order and meaning in order to complicate a meaning.

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The expressing a meaning by using humorous or emphatic effect.

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Exposition: Is the background of the story.

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In our earlier post on the questions to consider while Plotting, we briefly spoke to you about what plotting entails when you are writing a novel. In this five-part series on the structures of plots we bring to you what goes into plotting and why it is an extremely important literary element.
The plots of traditional stories are believed to follow a certain pattern. German playwright and novelist, Gustav Freytag is credited with analyzing the structures of stories. He proposed that the plot of story goes through the following dramatic arcs:

The same can represented as a pyramid

In this first post we talk to you about the first dramatic arc - Exposition and six ways to write an effective exposition. In subsequent posts, we will demystify the other arcs.

Structure of Plots - Part 1. What is Exposition?

Exposition is introducing your reader to your story. It's saying, "Hello Reader, meet my character" or "Hello Reader, here's that haunted house where everything is going to happen."
Exposition comprises of the choices you make, as a writer, to set the scene and initiate readers to your story. It is about conveying intitial and necessary information.

6 WAYS TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE EXPOSITION

A. EXPOSITION THROUGH CONFLICT

Excerpt from The Trial by Franz Kafka
Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., he knew he had done nothing wrong but, one morning, he was arrested.

Introducing your reader to the conflict, taking him/her straight to the story is an effective way. You don't have to reveal anything more than what the conflict is. It serves as hook. In the above instance, the story begins with the main character's arrest. Two policemen turn up at his home and arrest him. We are not told why he is being arrested and the character himself has no idea! Spoiler alert: The reason for his arrest is never revealed yet, as the story progresses, so much intrigue has been created that readers keep reading.

B. EXPOSITION THROUGH DIALOGUE

Exceprt from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
(Spoken by Dumbledore to Harry)
"Voldemort... took your blood believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when she died for you. His body keeps her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so do you and so does Voldemort's one last hope for himself."

Notice how important information is introduced through dialogue. This is an extremely effective way because characters constantly interact with each other. So, if you encounter a situation where you need to provide information but are unable to do so in narration simply because it feels out of place, it might be an option to create an opportunity for dialogue and to then reveal the information through dialogue.

C. EXPOSITION THROUGH THOUGHTS / SOMETHING A CHARACTER HAS TO SAY ABOUT HIS/HER LIFE

Excerpt from Jane Eyre byCharlotte Bronte
There was no possibility of taking a walk THAT DAY. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, where was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door excerise was now out of the question.
I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly windy afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddenned by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John and Georgina Reed

This way is effective when you want your readers to understand the state of mind of your character. Jane Eyre was treated very badly by people she called family and she was in a fragile state of mind for the longest time. So if a character's state of mind or being is central plot point you could consider this sort of exposition. This story is often considered the original coming-of-age story.

D.EXPOSITION THROUGH CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

Excerpt from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
"You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,' but that ain't no matter. That book was made by a Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.

Now don't we like this character? J Of course we do. With an attitude like that? So, go ahead and introduce your readers to your character's spunk! That's a great way.

E. EXPOSITION THROUGH KEY BACKGROUND INFORMATION (THROUGH NARRATION)

Excerpt from The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen
Many years ago there lived an emperor who loved beautiful new clothes so much that he spent all his money on being finely dressed. His only interest was in going to the theater or in riding about in his carriage where he could show off his new clothes. He had a different costume for every hour of the day. Indeed, where it was said of other kings that they were at court, it could only be said of him that he was in his dressing room!

I've chosen a children's story told in a traditional manner to make my point, the point being that good old narration with the key facts is also a great way to bring about an effective exposition. Good narration never goes out of fashion.

F. EXPOSITION THROUGH LETTERS, NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, MEDICAL PRESCIRPTIONS, BILLS,

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING From The Blind Assassin by Margret Atwood
The Toronto Star, May 26, 1945 QUESTIONS RAISED IN CITY DEATH SPECIAL TO THE STAR A coroner's inquest has returned a verdict of accidental death in last week's St. Clair Ave. fatality. Miss Laura Chase, 25, was travellingwest on the afternoon of May 18 when her car swerved through the barriers protecting a repair site on the bridge and crashed into the ravine below, catching fire. Miss Chase was killed instantly. Her sister, Mrs. Richard E. Griffen, wife of the prominent manufacturer, gave evidence that Miss Chase sufferred from severed headaches affecting her vision. In reply to questioning, she denied any possibility of intoxication as Miss Chase did not drink...
This epistolary tool helps to provide a lot of information. Notice how all necessary information about a character's death, reactions to that death from close relatives as well as details of close relatives and the death itself is presented. Diary excerpts, letters etc too are known to be used.

REMEMBER!

Expositions usually include:

1. Who your characters are: Can include names, Profession, a particular like or dislike/ character traits - things that will help your readers get familiar with your character. Remember that your readers are following the trajectory of your characters. They will be rooting for your main character (usually) and good expositions help create good first impressions

2. Where they are : A sense of the place where something is happenning or where something is going to happen

3. Time: You remember the famous, "Once Upon a time" opening line? Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children too begins in a similar way. Consider this:

I was born in the city of Bombay...once upon a time. No, that won't do, there's no getting away from the date. I was born in Doctor Narlikar's Nursing Home on August 15th, 1947. And the time? The time matters, too. Well then: at night. No, it's important to be more... On the stroke of midnight, as a matter of fact. Clock-hands joined palms in respectful greeting as I came.

As you can see from the opening lines, readers are introduced to a character who talks about his birth, his place of birth and time of birth. Almost immediately we know that this is very important information ("there is no getting away from the date..." and "time matters, too") and get a sense of the setting - the day of Indian Independence is very clear from the above lines.
Novels have longer expositions than short stories owing to sheer length and the fact novesl require greater time investments from readers than short stories. Expositions of novels might run into a few pages.
(Note: In the above example, I used only the opening lines to make my point. This is not the entire exposition from the novel.)

WORD OF CAUTION WHILE USING EXPOSITION

Writers sometimes instinctively tend to give too much information to the readers. The rule of the thumb is, "act first, explain later." Get the action going, you don't have to explain everything! Invariably there will be plenty of opportunity to explain why something was done. Don't turn exposition into an information dump!
Are there other great ways to write an effective exposition? Let us know by way of a comment!

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6 Ways to write an effective Exposition (with examples) - Booksoarus

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In our earlier post on the questions to consider while Plotting, we briefly spoke to you about what plotting entails when you are writing a novel. In this five-part series on the structures of plots we bring to you what goes into plotting and why it is an extremely important literary element.

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Rising Action is after the opening of a story.

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You may have heard the term falling action when discussing elements of plot. But what does it mean, and why is it important in storytelling? Keep reading to learn all about falling action and its purpose in a story's plot.

falling action metaphor roller coaster

Definition of Falling Action

Falling action refers to the events that follow the climax of a story. While rising action builds tension throughout the story, falling action decreases that tension. It leads to the character's ultimate resolution.

Falling Action Within the Plot Structure

If you're familiar with basic plot structure, you know that it looks like a mountain. Along the lines of the mountain are the five basic parts of a story plot:

Introduction - The writer establishes the setting and characters, and sets up the conflict to come.

Rising Action -A sequence of events in the plot that create more conflict for the main character and lead up to the climax.

Climax - The most exciting and important moment in the story; the character faces their main conflict and determines their fate.

Falling Action -Events that follow the climax but don't yet bring resolution to the main character.

Resolution (or denouement) -Brings resolution to the conflict and either relief or tragedy to the main character.

Purpose of Falling Action

It's tempting to end a story very quickly after reaching the climax, skipping the falling action entirely. But falling action has a very important purpose in a story's plot. Here are some reasons why including falling action is a good idea when telling a compelling story.

Moving Toward Resolution

Characters use falling action to settle into whatever has changed in the climax, and to slowly work their way to resolving internal and external conflicts. A story without a resolution is not satisfying - and a resolution that comes immediately after a climax doesn't feel genuine. Falling action may include exciting moments, but they should not be as important or exciting as the climax itself.

Deescalating Tension

Like the story's characters, an audience needs a moment to regroup and assess what has just happened in a tense climax. Falling action provides an opportunity for reflection and evaluation before moving on to the story's resolution. Writers should not introduce new conflicts in this section of the plot, as the action is meant to fall.

Balancing Rising and Falling Action

Keeping a balance between rising and falling action is key to an even story. A story with too much rising action may make their readers impatient for a climax, while too much time between a climax and resolution tends to drag and bore their audience. A well-written story includes more rising action than falling action, but not too much (or too little) of either.

Examples of Falling Action

Think of your favorite book or movie, and consider its climactic moment. What happened next? That's the story's falling action. Check out these examples of falling action in film and literature:

Cinderella

In the classic fairy tale "Cinderella," the rising action leads up to Cinderella attending a ball, where she loses her slipper. The tension goes up when the prince must search the kingdom to find the slipper's owner. At the story's most climactic moment - Cinderella's turn to try the slipper - the story reaches its highest tension. The prince's recognition of Cinderella begins the story's falling action, leading to its resolution: their wedding and happily ever after.

The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) ended with serious questions about Luke Skywalker's father. In The Empire Strikes Back(1980), the story's rising action brings Luke through Jedi training and into a battle with Darth Vader - who, in the movie's climax, reveals himself to be Luke's father. Everything that happens after that iconic moment, including Luke's rescue by Leia and Lando Calrissian, is falling action, awaiting the trilogy's resolution in Return of the Jedi.

The Wizard of Oz

In both L. Frank Baum's novel The Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation, Dorothy follows a path that should lead her home. The events in her journey amp up the tension as the Wicked Witch of the West follows and torments Dorothy. However, Dorothy overcomes her antagonist by pouring water in the story's climax. Her resolution puts her at home where she belongs, but the events that connect the witch's downfall to Dorothy's return to Kansas make up the story's falling action.

Understanding the Elements of Storytelling

Identifying the parts of a plot can help you understand where a story is going. It can also help you determine whether you enjoy the story and assist when you're writing your own tales. For more inspiration, check out these examples of short stories.

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What Is Falling Action? Purpose in a Story's Plot

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You may have heard the term falling action when discussing elements of plot. But what does it mean, and why is it important in storytelling? Keep reading to learn all about falling action and its purpose in a story's plot. falling action metaphor roller coaster Falling action refers to the events that follow the climax of a story.

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Climax is the action starts during which the solution is given.

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Falling action is after the dramatic confrontation of the climax.

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Syntax is the word and phases to create well-formed sentence in a language.

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Connotation: can be the meaning, associations, or emotions to attached to some words and addition to literal dictionary definitions, or denotations.
Denotation: can be the literal or primary meaning of a word.

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This video explains the difference between connotation and denotation. It is intended for use as direct instruction for a flipped classroom or as a supplemental material for remediation. It is aligned to the VASOL ELA7.4d: Identify Connotations. This is part of a larger lesson.

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Tone is the attitude of the writer that takes toward a subject, a character, or the audience.

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Tone & Mood: mini-lesson for English Literature

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Mood is a story's atmosphere or the feeling it evokes.

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Resolution is the end of the story

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Flashback: is a scene in a movie, play, short, novel or narrative poem that interrupts the present action of the plot to flash backward.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Flashback?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Setting: is the time and place of a story or play.

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Foreshadowing: can tell you many clues or hints at events that will occur later.

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Foreshadowing | Definition & Examples of Foreshadowing

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Parallelism: is repeating words, phrases, or sentence that have the same grammar or the similar idea.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What Is Parallelism?": Oregon State Guide to Grammar

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Protagonist: is the main character in fiction or drama.
Antagonist: is the character who make things difficult for the main character.

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Conflict: is the struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Conflict in Literature?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Internal conflict: is the character mind choosing there desires within there decisions.

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Man vs man: Means a character vs another character against each other.

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Theme: The theme of this book is man Vs. man( or men). It is technically a life story, but Kvothe's life is based on his quest for vengeance against the Chandrian. The story could be man vs. himself, because of the constant moral choices Kvothe has to make, (i.e. killing a man who has wronged him) but these choices do not make up the entire theme of the book.

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May 5, 2014 - Theme: The theme of this book is man Vs. man( or men). It is technically a life story, but Kvothe's life is based on his quest for vengeance against the Chandrian. The story could be man vs. himself, because of the constant moral choices Kvothe has to make, (i.e. killing a man who has wronged him) but these choices do not make up the entire theme of the book.

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Man vs society: Means the character is fighting for the community or surrounding.

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External conflicts in fiction - conflicts between characters and outside sources rather than inner battles - are an important part of storytelling. 'Man vs society' (or, rather, person vs society) is a conflict authors often use to explore society and culture. It explores the ways individual people's deeds, beliefs and desires contradict the social mores surrounding them.

Here are examples of person vs society conflicts from books and tips for using this conflict type well:

What does 'person vs society' mean?

A person vs society conflict shows a struggle between a character and larger social forces. For example, a queer or LGBTQI person in a society that shuns gender non-conformity.

Most often, person vs society conflicts arise when a community's commandments (e.g. 'All men should wear X gender-specific clothing') disallow the individual's choices or innate desires. This creates a conflict between what a character desires and what society demands or expects.

Examples of this type of conflict in fiction include:

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (1850). Society shuns Hester Prynne for having a child out of wedlock/marriage

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985). Various individual women in Atwood's novel struggle against a new American society (the Republic of Gilead) that takes away women's rights

Albert Camus' The Stranger/The Outsider (1944 - originally in French L'Étranger). One of the landmark novels where an anti-hero meets a bad end because they don't play by society's rules. The lead character kills a man who was involved in a conflict with a friend and is sentenced to death

In each of the above examples, a character struggles with a community or social context that controls, exploits or condemns them.

Exploitation - unfair use of another's work for gain - is a common feature of novels about person vs society conflicts. Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) grapples with the exploitations of slavery, for example, and its aftermath.

Condemnation - disapproval or censure - is another common feature. Society punishes or casts out the individual for 'not playing the game' when society makes the rules.

Here are tips to using this conflict type well:

1. Give characters clear reasons to oppose their society

Standing out, being punished, disapproved of, shunned - these are not easy paths to take. A character, of course, might wish to offend as many people as possible via their actions and words.

Yet another character may hunger to belong, although desire drives them to act against the grain of society's demands.

People can break society's dominant codes or rules for many reasons:

They have desires or characteristics society (or a segment of society) shuns (e.g. forbidden romantic or physical attractions or personal features)

They continue a cycle of trauma (for example, a character who experienced past violence may continue the cycle of violence)

People hold strong personal beliefs, opinions or values that contradict society's dominant views (e.g. a pro-abolitionist in a racist town where slavery is common)

From this we can see that society's dominant views may be ethical or unethical, open-minded or prejudiced. Whatever motivates your character to go against society's demands or views, think about the cause.

For example, perhaps an anti-racist from a privileged group has a personal experience that shows them people's physical appearance doesn't convey innate superiority or inferiority. This leads them to oppose their racist society. [To brainstorm details about characters, use the step-by-step prompts in Now Novel's process.]

This 'moment of awakening' - of realizing society could very well be deeply wrong - is a key moment in man vs society conflicts. It's the moment the trailblazer or iconoclast ('destroyer of icons') realises their own power to change, or work against, the tide of dominant, habitual thinking or practice.

What is the event or experience that brings your character to this awakening?

2. Show differences between society's antagonists

In any society, some will fight to maintain traditional ways of seeing and being stronger than others. When society is the main antagonist, it feels false if every single member of the society is equally hostile or complicit. [Find more of our posts on writing antagonists on our character writing hub.]

In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, for example, Governor Bellingham is an elder gentleman who usually sticks to the rules but is also swayed by others' passionate arguments for lenience or rule-bending. It is thanks to this individual character that Hester is able to keep Pearl, the child she has out of wedlock/marriage, despite Puritan society's extreme disapproval.

Indivudal tensions and differences make person vs society conflicts complex and interesting. They show that just because a society keeps a traditional practice does not mean everyone is equally invested in (or determined to uphold) said practice.

They allow characters allies, even if they otherwise meet mainly with opposition and hostility from most quarters.

3. Make the stakes for disobedience high

In a typical person vs society conflict, the stakes are high. When a character takes on an individual opponent, they might stand a good chance of winning. Yet what if your opponent has an entire police force, schooling system, or 'mob justice' brigade ready to do its bidding?

In these cases, the individual that breaks society's written or unspoken rules often pays a high price. Camus' outsider is sentenced to death. People conspire to separate Hester Prynne from her daughter in The Scarlet Letter.

Because of the overwhelming odds of being an individual against many, these conflicts are often especially tense. We wait breathlessly to see what the cost of acting against societal pressures will be. Make sure these costs are believable and loom close.

4. Find person vs self conflicts that complicate person vs society

Opposing your society, as mentioned in point one, often first requires a dawning realization your society is wrong (or that you care about your own goals or desires more than communal pressures).

Yet this process of finding inner will to fight (or simply shun) broader society often comes with inner conflict.

For example, a character who is taught to accept the practice of arranged marriage who is attracted to someone not arranged might struggle with their desire. They might see their desire as weakness, sinfulness (if the practice has a religious origin) or something else entirely negative.

Think about possible internal conflicts that could make it harder for your character to stand up and oppose conventional wisdom, rules or practices.

5. Decide how man vs society conflicts will resolve

Often man vs society conflicts in stories resolve in death or other severe consequences. For example, in Shakespeare's famous Romeo and Juliet, the lovers from eternally feuding families can only be together in death.

In your story's particular society, what are characters' options? Conform or else ... ?

Get help developing believable man vs society conflicts and other elements of writing craft - join Now Novel.

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Person Vs Society: 6 Types of Story Conflict | Now Novel

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External conflicts in fiction - conflicts between characters and outside sources rather than inner battles - are an important part of storytelling. 'Man vs society' (or, rather, person vs society) is a conflict authors often use to explore society and culture. It explores the ways individual people's deeds, beliefs and desires contradict the social mores surrounding them.

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Man vs nature: Is the struggle of the character against an animal or force of nature.

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Man vs technology: Is when a character faces technology and prevail against it.

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The rise of the machines

Technology is providing new, more innovative ways to augment us - human beings - thus enabling us to better respond to a world moving at a faster pace, and more easily secure that all-important competitive edge for businesses and industry. Institutions and government are facing mounting social costs, while communities and individuals alike are looking for a healthier, happier life. These challenges and aspirations press researchers to push past technology's boundaries to develop smarter machines, since these intelligent constructs represent the most practical way to augment our capabilities.

Since the beginning of Homo sapiens, we have crafted machines to help us; what we are seeing today is an acceleration of this process. Part of this hastening is the result of having reached a tipping point: we are no longer required to transfer human knowledge to a machine for it to become smarter. We have forged machines that can learn on their own by observing us, making sense out of big data, and watching experiences as they unfold on the web. Just as important is the ability of these clever creations to test their newfound knowledge both against other machines and internally through the use of virtual clones.

To be sure, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has progressed significantly, though it's more in terms of its applicability than in terms of absolute theoretical progress. AI can do far more today because processing power is abundant, cheap and (almost) ubiquitous. This, along with pervasive communications, and sensors and storage capabilities, has led to an inflection point in the availability of data. The consequence is twofold: the data space is so big that it is beyond human comprehension, and it is fueling machines' capabilities, intelligence, and continuous learning.

This process has just begun, and there's no end in sight. Machines have evolved beyond their clockwork origins, and are likely to surpass humans in a growing number of areas.

Man over machine

Until now, building a better mousetrap has served to improve the human condition. We have consistently benefitted from machines and have always had the power to shut them off...and sometimes we did. Consider the devastating weapons that while immensely effective, could lead us down the path to wholesale destruction.

The growing issue is the vital role played by machines - both as single entities and collectively as infrastructures - means we basically no longer have the option of just "shutting them down". Think about the power grid, with its hundreds of thousands of people working around the clock to ensure that it stays on. The idea of turning it off (e.g. for decreasing CO2) is simply no longer an option.

Surgery is becoming progressively robotized, and medical diagnostics have become fully machine-dependent. Automated machines today manufacture drugs. Pulling the plug on these operations would have dire consequences for thousands, if not millions of people worldwide.

Yet, we can still claim that we are using machines as extension of ourselves, leveraging them as stronger, faster, and cheaper hands. Because of this, humans still triumph over the machine, but it is up to us to decide where we go from here.

More recently, machines have risen to become more than merely our augmented hands; they are now beginning to amplify our cognitive capabilities. It's subtle, but it is happening.

Most of us have a symbiotic relationship with our smartphone. But how often do you really use it to call other people? More often than not, we're using our devices to call machines. Need help reaching a destination? Let your smartphone show you the way. Want to impress your guests by cooking a gourmet dinner? Get out your smartphone and look for a recipe. Feeling awkward? Dr. Smartphone can check your pulse, face color, and other health cues, and then offer advice.

These are but a few examples of how we're starting to engage with machines, but the list is growing rapidly. In the coming years, we can expect more people to have a digital doppelgänger flanking them. On one hand, this twin will be a digital mirror allowing for monitoring of any telltale signs of health problems. On the other hand, it will take on a life of its own in cyberspace, becoming a repository of our existence, a sort of black box that can be queried at will. It could even become a means of simulating next steps, whether in business, education, health, or even entertainment, allowing us to determine the best path forward.

Machine over man

Extending our sphere of knowledge by using machines as tools is a grand idea...as long as we're on the winning side. But are we truly still in command of our intelligent machine creations? If the answer to this is "no," we may find that we have a lot to lose.

That human jobs are being lost to machines is nothing surprising or new. The revolution in agriculture machine technologies has multiplied the yield making it possible to feed 7 billion people better on the average then 1 billion people were fed two centuries ago. There's no going back now - if we were to turn off the machines that produce fertilizers and insecticides, and that make it possible for one man to do the harvesting work of 10, the penalties would be famine and quite possibly, mass human extermination.

If robots have eaten human jobs like candy, then autonomous vehicles could be like setting a glutton loose at an all-you-can-eat buffet. From this perspective, we're losing to machines, because they perform better than we do at certain things. The digital transformation promises to be even worse. During the late industrial revolution, when machines stepped in to take our jobs, it was all about automation. With the digital revolution, jobs aren't being replaced by machines; they're simply disappearing. There's no longer a need for automated paper shuffling because there's no paper anymore.

Sure, AI can replace a few brains, however, more critically, it makes those brains redundant. Think about self-driving, autonomous vehicles. You no longer need operators, which equates to the potential loss of 3 million or more driving jobs in the U.S. alone, but you also no longer require that many vehicles. Today, we buy a car and then park it along the sidewalk or in a garage 90 percent of the time. With their commoditization, a mere 40 percent of today's vehicles would be ample for satisfying all of our transportation needs. This translates into reduced manufacturing demand, along with fewer red lights, traffic signs, and police.

A world permeated by machines performing in the knowledge space, a world customized for machines, is quite different than the one we know now. The corollary is that we lose along several fronts, and they win.

But hang on a sec - it's clear that in such a world, we would lose...but doesn't winning require some sort of awareness or sentience? Would a machine ever be motivated by winning to pursue a strategy that would allow them to do so? It might seem far-fetched, but we're now seeing the first examples of this motivation, leading machines to devise strategies for winning on their own.

For example, DeepMind's AlphaGo did just that, leading to its defeat of world Go champion, Lee Sedol. I am also fairly certain that militaries worldwide are building smart weapon systems capable of pursuing their (assigned) goals using strategies of their own making. Bots being used in the financial markets are acquiring self-awareness, finding new means of meeting their programmed targets.

Now, we can take some comfort from the "assigned" part of this narrative; however, notice how I included "assigned" in parentheses. How long can we trust an intelligent autonomous system to play within human-assigned boundaries? This isn't just about software bugs or hacking. The very concept of "autonomous and intelligent" means these machines are taking up lives of their own. And in many areas, a fully performing autonomous system needs leeway to wholly exploit its intelligence and logic capabilities.

It's a sort of catch-22 situation - the more intelligence and autonomy you allow a machine, the better it will perform and the more useful it will be. But at the same time, the more leeway the less control you have.

As noted at the start of this piece, we've already reached a turning point where humans alone can no longer able to extract all potential value from cyberspace; we can do that only through the use of machines. For machines to be able do that, they need to be, well, better than us. So we're already in that catch-22 situation.

Man and machines together

So far, the division between humans and machines has been clear - I'm here, the machine is there - but that boundary is getting fuzzier. Smart prosthetics fuse seamlessly with our bodies, making up for lost limbs or providing additional strength, stability, or resilience, as seen in exoskeletons donned by assembly line workers.

We use our smartphones symbiotically, but what if they were integrated directly into our bodies? Think a smartphone in the form of a contact lens capable of transparently delivering augmented reality images straight to the brain. Think it sounds like science fiction? Think again. The first prototypes have already been built.

Soon, brain-computer interfaces could become seamless as well, creating a new synergistic relationship between the cloud and us. At that point, the question of who knows what would be moot; you ask me a question and I know the answer. Sometimes that answer will be stored in my own neural circuitry, but most of the time it would come from the connection of my neurons to the web.

Of course the real problem is not about where the knowledge is stored, as long as it is seamlessly accessible. The real problem lies in where the decision-making process takes place! The answer to this is very complex; it's already an issue today and truthfully, it has been an issue for centuries.

Think about it. Our brain decision process is influenced by the way it has been "educated" by the cultural context. These external factors are influencing our decision processes to the point that in certain situations, we can legitimately claim that influence has been so strong that our brains can't be held accountable for the choices made.

The point I'm trying to make is that we humans are in symbiosis with our cultural environment, and the tools - both physical and conceptual - that we have been taught to use.

In a way, it will be no different in the coming decades. Our context will change, becoming permeated by intelligent machines. Much like we do today with our fellow humans, we'll have to contend with and negotiate our decisions with these smarter mechanized constructs. And just like with humans, there will advantages and disadvantages alike.

My guess is that the transformation will be subtle. We'll neither realize it is happening, nor that it has happened. How deeply do we comprehend that our decision to buy a certain brand of toothpaste was influenced by a commercial that we saw a month ago and have since forgotten?

This isn't a win or lose situation. We're going to wind up as a partner to our smarter machines, and that partnership will be fostered by our augmentation through technology. Machines will play an essential role in this augmentation and, as with any successful technology, they will fall below our level of perception. In the end, the revolution will be silent and invisible.

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Technology is providing new, more innovative ways to augment us - human beings - thus enabling us to better respond to a world moving at a faster pace, and more easily secure that all-important competitive edge for businesses and industry. Institutions and government are facing mounting social costs, while communities and individuals alike are looking for a healthier, happier life.

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Theme: The central idea of a work of literature.

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Many of you have written or commented to tell us how much you liked Ian Stewart's original tutorial, "How To Create a WordPress Theme: The Ultimate WordPress Theme Tutorial". You'll be happy to learn that that we've created a second edition.

Preface
Many of you have written or commented to tell us how much you liked Ian Stewart's original tutorial, "How To Create a WordPress Theme: The Ultimate WordPress Theme Tutorial". You'll be happy to learn that that we've created a second edition of the tutorial! Just like last time, you can expect one new lesson each day. What's changed in the second edition? Keep reading to find out! What's new in the Second Edition:

Updated code samples that draw from the Underscores (_s) starter theme. February 2012 marked the release of the Underscores (_s) starter theme, and since then, it has gathered plenty of momentum. The code samples and file structure for the theme we're going to create in this tutorial will draw from _s as a source of modern code that reflects current best practices.

New Lessons. Developing Your Theme Sense is worth reading if you're completely new to WordPress Theme Development. It'll teach you what you need to know to sharpen your theme intuition. Setting Up Your Theme Functions guides you through creating an organized theme structure, and Secure your WordPress Theme tells you what you need to know to lock your theme down from potential security threats. Distributing Your WordPress Theme covers the steps you'll need to take to prepare your theme for distribution, and what you need to know about licensing.

New Tools. We added new awesome tools to the Theme Development Tools lesson.

Introduction

In only 16 individual lessons, this WordPress Theme Tutorial is going to show you how to build a powerful, up-to-date, WordPress Theme from scratch. As we go along I'll explain what's happening including (for better or worse) my thinking on certain techniques and why I'm choosing one path over another. Essentially, I'll be teaching you everything you need to know about WordPress Theme development.

At the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to do almost anything you want.

Skip to the Table of Contents.
Introducing the Underscores (_s) Starter Theme
If you haven't heard of _s, in short, it's a 100% GPL, community-driven starter theme that contains modern templates, starter CSS, and an organized file structure - everything you need to help you get your designs off the ground. You can also use _s as a starting point for your future theme projects. If you'd like to learn more about the thinking behind _s, please take a moment to read A 1000-Hour Head Start: Introducing the _s Theme. Come right back after you've read it. No, seriously, we'll wait.

The simple theme we're going to build in this tutorial, The Shape Theme (yes, it's the Shape Theme from the 1st Edition, updated for the 2nd Edition), is based on _s. Download it and check it out if you'd like to see the finished code we'll be going through, live, in action. It'll be a while before we get to the CSS lesson, but if you'd like to look ahead at the sample design we'll eventually create for the Shape theme, you can grab it here.

A Word About Timeliness
Are you reading this on a date that makes October 2012 seem like a long time ago? Yes? Then there's a good chance that some of the code samples in this tutorial are already outdated. That's OK, because what's more important is that you understand the broad concepts - the whys - that are presented in the lessons. You can always grab a copy of the latest _s source code from the GitHub repository.
Here's the list of features your finished theme will be able to boast of:

A well-organized, modular file structure

All the search-engine optimization you'll really need

Google-supported Microformat markup

Valid and logical semantic markup structure than can be used to create ANY layout

Smart default CSS layouts

Localization support: translation-ready mark-up and an RTL stylesheet

Dynamic body, post, and comment classes

Separated trackbacks and threaded comments

Two widget areas: the first one with default widgets, and the second coded to disappear when it's empty

Support for the Aside Post Format (after the tutorial, you'll easily be able to add support for more post formats)

A Custom Menu, Flexible Custom Header Image, and a Custom Background

Simple responsive styling, including a lightweight navigation menu for mobile devices

And all the typical WordPress stuff you expect from a theme

I think that's kind of impressive-for any WordPress Theme.

WordPress Theme Tutorial Table of Contents

Ready for a WordPress Theme Tutorial that will show you how to create a powerful theme from scratch? Read it from the beginning and code yourself up something awesome. Note: if a lesson does not have an active link, it means that lesson hasn't been published yet. 🙂

Check back every day for a new lesson.

1. WordPress Theme Tutorial Introduction

2. Developing Theme Sense

3. Theme Development Tools

4. Creating a Theme HTML Structure

5. Template and Directory Structure

6. Setting Up Your Theme Functions

7. Secure Your WordPress Theme

8. The Header Template

9. The Index Template

10. The Single Post, Post Attachment, & 404 Templates

11. The Comments Template

12. The Search Template & The Page Template

13. The Archive Template

14. The Sidebar Template & The Footer Template

15. Reset-Rebuild Theme CSS & Define Your Layouts

16. Custom Background & Custom Header

17. Distributing Your WordPress Theme

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The ThemeShaper WordPress Theme Tutorial: 2nd Edition

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Many of you have written or commented to tell us how much you liked Ian Stewart's original tutorial, "How To Create a WordPress Theme: The Ultimate WordPress Theme Tutorial". You'll be happy to learn that that we've created a second edition.

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Characterization: Is the creation of a fictional character.

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Rhetoric: Is particularly in terms of written and spoken discourse.

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English, General Literature and Rhetoric - Binghamton University

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Lisa T. Yun, Department of English

Through collaborative learning, Lisa Yun enriches student lives and helps give voice to immigrant experience.

English, General Literature and Rhetoric

The English Department offers opportunities for study in all major areas of British and American literatures, with strengths in American Studies, British Modernities, Critical Theory, Gender and Sexualities, Medieval Studies, Early Modern and Renaissance Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Race, Empire, and Global Diasporas, Rhetorical Discourse, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies/ Science Studies, Creative Writing.

London Program

Enroll in the London Program. Spend a semester abroad while sampling the rich academic and cultural offerings that a stay in the United Kingdom's capital provides. Contact Professor Susan Strehle sstrehle@binghamton.edu for more details!
Discover London

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English, General Literature and Rhetoric | Binghamton University

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Lisa T. Yun, Department of English Through collaborative learning, Lisa Yun enriches student lives and helps give voice to immigrant experience. The English Department offers opportunities for study in all major areas of British and American literatures, with strengths in American Studies, British Modernities, Critical Theory, Gender and Sexualities, Medieval Studies, Early Modern and Renaissance Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Race, Empire, and Global Diasporas, Rhetorical Discourse, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies/ Science Studies, Creative Writing.

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Verbal Irony: Is a figure of speech.

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Direct comparison of two unlike thing using "like" or "as".
Example: MeBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bad filled with vegetable soup.

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A direct comparison between two unlike things WITHOUT using "like" or "as".
Example: She is the giggles of the funeral

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Extended metaphor: is a version of metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraph, or stanzas of multiple lines paragraph, or stanzas of prose or poetry.
Example: "That man is a snake"

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Personification: Is  giving a non-human thing human characteristics
Example: The leaves danced in the wind.

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Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration
Example: The skin on her face was as thin and drawn as tight as the skin of onion and her eyes were gray and sharp like the points of two picks.

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Symbolism: A literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks, location, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning.
Example: The days were like nights and the nights left the dregs of their darkness in our souls.

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Fist person point of view: is the narrator is a person in the story, telling the story from their own point of view.

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Second person point of view: A little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, own known as you.

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Third person objective: The narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any characters.

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Storyboard Text

3rd Person Omniscient

"Surprise me!!!!"

"Hi what would you like to-"

3rd Person Omniscient

I know it's going to look good so i'm kind of excited

What do I do i'm so scared what if she doesn't like it!!

3rd Person Omniscient

I love it!!!

It looks so good!

OMG I did it!!

Sally walks into a barbershop and doesn't know what to do with her hair.

1st Person

I can't wait for my birthday. It's going to be the best one I have ever had!

He's never done anything without instruction before!

1st Person

Today is the start of my birthday and I can't wait!!

Sally ends up loving what the barber did to her hair!

1st person

Mom Dad I can't believe you would do this for me!!!

Happy Birthday Jess!!!

Today is Jessica's Birthday!!!!

She got all ready to have breakfast with her parents!

But, they surprised her with a party instead!

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narrative point of view comic strip part 2

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Narrative Point of View Comic Strip Part 2 Storyboard

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Storyboard Text 3rd Person Omniscient "Surprise me!!!!" "Hi what would you like to-" 3rd Person Omniscient I know it's going to look good so i'm kind of excited What do I do i'm so scared what if she doesn't like it!! 3rd Person Omniscient I love it!!! It looks so good!

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Third person limited: a narration style that gives the perspective of single character.

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Storyboard Text

Hi i'm Fargo, my friend ﻿Ralph has a weird looking hat.

That's a weird hat.

1st person ﻿

Then I saw a bird take ﻿Ralph's hat

Yes!﻿

1st person ﻿

Then I saw a whale give him another hat ﻿

﻿Dang it.

1st person ﻿

Fargo and Ralph show there hats to Nemo﻿

Look at our hats.﻿

3rd person objective

Nemo asks if he can have a hat Fargo and Ralph say yes.

Sure.﻿

3rd person objective

Can I have a hat?﻿

﻿Now we all have hats!

﻿Now they all have hats!

Yay!﻿

3rd person objective

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1st person and 3rd person objective comic strip

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1st Person and 3rd person objective comic strip

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Storyboard Text Hi i'm Fargo, my friend ﻿Ralph has a weird looking hat. That's a weird hat. 1st person ﻿ Then I saw a bird take ﻿Ralph's hat Yes!﻿ 1st person ﻿ Then I saw a whale give him another hat ﻿ ﻿Dang it.

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Third person omniscient: is a common form of third person narration in which the teller of the tale.

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Third Person Omniscient Comic Strip Example, HD Png Download , Transparent Png Image - PNGitem

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Third Person Omniscient Comic Strip Example, HD Png Download is free transparent png image. To explore more similar hd image on PNGitem.

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Situational Irony: the irony of something that is very different to what was expected.

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Dramatic Irony: a literary device by which the audience's or readers understanding of events or individuals in a work surpass that of its characters.

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Oxymoron: is a rhetorical term that describes words or phases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions.
Example: Give me the fifty dollars you owe me or pay for dinner.

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VocabularyHelp - Learn English Words With Meaning

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Learn English Words - OXYMORON - Meaning, Vocabulary Lesson with Pictures and Examples

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Euphemism: is a word or phase that is rife within everyday language and conversation
Example: A boss telling an employee they are "let go" instead of "fired" aims to soften the blow.

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Euphemism || A Figure of Speech in English

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Allusion: Reference to a statement, a person, a place or an event from literature, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports.
Example: In "The Gift of the Magi" ,O. Henry uses an allusion to the wise men from the East called the Magi, who presented the infant Jesus with the first Christmas gifts.

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Assonance: Repetition of similar vowel sounds that are followed by different consonant sounds, especially in words that are close together in a poem.
Example: The word base and fade and the words young and love contain examples of assonance.

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Analyzing literature can be pretty confusing, especially if you're reading something that's pretty complicated. That's why it's important to understand literary devices, which are tools designed to help you unlock the meaning of a text.

Think of literary devices like tools in a toolbox. Each device has a different use, so it's important that you have a bunch of different options to choose from...especially when you're crunched for time, like during an AP Literature exam.

That's why we're going to teach you everything you need to know about assonance, which is a literary device that helps a writer create both rhythm and tone. To do this, we'll:

Define assonance and talk about why it's helpful in analyzing literature,

Walk you through assonance examples in poetry and prose, and

Give you four expert tips to help you find an analyze assonance in any text.

Ready? Let's dive in!

What Is Assonance: Definition and Meaning

What is assonance, exactly? Luckily, the assonance definition is pretty straightforward! Assonance is defined as the repetition of similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences. (Remember that vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.) When the same vowel sound is repeated multiple times in close proximity, you've found assonance.

The best way to understand how assonance works is to see it in action. Let's look at the following sentence:

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Read this sentence a few times. What vowel sound do you hear repeatedly? The answer: the long "e" sound (which you hear in words like "eek" and "creek"). Here's the sentence again where we've bolded the repeated vowel sounds:

Th e squ eaky wh eel gets the gr ea se.

As you can see, the long "e" sound repeats four times in the line, which is a textbook example of assonance!

Want another example? Check out this clip from My Fair Lady, which has a whole song that revolves around assonance:

Did you hear the assonance in the line, "the r ain in Sp ain st ays m ainly in the pl ai n"? Eliza Doolittle really helps that long "a" vowel sound shine!

How Does Assonance Help You Analyze Literature?

Now that you know what assonance is, you're probably wondering how it helps you analyze literature. There are three major ways assonance works: by creating rhythm, drawing attention to specific words, and by shaping the tone-or feeling-of the work.

How Assonance Creates Rhythm

Because assonance involves repetition, it can be used to create rhythm. This is especially important in poetry, where the rhythm often affects the meaning of the poem. Take these lines from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," for instance:

And the Raven, never fl itting, st ill is s itting, st ill is s i tting

On the pall i d bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

There's quite a bit of assonance here, especially with the short "i" sound, which we've highlighted in bold above. The assonance gives the poem a drumming, march-like rhythm that mimics the terrified pounding of the speaker's heart!

How Assonance Draws Attention to Specific Words

Secondly, the repetitive nature of assonance draws the reader's attention to those words and phrases. In some cases, it can be the equivalent of the writer waving a red flag at the reader, signalling that there's something important going on in that part of the text.

Let's look at the first two lines of William Wordsworth's "Daffodils" to see this in action:

I wandered l onely as a cl ou d

That fl oats on high o'er vales and hills,

Here, the assonance is in the long "o" sound, and it draws your attention to an important simile in the poem. In this comparison, the speaker imagines himself as a "lonely" cloud that "floats" high "o'er" the landscape. Through assonance, the speaker reveals that he sees himself as separate and isolated from the world around him.

How Assonance Shapes Tone and Meaning

Writers also use assonance to help create tones, or feelings, in their work. By stringing together different words and vowel sounds, writers can evoke everything from happiness to fear. Here's an example of this at work in Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night":

Old age should burn and r ave at close of d a y;

R age, r age, ag ai nst the dying of the light

To see how this creates a tone, try reading this passage out loud. The assonance of the long "a" makes you emphasize the sound as you read it, especially since those are also stressed syllables. (Not sure what a stressed syllable is? Check out our guide to iambic pentameter.) The assonance makes these lines sound forceful, which adds to the lines' insistent-almost desperate-tone.

When it comes to poetry, determining a poem's tones is an important step to uncovering the work's themes and messages. In the case of Thomas' poem, the tone of these lines helps us understand how Thomas feels about death. For him, death isn't something a person should accept passively-they should fight against it and embrace life as long as possible.

So in this instance assonance helps us determine the poem's tone, which in turn leads us to one of the poem's major themes!

Assonance Examples in Poetry

Assonance is a pretty common literary device in poetry, especially because it helps poets shape a work's rhythm, rhyme, tone, and theme. Let's read one more poem to see how assonance examples help us analyze a poem and its themes.

"The World Is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. -Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less f orl orn;
Have sight of Pr oteus rising fr om the sea;
Or hear old Trit on bl ow his wreathèd h o rn.

When you analyze a full poem, there's a good chance that assonance will only occur in certain parts of the work (rather than from start to finish). So don't panic if you only find assonance in a few lines. Remember that assonance is often used to draw your attention to a specific moment or set of words, so just think of it as a clue to read that section a little closer.

In Wordsworth's poem, assonance occurs in the very beginning of the poem with the long "a" and at the end of the poem with the long "o". Let's take a closer look at the poem's last three lines:

Have glimpses that would make me less f orl o rn;

Have sight of Pr oteus rising fr om the sea;
Or hear old Trit on bl ow his wreathèd h o rn.

This poem is about how people have become too enmeshed with civilization (that focuses on "getting and spending") and have lost touch with nature. The assonance in last lines emphasize the poem's theme and help reinforce the piece's tone. The long "o" adds a mournful sound to the concluding lines, which reiterates the forlorn tone of the poem. The assonance also reinforces the speaker's opinion that the way of the past is better than life in the present. By mentioning Proteus and Triton, two Greek gods, the speaker highlights how the modernization of the world has caused it to lose more than its connection to nature: it's lost its wonder and mystery, too.

Assonance Examples in Prose

While assonance is most common in poetry, you can also find assonance in prose. I n prose works like novels, short stories, and nonfiction, authors use assonance to make their work more vivid. It helps their ideas leap off the page, and it creates tones and feelings that resonate with readers (just like in poetry)!

Here's an assonance example in literature that demonstrates how it can work outside of poetry.

Example : A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man tells the story of the religious and intellectual awakening of Stephen Dedalus, a young man who values beauty and art. Throughout the book, Stephen questions and rebels against the Catholic and Irish conventions of his childhood, and he eventually leaves Ireland for Europe.

Given Stephen's love of art, it's no surprise that the book often relies on poetic techniques to tell his story. Joyce often uses assonance, which we see in the following line:

Soft language issued from their sp itless l ips as they sw ished in low c ircles round and round the field, winding h ither and th i ther through the weeds.

The assonance here comes from the repetition of the short "i," which occurs eight times in this one sentence! The assonance mimics the sound of whispering, which helps readers experience the "soft language" Joyce is writing about. Assonance causes this sentence to swish "in low circles round" the reader, too-which adds to the seductive tone of this short passage.

4 Expert Tips for Analyzing Assonance

Now that you know what assonance is, here are a few expert tips to help you find assonance and use it to analyze literature like a pro!

Tip 1: Read It Out Loud

Assonance is something you hear, rather than something you see. While you can look for similar vowels in words, English is a strange language where pronunciation can vary wildly, even when spelling is almost identical. Take "laughter" and "slaughter," for example. Add one letter...and the pronunciation becomes insanely different!

By reading a poem out loud or listening to a recording of it, it becomes a lot easier to find the repetition of vowel sounds. It also is a lot easier to discern how assonance affects the poem's rhyme, rhythm, and emphasis. Trust us: reading a poem out loud is the best way to find assonance!

Tip 2: Look at How Assonance Affects How a Passage Sounds

Once you've found the assonance, it's time to think about how it affects the text you're reading. One way to do this is to start thinking about how assonance contributes to how the passage and/or poem is read. Does it create short, staccato sounds or long, mournful ones? How do these sounds help show readers what the poem is about?

For instance, when assonance happens in short words right next to each other (like "the hard, stark markings on the car assembly line...") can mimic the sound of factory, whereas longer, spread out assonance (the cool breeze moved along hills and moors) echoes the peacefulness of a breezy day!

Tip 3: Examine the Word Choice

Assonance only exists if a poet chooses a specific word that contains the same vowel sound as another word. That means each word in an assonant passage is important! T ake a minute to examine the words the poet chooses. Are they related to each other in any way? Pull out a dictionary and look up each word. Along with their definition, do the words have connotative, or implied, meanings that change the way you might interpret the passage? How would using a synonym change the meaning of that line? Investigating why a writer uses the words he does--and paying close attention to what those words mean--can help you uncover a poem's important themes.

Tip 4: Consider How Assonance Shapes the Poem as a Whole

Look at passage, section, sentence, or line that contains the assonance. Like we mentioned before, assonance is often a way for authors to signal that a specific part of their work is important. Keeping that in mind, ask yourself what you think the purpose of that passage is in the overall scheme of the poem. What is the poet saying in this passage? Does it come at a key moment or an important turning point? Often, poets use assonance to make a point, so there's a good chance they're using assonance to communicate a specific message or idea!

Now What?

Remember: the best toolbox is a full toolbox. That's why it's important to understand more literary devices than just assonance! Here's a list of the literary devices everyone should know and another in-depth guide to get you started.

If you're getting ready for the AP Literature exam-and you probably are!- it's a good idea understand what's on the test before you take it. That's why we've put together an expert guide to the AP Literature exam that tells you everything you need to know to ace it!

One of the most intimidating parts of the AP exam is the written portion, which requires you to use books you've read to answer essay prompts. But which books should you read to prepare? Check out this list of the best books to read for the AP Literature exam to help you build the best reading list possible.

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Understanding Assonance: 6 Examples, Analyzed

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Analyzing literature can be pretty confusing, especially if you're reading something that's pretty complicated. That's why it's important to understand literary devices, which are tools designed to help you unlock the meaning of a text. Think of literary devices like tools in a toolbox.

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Alliteration: Repetition of the same or very similar consonant sounds usually at the beginnings of words that are close together in a poem.
Example: The sound "fl" is repeated in line I, and the "s" sound is repeated in line 2:

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Cliché: a trite phrase or expression.
Example: "as red a rose"

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Cliche: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Phrases or words may be overused and lose distinctiveness, thus becoming cliché. Learn simple clichés, the effect of overuse, and connections...

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Idioms: Expression peculiar to a particular language that means something different from the literal meaning of each word.
Example: "It's raining cats and dogs"

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Idiomatic Expressions

What are idioms?

Definition

An idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning conventionally understood by native speakers. This meaning is different from the literal meaning of the idiom's individual elements. In other words, idioms don't mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meaning.

Examples

The meaning of these expressions is different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which they are made. Their meaning are however used figuratively. They mean respectively:

"to die "

"to tell people secret information"

Lists of idioms

English has thousands of idioms. Here are lists of idioms arranged in alphabetical order or in different categories.

Related materials

Recommended books:

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English Idioms | Lists of Idioms with Definitions and Examples,

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Definition An idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning conventionally understood by native speakers. This meaning is different from the literal meaning of the idiom's individual elements. In other words, idioms don't mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meaning.

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Pun: Play on the multiple meanings of a words or on a two words that sound alike but have different meanings.
Example: "What has four wheels and flies?" answer: garbage truck

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pun| figure of speech pun| pun in literature and language.

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Direct Characterization: is the writer makes direct statement about a character's personality and tells the reader of viewer what the character is like.

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Indirect Characterization: a type of literary device that reveals details about a character without stating them.

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Static character: one that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end.

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Introducing Static and Dynamic Characters

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Dynamic Character: Is a character who undergoes some important change in the course of the story

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Flat Character: Is two-dimensional in that way they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

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Round Character: Characters as described by the course of their development in a work literature.

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What is a Round Character? Explained in English | Literary term | Easy Explanation NET 2021 #shorts

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Ethos: Focuses attention on the writer's or speaker's trustworthiness.

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Ethos: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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Pathos: Is to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them the way the author them to feel.

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Pathos: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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Logos: To appeal to the audience's sense of reason or logic.