SIFT — the literary analysis framework for any poem or passage
Symbol, Images, Figurative language, Tone/Theme. Use this order when analyzing unfamiliar texts. Start with concrete symbols and images before moving to abstract theme.
S
Symbol — what objects or characters represent
I
Images — sensory details the author creates
F
Figurative Language — metaphor, simile, personification
T
Tone/Theme — author's attitude; central message
📖 Literary Terms
Simile uses "like" or "as." Metaphor doesn't.
Simile vs Metaphor
The most commonly confused literary device pair
Simile: "He's as brave as a lion." Metaphor: "He is a lion." Both compare unlike things. The difference is that similes use "like" or "as" explicitly. Metaphors make a direct equation.
📖 Literary Terms
3 types of irony: verbal, situational, dramatic
Types of Irony
The three types of irony — and how to tell them apart
Verbal: saying the opposite of what you mean (sarcasm). Situational: outcome is opposite of what's expected. Dramatic: audience knows something characters don't. Most exam questions test all three.
Verbal
Saying the opposite of what you mean — sarcasm
Situational
Events turn out opposite of expectations
Dramatic
Audience knows more than the character does
📖 Literary Terms
Foreshadowing = hints about the future
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing — how to spot it and why authors use it
Foreshadowing places clues early in a text that hint at later events. It builds tension and creates cohesion. Common methods: weather (storm = conflict coming), objects, dialogue, or events.
📖 Literary Terms
Alliteration = same starting sound. Assonance = same vowel sound.
Sound Devices
Alliteration vs assonance vs consonance — sorted
Alliteration: repeated initial consonant sounds ("Peter Piper picked"). Assonance: repeated vowel sounds ("The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain"). Consonance: repeated consonant sounds anywhere in words.
Imagery
Imagery: language that appeals to the five senses — see, hear, smell, taste, touch
Imagery
Sensory language that makes writing vivid and immediate
Visual imagery is most common but all five senses create impact. 'The bread smelled of yeast and warmth' (smell). 'The gravel crunched under her boots' (sound). 'The silk was cool against her skin' (touch). Strong imagery pulls readers into the scene rather than telling them about it.
Personification
Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things. 'The wind whispered through the trees.'
Personification
Attributing human characteristics to objects, animals, or ideas
Personification makes abstract concepts and inanimate objects more relatable. 'Death knocked at the door.' 'The economy stumbled.' 'Justice is blind.' Pathetic fallacy (a type of personification): weather reflects character emotions — storm during a murder, sunshine at a wedding.
Hyperbole and Understatement
Hyperbole = extreme exaggeration for effect. Understatement = deliberate minimizing.
Hyperbole and Understatement
Two opposite extremes of emphasis — both used for effect
Hyperbole: 'I've told you a million times.' 'My backpack weighs a ton.' Used for comic effect or emphasis. Understatement: describing something massive as minor. 'The Titanic had a bit of a problem.' British humor often relies on understatement. Litotes: understatement using double negative ('not bad' = good).
Oxymoron vs Paradox
Oxymoron: contradictory terms together ('deafening silence'). Paradox: seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a truth.
Oxymoron vs Paradox
Two devices that use contradiction — for very different effects
Oxymoron: two contradictory words together — jumbo shrimp, living death, bitter sweet. Creates a striking phrase. Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth — 'Less is more.' 'I must be cruel to be kind.' Paradoxes reward thought; oxymorons create immediate impact.
Allegory
Allegory: entire narrative is an extended metaphor with a hidden meaning. Animal Farm = Soviet communism.
Allegory
A story where everything represents something else
Every character, event, and setting stands for something beyond itself. Animal Farm: the farm = the USSR, Napoleon = Stalin, Snowball = Trotsky, the pigs = the Communist Party. The Pilgrim's Progress: Christian's journey = Christian salvation. Allegory lets authors criticize dangerous ideas safely.
Satire
Satire: uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize human folly. Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' is a famous example.
Satire
Writing that uses humor and irony to expose and criticize
Satire can be gentle (Horatian — like a friendly nudge) or biting (Juvenalian — savage indictment). Swift's 'A Modest Proposal': seriously proposes eating Irish babies to solve poverty — actually attacking British exploitation of Ireland. SNL, The Daily Show, political cartoons are modern satire.
Epiphany in Literature
Epiphany: a sudden moment of insight or realization. James Joyce used it to structure his short stories.
Epiphany in Literature
The moment of sudden realization that often ends a story
From the Greek for 'manifestation.' In literature: the moment a character (or reader) suddenly understands something profound. Joyce's Dubliners ends almost every story with an epiphany. Often the climax isn't action but realization. 'The moment everything changed' in a character's understanding.