Literary Techniques

YEARS: 3–4, 5–6, 7–8

Authors use literary techniques to bring their ideas to life and shape how readers experience a story.

They can engage, enlighten and even enchant! Literary devices are used not only by poets and writers, but also in day-to-day conversation.

To understand how these language devices work, it’s important to first grasp the difference between literal and figurative language.

Literal language is straightforward: it describes actions or objects exactly as they are — without embellishment or exaggeration. For example, Edgar is a kind person.

Figurative language adds colour and personality to speech and writing. It plays with the truth to make an impact. For example, the expression “Edgar has a heart of stone” doesn’t literally mean that Edgar’s heart is made of stone. Instead, it implies that he is unkind and lacking in feeling, like a stone.

We’ll be focusing on figurative language in this resource.

You will learn how to identify common literary techniques and how to use them in your own poems and stories.

Tip: Don’t forget to read the examples aloud to get the full effect.