Literary Devices & Genre Classifications

Literary Devices: Enhancing Communication

Literary devices are the language tools used to enhance communication and create specific effects in writing.

Sound Devices (Phonic Resources)

Alliteration
Repetition of one or more initial consonant sounds in close proximity.
Onomatopoeia
Use of words that imitate the sounds they represent.
Paronomasia
Repetition of words that sound very similar, often for a pun or wordplay.

Syntactic Devices (Morphosyntactic Resources)

Anaphora
Repetition of the same word or phrase
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19th Century Spain: History, Monarchy, and Romanticism

Historical Context: 19th Century Spain

The 19th century in Spain was marked by decadence, as well as ideological confrontations and social conflicts. In Europe, liberal ideas sparked many revolutions, which sought to annul the old regime’s economy. The Industrial Revolution was underway, and the bourgeoisie was threatened by the new class, thereafter known as the proletariat.

Three important dates:

  • 1808: Start of the War of Independence
  • 1868: Deposition of Isabella II
  • 1898: Loss of Spain’s Atlantic colonies

Spanish

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Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Gothic Horror and Detective Fiction

Poe and the Gothic Tradition

Few would challenge the long-standing opinion that Poe was a master of the Gothic horror tale. However, many might not readily be aware that he did not invent Gothic fiction. When Poe began to attract widespread attention by publishing several macabre tales in the Southern Literary Messenger in early 1835, critics sounded negative notes concerning his “Germanism,” a synonym for Gothicism. They deplored his wasting talents on what they deemed an outmoded type of fiction.

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Ama Ata Aidoo’s ‘The Message’: Themes and Literary Analysis

Ama Ata Aidoo’s “The Message”: An Introduction

This extract is from The Message, a one-act poetic drama by the acclaimed African writer Ama Ata Aidoo, published in 1967. The play reflects the reaction of Africans in South Africa to the introduction of modern technology and medical practices.

Context and Themes

The story centers on a woman undergoing a Cesarean operation in a city hospital. It follows her mother-in-law’s journey to visit her, highlighting the significant societal reactions and concerns

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Essential Concepts in Text, Media, and Communication

Understanding Textual Communication Concepts

Statements

A statement is a set of words pronounced with a particular intonation, communicating a complete idea.

Text (Linguistic Unit)

A text is the highest linguistic unit, consisting of a group of statements that share the same content and purpose.

Adequacy

Adequacy refers to how a text adjusts to the circumstances of communication.

Consistency

Consistency is the logical relationship between statements that form a text, always serving its global significance.

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El sí de las niñas: Neoclassical Play & Spanish Realism

El sí de las niñas: A Neoclassical Masterpiece

Historical Context and Premiere

Leandro Fernández de Moratín’s El sí de las niñas, though conceived in the late eighteenth century, premiered in 1806. While Moratín claimed to have read it to friends in 1801, no definitive record exists. The play was a complete success.

Neoclassical Ideals and Thematic Harmony

It is a quintessential work of neoclassical theater, embodying its ideology by combating errors and vices while championing virtue and reason.

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