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 Skip to contentStudioBinder   SCRIPTWRITING What are Literary Devices? Definitions and Examples for Screenwriters By Ken Severson on August 17, 2020 Some may argue whether a screenplay is truly a work of literature. Nevertheless, anyone who’s sat down to write a screenplay knows it isn’t for the faint of heart. To juggle all aspects successfully, a screenwriter needs a few tools in their toolbelt. Enter common literary devices, literary elements and literary techniques. Besides listing, defining, and providing examples, this article will also take a moment to consider how and why a screenwriter might use these common literary devices in the first place. USING LITERARY DEVICES IN SCREENWRITING Screenwriters and literary devices Some may disagree that screenwriting is a literary art form. While it’s true that a screenplay is a transitory document necessary to turn an idea into a film, a screenwriter’s job is to make it an entertaining read. In giving the reader the experience o...

50 OF THE BEST FREE VERSE POEMS FROM CONTEMPORARY POETS Robert Frost called free verse “playing with the net down.” And T.S. Eliot wrote, “No verse is free for the man who wants to do a good job.” Yet Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and plenty of contemporary poets are among the many who have written beautiful work in free verse. But what are free verse poems, anyway, and why the controversy? WHAT ARE FREE VERSE POEMS? Free verse is here defined as a poem with no set meter or verse that mimics natural speech patterns. Free verse poems can be short or long, contain sporadic rhymes or none at all, and be conveyed in spoken or written mediums. Because a free verse poem isn’t tied to any specific form, poets generally have more room to experiment with structure than they would with other styles. Critics argue that since they contain no regular rhyme and meter, free verse poems are just glorified prose. But those who write or appreciate free verse feel that free verse has its own tools beyon...

The Curious Symbolism of Apples in Literature and Myth Apples are a common fruit, and so it’s little surprise that apples have come to have powerful and distinctive symbolic properties in works of literature, religion, and myth over the centuries. But there are a number of misconceptions and wrong assumptions about apple-symbolism. How can we tell the bad apples from the rest? In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at the suggestive symbolism of apples in literature and myth. As The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols (Penguin dictionaries) observes, the disparate meanings attached to the apple are, in fact, ultimately all interconnected: they are all keys to knowledge of some kind, whether carnal knowledge, self-knowledge, or some other kind of wisdom. Let’s unpick some of this complex, related symbolism of the apple … LATEST VIDEOS 5 curious forgotten books Apple-symbolism in classical myth The ancient Greeks believed that Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and the theatre amon...

  10 of the Best Poems about Sleep The best lullabies and sleep-related poems in English selected by Dr Oliver Tearle Whether we’re suffering from insomnia or asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow, whether we get too little or too much of it, sleep is a big part of our lives. So it’s unsurprising that so many poets have explored sleep in their work. Here are ten of the greatest poems about sleep from all of English literature. LATEST VIDEOS Sir Philip Sidney, Sonnet 39. The baiting place of wit, the balm of woe, The poor man’s wealth, the prisoner’s release, The indifferent judge between the high and low; With shield of proof shield me from out the press Of those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw; O make in me those civil wars to cease; I will good tribute pay, if thou do so … ‘Come sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace’: so begins this, one of the most famous poems from the first substantial sonnet sequence written in English (in the early 1580s). In this sonnet, one ...

10 of the Best Poems about the Sun Everyone Should Read The best sun poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle Previously, we’ve offered up some classic summer poems, but in this post we’re specifically interested in classic poems about the sun, that wonderful ball of hydrogen and helium that makes life on Earth possible and allows us to get a decent suntan for six days of the year. Each of the ten following poems describes or uses the sun in some way – sometimes to explore other themes, sometimes simply to praise the sun for its warmth and light. 1. Henry Howard, ‘Set Me Whereas the Sun Doth Parch the Green’. Set me whereas the sun doth parch the green Or where his beams may not dissolve the ice; In temperate heat where he is felt and seen; With proud people, in presence sad and wise; Set me in base, or yet in high degree, In long night or in the shortest day, In clear weather or where mists thickest be, In lost youth, or when my hairs are grey … Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-47) invent...

 Interesting Literature 10 of the Most Beautiful Poems in the English Langua What are the most beautiful poems in English verse? There are many mellifluous, melodic, and pleasingly arranged poems in English literature, so picking ten was always going to be a tough call. However, for one reason or another – because they are visually striking, or because they put to effective use beautiful sound-effects like alliteration and assonance, or just because they express a beautiful sentiment – we’ve chosen the following ten beauties. Enjoy. For a good anthology of poetry, we highly recommend The Oxford Book of English Verse  – perhaps the best poetry anthology on the market (we offer our pick of the best poetry anthologies here). 1. William Shakespeare, Sonnet 33. Even so my sun one early morn did shine, With all triumphant splendour on my brow; But out, alack, he was but one hour mine, The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now … ‘Full many a glorious morning have I seen’: Sonnet 3...

What is a Novella? Understanding the Form (with Examples) Contents Novellas often focus on one central conflict They aren’t overcrowded with characters Novellas can sustain a faster pace They often feature a wendepunkt (an unexpected turning point) Novellas often express their themes through symbolism They encourage experimental and conceptual writing Blog > Perfecting your Craft Posted on Apr 02, 2021 What is a Novella? Understanding the Form (with Examples) A “novella” is a piece of prose fiction shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. No hard rules govern a novella's length — though publishers and awards like the Nebula or the Hugos commonly cite a word count between 17,500 and 40,000. Authors like Stephen King — who has written a number of classic novellas — will argue that the in-betweenness of novellas has made the form difficult to categorize and therefore market: too long for literary magazines, but too short for book publishers. And yet, they clearly hold an...

What is a Tragic Hero? (plus 8 Heartbreaking Examples) Contents What is the definition of a tragic hero? What are the characteristics of a tragic hero? What’s the difference between a tragic hero and an anti-hero? 5 tips for writing a great tragic hero Examples of tragic heroes in literature Blog > Perfecting your Craft Posted on Jan 12, 2021 What is a Tragic Hero? (plus 8 Heartbreaking Examples) If you’re looking for character type with a serious literary pedigree, look no further than the tragic hero. From the Greek theatre to Shakespeare to the Star Wars prequels, these unfortunate protagonists populate some of the most memorable stories ever told. With this in mind, let’s furrow our brows, dust off our prop skulls, and peel back the tortured layers of this complex character type.  Ever wondered what the term "tragic hero" really means? Check out this deep dive... icon-twitter Click to tweet! What is the definition of a tragic hero? In literature, a tragic hero is a cha...