United States population

Over the years, the US population has undergone through a rapid population growth. In 2011 the population of the US was estimated to be around 312,313,000, with a majority of the population living in the cities and suburbs. The urban dwellers made up 82% of the entire population.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on United States population specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In terms of geographical disparities, the population survey revealed that cities had high population than the rural areas, which were uninhabited. This paper will try to explain the factors that have contributed to the rapid American population growth rate in relation to social, economic and political aspects in regard to demographic change. In addition to this, the paper will examine how migration has influenced the American population (Dernbach and Environmental Law Institute 98). According to the Census Bureau of America, the population has increased dramatically since the enactment and implementation of the immigration and nationality act of 1965. It was estimated that around that time, the number of legal immigrants entering the United States was a quarter of a million per annum. By 1990, the figures had quadrupled to about one million immigrants per year. It is prudent to mention that the majority of the immigrants came from the South American countries. In connection to the Latin American immigrants, the census conducted by the Census Bureau in 2008-2009 established that in terms of birth rate, the number of children born in the United States belonging to the minorities constituted 48.6% forming the bigger chunk Causes of increased population growth rate in America There are various factors that have contributed to the population explosion in America. One of these factors is increased food production. It is estimated that after the World War II the world faced a recession in its economy especially in Europe. Av ailability of processed goods reduced drastically and precipitated the need by these countries to look to other countries for its raw materials. America benefited from this scarcity by increasing land under cultivation, this undertaking did not only prove profitable in the economic sense, but also affected its population growth on a positive scale where the growth rate doubled from the census conducted in the 1900. It is believed that a society that is food sufficient is able to increase numerically. The continued influx of immigrants, both legal as well as illegal, continues to be a major contributor to population growth rates. The United States of America has remained to be the most preferred immigration destination due to the better economic opportunities it offers to its populace.Advertising Looking for research paper on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whereas the government of the United States of America has p ut elaborate measures to ensure that it controls legal immigration, the existence of the black market has aided the illegal immigrants to sustainably thrive in the country. As noted by Kandel, (64), some unscrupulous business men opts to employ this illegal immigrants for some manual jobs so that they can pay them less than the minimum pay set by the labor laws. Since the illegal workers have no avenue to raise their grievances, they end up working in such establishment hence sustaining their livelihood in the United States. This has adversely affected the level population growth rates. The provision of better health care services in America is estimated to have reduced mortality rate to be below one percent. Over the years, the American government has invested huge sums of millions of dollars in providing cheap and affordable health care by formulating laws that have seen improved access to health care facilities in addition to improved health care delivery. After the World War II, many European countries embarked on a massive expedition to safeguard its population after massive lives were lost. This was precipitated by the United Nation Council formulating the Bill of Rights which stipulated that every person is entitled to the right of life and health. These measures ensured that the American citizens got the best health care. In addition to availability of health care services, the American government has improved public health through the provision of water and sanitation, through improved public health contagious illness and diseases associated with poor sanitation have been eradicated by construction of efficient sewerage systems, separate water and gas lines and also through recycling of sewerage water through treatment. The American population growth rate can also be associated with improved medical technology that has seen some diseases that increased the rate of child mortality like smallpox being eradicated through vaccination. Medical technologies have also seen the war against diseases caused by bacteria being won through availability of antibiotics that have proved useful in treating almost all diseases caused by bacteria pathogens. This has translated to reduced mortality rate that has seen the American population increase drastically making America the third most populous country in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on United States population specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The other factor that has led to massive increase of the American population is better economic strategy. Unlike most European countries which were devastated by the World War II. America had a sound and vibrant economy which had made most of its citizen to have jobs and access to important basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. This precipitated the increase in population. Also, after the war, most of the European economies could not produce their own go ods and services and had to rely on imports making their economies to take a plunge in the world rating. These facts also led to mass exodus of Europeans migrating to America to smart their businesses. The impact of having an improving economy was directly proportional with population growth rate (Kandel 124). Consequence of a rapid population growth rate in America Although increased population growth reflects a thriving society, it has negative consequences in various facets of life and the economy. One of the negative attributes in having a rapid population growth rate especially in America is increased pressure on the environment, with an estimated 82% of the American population living in the urban areas especially in cities. These has translated to increased environmental degradation in terms of air pollution leading to global warming that has resulted to most states in the south coast experiencing level three typhoons that have been increasing over the years. The southern stat es have had their share of environment calamities ranging from high-level tornadoes to increased levels of floods. Also, it is prudent to mention that the increased population has led to increased pressure on land in terms of fertility and crop production. Fertility has reduced with over cultivation causing people to relay on fertilizers that pollute the soil as they destroy microorganisms that are necessary for aeration of the soil (United Nations Human Settlements Programme 68). In the economic sense, an increase in population results to unemployment especially if the rate of population growth is not proportional to economic growth, which results to increased levels of poverty. In America, the government is tasked with the mandate of looking after its citizen in terms of providing shelter, clothing and meals to the homeless and the poor. This provision has made the government to incur a lot of expenditure in facilitating such undertakings. In the economic perspective, these measur es are expensive considering that at the moment, the world is coming from a global recession that has seen the American economy adversely affected.Advertising Looking for research paper on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Solution to the rapid population growth rate in America Over the years, analyst of the American population growth rate have grappled with the question of how to have a viable population growth rate that is both environmentally and economically sustainable, having in mind that the problem that is facing China and Europe where majority of the population comprises of the old rather than the youth translating to both economic and social disparities, where in the future there will be no working class and the government will have to invest in taking care of its ageing population. Some American analyst and organizations like the United Nations have come up with various proposals in line to having a sustainable population, one of the measures is through family planning and spacing of children. This has been facilitated by the provision of scientific family planning methods and availability of contraceptives in the market. This will reduce the cases of unplanned pregnancies as well as juveni le pregnancies that have over the years experienced a dramatic increase, which has resulted to increased population growth as well as increasing the poverty rate as most of these young adults are unemployed (Hartman 36). The other solution given by some analyst in regard to having a viable population that is environmental friendly is by reducing over reliance on some economic resources that have contributed to economic degradation like oil. Oil causes a lot of emission into the atmosphere causing global warming that is associated with all the environmental catastrophes that the world faces today. Also, toxic gas emission associated with oil have led to increased rates of bronchitis associated with diseases that eventually lead to death or poor respiration among the youth causing both economic and social problems. The need to adopt environment friendly alternatives to these resources has been spearheaded by the United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP). Also, land pressure should be reduced by coming up with improved means of soil conservation through using environment friendly fertilizers and by the American government developing the rural areas to ease the pressure on cities (Northrup 148). Another solution that is advocated for is the need to sensitize the American population, especially the immigrant communities, to understand how a rapid population limits their chances of accessing basic needs. Most migrant communities have the notion that by having their children born in America, they automatically become citizens. Even those who are aliens in America have resulted to this measure to ensure they remain as citizens in America. This is in disregard to the fact that most of them do not possess the right qualifications to guarantee them a job. These people have to result to manual work to sustain their livelihood and those of their children, but with the prevailing economic challenges, the end result is having a lot of poor and not so well educated migrants that have become a burden to society and the government (Louis 89). Works Cited Dernbach, C. John and Environmental Law Institute. Stumbling toward sustainability. New York: Environmental Law Institute. Print. Hartman, C. Edward. The Population Fix: Breaking America’s Addiction to Population Growth. New York: Edward C. Hartman, 2006. Print. Kandel, A.William. U.S. ForeignBorn Population: Trends and Selected Characteristics. Chicago: DIANE Publishing. 2011. Print. Louis, Arner George. Consanguineous Marriages in the American Population. New York: Echo Library. 2007. Print. Northrup, Cynthia. The American economy: a historical encyclopedia. New York: ABC- CLIO, 2003. Print. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Planning sustainable cities: global report on human settlements 2009. Nairobi: UN-HABITAT, 2009. Print Environmental Law Institute, 2002 This research paper on United States population was written and submitted by user Jayden E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The 31 Literary Devices You Must Know

The 31 Literary Devices You Must Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Need to analyze The Scarlet Letter or To Kill a Mockingbird for English class, but fumbling for the right vocabulary and concepts for literary devices? You’ve come to the right place. To successfully interpret and analyze literary texts, you’ll first need to have a solid foundation in literary terms and their definitions. In this article, we'll help you get familiar with most commonly used literary devices in prose and poetry. We'll give you a clear definition of each of the terms we discuss along with examples of literary elements and the context in which they most often appear (comedic writing, drama, or other). Before we get to the list of literary devices, however, we have a quick refresher on what literary devices are and how understanding them will help you analyze works of literature. What Are Literary Devices and Why Should You Know Them? Literary devices are techniques that writers use to create a special and pointed effect in their writing, to convey information, or to help readers understand their writing on a deeper level. Often, literary devices are used in writing for emphasis or clarity. Authors will also use literary devices to get readers to connect more strongly with either a story as a whole or specific characters or themes. So why is it important to know different literary devices and terms? Aside from helping you get good grades on your literary analysis homework, there are several benefits to knowing the techniques authors commonly use. Being able to identify when different literary techniques are being used helps you understand the motivation behind the author's choices. For example, being able to identify symbols in a story can help you figure out why the author might have chosen to insert these focal points and what these might suggest in regard to her attitude toward certain characters, plot points, and events. In addition, being able to identify literary devices can make a written work's overall meaning or purpose clearer to you. For instance, let's say you're planning to read (or re-read) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. By knowing that this particular book is a religious allegory with references to Christ (represented by the character Aslan) and Judas (represented by Edmund), it will be clearer to you why Lewis uses certain language to describe certain characters and why certain events happen the way they do. Finally, literary techniques are important to know because they make texts more interesting and more fun to read. If you were to read a novel without knowing any literary devices, chances are you wouldn't be able to detect many of the layers of meaning interwoven into the story via different techniques. Now that we've gone over why you should spend some time learning literary devices, let's take a look at some of the most important literary elements to know. List of Literary Devices: 31 Literary Terms You Should Know Below is a list of literary devices, most of which you’ll often come across in both prose and poetry. We explain what each literary term is and give you an example of how it's used. This literary elements list is arranged in alphabetical order. Allegory An allegory is a story that is used to represent a more general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or events. It is typically an entire book, novel, play, etc. Example: George Orwell’s dystopian book Animal Farm is an allegory for the events preceding the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist era in early 20th century Russia. In the story, animals on a farm practice animalism, which is essentially communism. Many characters correspond to actual historical figures: Old Major represents both the founder of communism Karl Marx and the Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin; the farmer, Mr. Jones, is the Russian Czar; the boar Napoleon stands for Joseph Stalin; and the pig Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Alliteration Alliteration is a series of words or phrases that all (or almost all) start with the same sound. These sounds are typically consonants to give more stress to that syllable. You’ll often come across alliteration in poetry, titles of books and poems (Jane Austen is a fan of this device, for example- just look at Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility), and tongue twisters. Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." In this tongue twister, the "p" sound is repeated at the beginning of all major words. Allusion Allusion is when an author makes an indirect reference to a figure, place, event, or idea originating from outside the text. Many allusions make reference to previous works of literature or art. Example: "Stop acting so smart- it’s not like you’re Einstein or something." This is an allusion to the famous real-life theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Anachronism An anachronism occurs when there is an (intentional) error in the chronology or timeline of a text. This could be a character who appears in a different time period than when he actually lived, or a technology that appears before it was invented. Anachronisms are often used for comedic effect. Example: A Renaissance king who says, "That’s dope, dude!" would be an anachronism, since this type of language is very modern and not actually from the Renaissance period. Anaphora Anaphora is when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences throughout a piece of writing. It's used to emphasize the repeated phrase and evoke strong feelings in the audience. Example: A famous example of anaphora is Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech. Throughout this speech, he repeats the phrase "we shall fight" while listing numerous places where the British army will continue battling during WWII. He did this to rally both troops and the British people and to give them confidence that they would still win the war. Anthropomorphism An anthropomorphism occurs when something nonhuman, such as an animal, place, or inanimate object, behaves in a human-like way. Example: Children's cartoons have many examples of anthropomorphism. For example, Mickey and Minnie Mouse can speak, wear clothes, sing, dance, drive cars, etc. Real mice can't do any of these things, but the two mouse characters behave much more like humans than mice. Asyndeton Asyndeton is when the writer leaves out conjunctions (such as "and," "or," "but," and "for") in a group of words or phrases so that the meaning of the phrase or sentence is emphasized. It is often used for speeches since sentences containing asyndeton can have a powerful, memorable rhythm. Example: Abraham Lincoln ends the Gettysburg Address with the phrase "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth." By leaving out certain conjunctions, he ends the speech on a more powerful, melodic note. Colloquialism Colloquialism is the use of informal language and slang. It's often used by authors to lend a sense of realism to their characters and dialogue. Forms of colloquialism include words, phrases, and contractions that aren't real words (such as "gonna" and "ain’t"). Example: "Hey, what’s up, man?" This piece of dialogue is an example of a colloquialism, since it uses common everyday words and phrases, namely "what’s up" and "man." Epigraph An epigraph is when an author inserts a famous quotation, poem, song, or other short passage or text at the beginning of a larger text (e.g., a book, chapter, etc.). An epigraph is typically written by a different writer (with credit given) and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work. Some pieces of literature, such as Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick, incorporate multiple epigraphs throughout. Example: At the beginning of Ernest Hemingway’s book The Sun Also Rises is an epigraph that consists of a quotation from poet Gertrude Stein, which reads, "You are all a lost generation," and a passage from the Bible. Epistrophe Epistrophe is similar to anaphora, but in this case, the repeated word or phrase appears at the end of successive statements. Like anaphora, it is used to evoke an emotional response from the audience. Example: In Lyndon B. Johnson's speech, "The American Promise," he repeats the word "problem" in a use of epistrophe: "There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem." Hemingway, deep in thought about what quotation to choose for his epigraph. Euphemism A euphemism is when a more mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of another word or phrase that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant. Example: "I’m so sorry, but he didn’t make it." The phrase "didn’t make it" is a more polite and less blunt way of saying that someone has died. Flashback A flashback is an interruption in a narrative that depicts events that have already occurred, either before the present time or before the time at which the narration takes place. This device is often used to give the reader more background information and details about specific characters, events, plot points, and so on. Example: Most of the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà « is a flashback from the point of view of the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, as she engages in a conversation with a visitor named Lockwood. In this story, Nelly narrates Catherine Earnshaw's and Heathcliff's childhoods, the pair's budding romance, and their tragic demise. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is when an author indirectly hints at- through things such as dialogue, description, or characters’ actions- what’s to come later on in the story. This device is often used to introduce tension to a narrative. Example: Say you’re reading a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart. Before she embarks on her (what we know to be unfortunate) plane ride, a friend says to her, "Be safe. Wouldn’t want you getting lost- or worse." This line would be an example of foreshadowing because it implies that something bad ("or worse") will happen to Earhart. Hyperbole Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that's not meant to be taken literally by the reader. It is often used for comedic effect and/or emphasis. Example: "I’m so hungry I could eat a horse." The speaker will not literally eat an entire horse (and most likely couldn’t), but this hyperbole emphasizes how starved the speaker feels. Imagery Imagery is when an author describes a scene, thing, or idea so that it appeals to our senses (taste, smell, sight, touch, or hearing). This device is often used to help the reader clearly visualize parts of the story by creating a strong mental picture. Example: Here’s an example of imagery taken from William Wordsworth’s famous poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud": When all at once I saw a crowd,A host of golden Daffodils;Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Irony Irony is when a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally expressed by it. There are three types of irony in literature: Verbal irony: When someone says something but means the opposite (similar to sarcasm). Situational irony: When something happens that's the opposite of what was expected or intended to happen. Dramatic irony: When the audience is aware of the true intentions or outcomes, while the characters are not. As a result, certain actions and/or events take on different meanings for the audience than they do for the characters involved. Examples: Verbal irony: One example of this type of irony can be found in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Cask of Amontillado." In this short story, a man named Montresor plans to get revenge on another man named Fortunato. As they toast, Montresor says, "And I, Fortunato- I drink to your long life." This statement is ironic because we the readers already know by this point that Montresor plans to kill Fortunato. Situational irony: A girl wakes up late for school and quickly rushes to get there. As soon as she arrives, though, she realizes that it’s Saturday and there is no school. Dramatic irony: In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo commits suicide in order to be with Juliet; however, the audience (unlike poor Romeo) knows that Juliet is not actually dead- just asleep. Poe was a fan of irony- and ravens. Juxtaposition Juxtaposition is the comparing and contrasting of two or more different (usually opposite) ideas, characters, objects, etc. This literary device is often used to help create a clearer picture of the characteristics of one object or idea by comparing it with those of another. Example: One of the most famous literary examples of juxtaposition is the opening passage from Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair †¦" Malapropism Malapropism happens when an incorrect word is used in place of a word that has a similar sound. This misuse of the word typically results in a statement that is both nonsensical and humorous; as a result, this device is commonly used in comedic writing. Example: "I just can't wait to dance the flamingo!" Here, a character has accidentally called the flamenco (a type of dance) the flamingo (an animal). Metaphor/Simile Metaphors are when ideas, actions, or objects are described in non-literal terms. In short, it’s when an author compares one thing to another. The two things being described usually share something in common but are unalike in all other respects. A simile is a type of metaphor in which an object, idea, character, action, etc., is compared to another thing using the words "as" or "like." Both metaphors and similes are often used in writing for clarity or emphasis. Examples: "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." In this line from Romeo and Juliet, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun. However, because Romeo doesn’t use the words "as" or "like," it is not a simile- just a metaphor. "She is as vicious as a lion." Since this statement uses the word "as" to make a comparison between "she" and "a lion," it is a simile. Metonym A metonym is when a related word or phrase is substituted for the actual thing to which it's referring. This device is usually used for poetic or rhetorical effect. Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword." This statement, which was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, contains two examples of metonymy: "the pen" refers to "the written word," and "the sword" refers to "military force/violence." Mood Mood is the general feeling the writer wants the audience to have. The writer can achieve this through description, setting, dialogue, and word choice. Example: Here's a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit: "It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors." In this passage, Tolkien uses detailed description to set create a cozy, comforting mood. From the writing, you can see that the hobbit's home is well-cared for and designed to provide comfort. Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is a word (or group of words) that represents a sound and actually resembles or imitates the sound it stands for. It is often used for dramatic, realistic, or poetic effect. Examples: Buzz, boom, chirp, creak, sizzle, zoom, etc. Oxymoron An oxymoron is a combination of two words that, together, express a contradictory meaning. This device is often used for emphasis, for humor, to create tension, or to illustrate a paradox (see next entry for more information on paradoxes). Examples: Deafening silence, organized chaos, cruelly kind, insanely logical, etc. The Penrose stairs = a classic example of a paradox. Are they going up or down?! Paradox A paradox is a statement that appears illogical or self-contradictory but, upon investigation, might actually be true or plausible. Note that a paradox is different from an oxymoron: a paradox is an entire phrase or sentence, whereas an oxymoron is a combination of just two words. Example: Here's a famous paradoxical sentence: "This statement is false." If the statement is true, then it isn’t actually false (as it suggests). But if it’s false, then the statement is true! Thus, this statement is a paradox because it is both true and false at the same time. Personification Personification is when a nonhuman figure or other abstract concept or element is described as having human-like qualities or characteristics. (Unlike anthropomorphism where non-human figures become human-like characters, with personification, the object/figure is simply described as being human-like.) Personification is used to help the reader create a clearer mental picture of the scene or object being described. Example: "The wind moaned, beckoning me to come outside." In this example, the wind- a nonhuman element- is being described as if it is human (it "moans" and "beckons"). Repetition Repetition is when a word or phrase is written multiple times, usually for the purpose of emphasis. It is often used in poetry (for purposes of rhythm as well). Example: When Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the score for the hit musical Hamilton, gave his speech at the 2016 Tony’s, he recited a poem he’d written that included the following line: And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside. Satire Satire is genre of writing that criticizes something, such as a person, behavior, belief, government, or society. Satire often employs irony, humor, and hyperbole to make its point. Example: The Onion is a satirical newspaper and digital media company. It uses satire to parody common news features such as opinion columns, editorial cartoons, and click bait headlines. Soliloquy A type of monologue that's often used in dramas, a soliloquy is when a character speaks aloud to himself (and to the audience), thereby revealing his inner thoughts and feelings. Example: In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s speech on the balcony that begins with, "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" is a soliloquy, as she is speaking aloud to herself (remember that she doesn't realize Romeo's there listening!). Symbolism Symbolism refers to the use of an object, figure, event, situation, or other idea in a written work to represent something else- typically a broader message or deeper meaning that differs from its literal meaning. The things used for symbolism are called "symbols," and they’ll often appear multiple times throughout a text, sometimes changing in meaning as the plot progresses. Example: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, the green light that sits across from Gatsby’s mansion symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams. Synecdoche A synecdoche is a literary device in which part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. It's similar to a metonym (see above); however, a metonym doesn't have to represent the whole- just something associated with the word used. Example: "Help me out, I need some hands!" In this case, "hands" is being used to refer to people (the whole human, essentially). Tone While mood is what the audience is supposed to feel, tone isthe writer or narrator's attitude towards a subject. A good writer will always want the audience to feel the mood they're trying to evoke, but the audience may not always agree with the narrator's tone, especially if the narrator is an unsympathetic character or has viewpoints that differ from those of the reader. Example: In an essay disdaining Americans and some of the sites they visit as tourists, Rudyard Kipling begins with the line, "Today I am in the Yellowstone Park, and I wish I were dead." If you enjoy Yellowstone and/or national parks, you may not agree with the author's tone in this piece. Time to become your own Sherlock Holmes! How to Identify and Analyze Literary Devices: 4 Tips In order to fully interpret pieces of literature, you have to understand a lot about literary devices in the texts you read. Here are our top tips for identifying and analyzing different literary techniques: Tip 1: Read Closely and Carefully First off, you’ll need to make sure that you’re reading very carefully. Resist the temptation to skim or skip any sections of the text. If you do this, you might miss some literary devices being used and, as a result, will be unable to accurately interpret the text. If there are any passages in the work that make you feel especially emotional, curious, intrigued, or just plain interested, check that area again for any literary devices at play. It’s also a good idea to reread any parts you thought were confusing or that you didn't totally understand on a first read-through. Doing this ensures that you have a solid grasp of the passage (and text as a whole) and will be able to analyze it appropriately. Tip 2: Memorize Common Literary Terms You won’t be able to identify literary elements in texts if you don’t know what they are or how they’re used, so spend some time memorizing the literary elements list above. Knowing these (and how they look in writing) will allow you to more easily pinpoint these techniques in various types of written works. Tip 3: Know the Author’s Intended Audience Knowing what kind of audience an author intended her work to have can help you figure out what types of literary devices might be at play. For example, if you were trying to analyze a children’s book, you'd want to be on the lookout for child-appropriate devices, such as repetition and alliteration. Tip 4: Take Notes and Bookmark Key Passages and Pages This is one of the most important tips to know, especially if you're reading and analyzing works for English class. As you read, take notes on the work in a notebook or on a computer. Write down any passages, paragraphs, conversations, descriptions, etc., that jump out at you or that contain a literary device you were able to identify. You can also take notes directly in the book, if possible (but don’t do this if you’re borrowing a book from the library!). I recommend circling keywords and important phrases, as well as starring interesting or particularly effective passages and paragraphs. Lastly, use sticky notes or post-its to bookmark pages that are interesting to you or that have some kind of notable literary device. This will help you go back to them later should you need to revisit some of what you’ve found for a paper you plan to write. What’s Next? Looking for more in-depth explorations and examples of literary devices? Join us as we delve into imagery, personification, rhetorical devices, tone words and mood, and different points of view in literature, as well as some more poetry-specific terms like assonance and iambic pentameter. Reading The Great Gatsby for class or even just for fun? Then you'll definitely want to check out our expert guides on the biggest themes in this classic book, from love and relationships to money and materialism. Got questions about Arthur Miller's The Crucible? Read our in-depth articles to learn about the most important themes in this play and get a complete rundown of all the characters. For more information on your favorite works of literature, take a look at our collection of high-quality book guides and our guide to the 9 literary elements that appear in every story! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. 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