Think of any movies or books you’ve seen that include the literary terms you are studying. Almost all stories have certain elements, such as conflict and setting, but other elements, such as symbolism and tone, are less noticeable until you learn to identify them. When you understand tone, you may notice horror movies often have low lighting to create a scary tone. Imagining stories that use literary techniques you are studying can help you remember by association.
Create literary works yourself. You don’t need to write the great American novel, but try writing paragraphs in which you incorporate literary elements into your work. By applying these elements, you are forced to understand them to an extent that allows you to use them correctly. For example, develop a scenario in which you tell your friend about something surprising you saw. Write your imaginary exchanges in a dialogue format. Advanced students can write about a conversation in which no words were said, with the information instead conveyed through body language.
Write a rhetorical analysis of a work of fiction that you have read. A rhetorical analysis is a short essay that focuses on the choices the writer makes to create a particular effect on the reader. Consider what the author wants to accomplish and point out specific aspects of the essay that help the writer accomplish this goal. For example, if you think Milton used the demons in “Paradise Lost” as a metaphor for mob rule, explain how the metaphor helped Milton achieve this effect. Before you can analyze the rhetoric used by the writer, you must first understand what the writer wanted to accomplish.
Literary terms often have set definitions that can be memorized. Create flashcards — cards with the literary term on one side and the definition on the other. Read the literary term on the card and say the definition aloud. Check the other side of the card to see if you remembered the definition correctly. Read the definition first and try to remember the literary term. You may remember some terms immediately and may want to remove them from the deck to save time. However, you should remember to check those cards later on to make sure you haven’t forgotten.