In terms of Literary Devices (techniques authors may or may not use) we have discussed the following:
1) Metaphor- A direct comparison between two unlike things. Example: It was a beast of a day.
2) Simile- A comparison between two things using like or as. Example: She was like a shining star.
3) Foreshadowing- When the author gives the reader a hint to an event that will happen later in the text. Example: I would not have fallen asleep had I known what was about to happen.
4) Irony- 3 types: Verbal, Situational, Dramatic
Dramatic Irony- when the reader knows something other characters do not know. For example: In A Lamb to the Slaughter we know that the detectives are eating the murder weapon they are searching for but they do not know this.
Verbal Irony- when the opposite of what is expected is said (not to be confused with sarcasm). For example: In A Lamb to the Slaughter the detective says, "It is probably right under our noses" when speaking about the murder weapon. He uses this figure of speech to suggest that the murder weapon should be close by but it actually is under his nose because he is eating the murder weapon.
Situational Irony- when the opposite happens of what is expected (not to be confused with coincidence). In a Lamb to the Slaughter the detectives are eating the murder weapon they are searching for. If a fire hall burned down it would also be an example of situational irony.
5) Symbolism-something that you can touch or see standing in for an idea. Colours, characters, and items can all symbolize ideas. The black box in The Lottery, for example, symbolized an old evil tradition. Old Man Warner symbolized resistance to change.
6) Allusion-When one literary work references another literary work or pop culture. For example in film Into the Wild the main character discusses Jack London's writing about a man who dies from not paying attention to the warning signs that a terrible storm was near. This is an example of an allusion.