Tone

Tone is important because it can affect the interpretation of a word or sentence. If a character stresses a part of a word then the word is interpreted in a completely different way then if not stressed at all. For example, in the sentence "You know how to play basketball?", without any stresses, is just a casual question asking if  you know how to play basketball. However, if a stress is put on the word "you" in the sentence, the sentence conveys that you do not look like you would know how to play basketball. In this sentence, the stress gives off a sarcastic meaning to the sentence. Thus, Tone is very important because it can dramatically shift the interpretation of an entire sentence.

Diction

Diction refers to the writer's choice of words. Diction is extremely important because it is the fundamental structure of any work. All other literary devices are based off of diction because diction describes the actual words. For example, personification gives human traits to an object. The choice of words enables personification to take place. Thus, without proper word choice, literary devices are not capable of occuring. Word choice can also affect the setting of a play. For example, if a very dark and threatening setting is described and all of a sudden a man comes into the scene saying "That's what aaa haammmmburgerrr's alllll aboutt.", the setting would be looked upon in a humorous way vs a scary way. Overall, diction is the foundation of any work.

Imagery

Imagery represents the language that is not meant to be taken literally. Hyperboles, similes, and metaphors are all examples of imagery. For instance, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock contains multiple examples of imagery. One example is "When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table...". This quote is a simile and also uses personification. The evening is given characteristic of being spread out which is personification and the evening is also being compared to "a patient etherized upon a table" which is a simile. This quotation is not meant to be taken literally and is a perfect example of figurative language. Overall, imagery is very useful in literary work because it paints a picture in the readers' minds.

Poetry Sounds

Sounds in poetry are important because they can affect the way a sentence is interpreted. A sentence consisting of multiple consonants might give off a more abrupt impression to the reader vs a sentence made up of long and graceful vowels which would probably have more of an elegant and lavish feel to it. To His Coy Mistress  is a good example because the poem offers both beautiful language as well as short and abrupt language.