research paper literary device

Literary Devices & Terms

An acrostic is a piece of writing in which a particular set of letters—typically the first letter of each line, word, or paragraph—spells out a word or phrase with special significance to the text. Acrostics... (read full acrostic explanation with examples) An acrostic is a piece of writing in which a particular set of letters—typically the first letter of each line,... (read more)

An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is a well-known allegory with a... (read full allegory explanation with examples) An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... (read more)

Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement.” The repeating sound... (read full alliteration explanation with examples) Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the... (read more)

In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas, and they do so in... (read full allusion explanation with examples) In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... (read more)

An anachronism is a person or a thing placed in the wrong time period. For instance, if a novel set in Medieval England featured a trip to a movie-theater, that would be an anachronism. Although... (read full anachronism explanation with examples) An anachronism is a person or a thing placed in the wrong time period. For instance, if a novel set... (read more)

Anadiplosis is a figure of speech in which a word or group of words located at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated at or near the beginning of the following clause or... (read full anadiplosis explanation with examples) Anadiplosis is a figure of speech in which a word or group of words located at the end of one... (read more)

An analogy is a comparison that aims to explain a thing or idea by likening it to something else. For example, a career coach might say, "Being the successful boss or CEO of a company... (read full analogy explanation with examples) An analogy is a comparison that aims to explain a thing or idea by likening it to something else. For... (read more)

An anapest is a three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable. The word "understand" is an anapest, with the unstressed syllables of "un" and "der" followed... (read full anapest explanation with examples) An anapest is a three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable.... (read more)

Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech contains anaphora: "So let freedom... (read full anaphora explanation with examples) Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. For... (read more)

An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend.... (read full antagonist explanation with examples) An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can... (read more)

Antanaclasis is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated within a sentence, but the word or phrase means something different each time it appears. A famous example of antanaclasis is... (read full antanaclasis explanation with examples) Antanaclasis is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated within a sentence, but the word... (read more)

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). Some famous examples of anthropomorphism include Winnie the Pooh, the Little Engine that Could, and Simba from... (read full anthropomorphism explanation with examples) Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). Some famous... (read more)

Antimetabole is a figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed. John F. Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you... (read full antimetabole explanation with examples) Antimetabole is a figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed. John... (read more)

Antithesis is a figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel grammatical structures. For instance, Neil Armstrong used antithesis when he stepped onto the surface of the moon in 1969... (read full antithesis explanation with examples) Antithesis is a figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel grammatical structures. For instance,... (read more)

An aphorism is a saying that concisely expresses a moral principle or an observation about the world, presenting it as a general or universal truth. The Rolling Stones are responsible for penning one of the... (read full aphorism explanation with examples) An aphorism is a saying that concisely expresses a moral principle or an observation about the world, presenting it as... (read more)

Aphorismus is a type of figure of speech that calls into question the way a word is used. Aphorismus is used not to question the meaning of a word, but whether it is actually appropriate... (read full aphorismus explanation with examples) Aphorismus is a type of figure of speech that calls into question the way a word is used. Aphorismus is... (read more)

Aporia is a rhetorical device in which a speaker expresses uncertainty or doubt—often pretended uncertainty or doubt—about something, usually as a way of proving a point. An example of aporia is the famous Elizabeth Barrett... (read full aporia explanation with examples) Aporia is a rhetorical device in which a speaker expresses uncertainty or doubt—often pretended uncertainty or doubt—about something, usually as... (read more)

Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or cannot respond in reality. The entity being addressed can be an absent, dead, or imaginary... (read full apostrophe explanation with examples) Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or... (read more)

Assonance is a figure of speech in which the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words. An example of assonance is: "Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna? It was too soon!" (read full assonance explanation with examples) Assonance is a figure of speech in which the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words. An example... (read more)

An asyndeton (sometimes called asyndetism) is a figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and", "or", and "but" that join other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of equal importance—are omitted.... (read full asyndeton explanation with examples) An asyndeton (sometimes called asyndetism) is a figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and", "or", and "but"... (read more)

A ballad is a type of poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music. English language ballads are typically composed of four-line stanzas that follow an ABCB rhyme scheme. (read full ballad explanation with examples) A ballad is a type of poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music. English language ballads... (read more)

A ballade is a form of lyric poetry that originated in medieval France. Ballades follow a strict rhyme scheme ("ababbcbc"), and typically have three eight-line stanzas followed by a shorter four-line stanza called an envoi.... (read full ballade explanation with examples) A ballade is a form of lyric poetry that originated in medieval France. Ballades follow a strict rhyme scheme ("ababbcbc"),... (read more)

Bildungsroman is a genre of novel that shows a young protagonist's journey from childhood to adulthood (or immaturity to maturity), with a focus on the trials and misfortunes that affect the character's growth. (read full bildungsroman explanation with examples) Bildungsroman is a genre of novel that shows a young protagonist's journey from childhood to adulthood (or immaturity to maturity),... (read more)

Blank verse is the name given to poetry that lacks rhymes but does follow a specific meter—a meter that is almost always iambic pentameter. Blank verse was particularly popular in English poetry written between the... (read full blank verse explanation with examples) Blank verse is the name given to poetry that lacks rhymes but does follow a specific meter—a meter that is... (read more)

A cacophony is a combination of words that sound harsh or unpleasant together, usually because they pack a lot of percussive or "explosive" consonants (like T, P, or K) into relatively little space. For instance, the... (read full cacophony explanation with examples) A cacophony is a combination of words that sound harsh or unpleasant together, usually because they pack a lot of... (read more)

A caesura is a pause that occurs within a line of poetry, usually marked by some form of punctuation such as a period, comma, ellipsis, or dash. A caesura doesn't have to be placed in... (read full caesura explanation with examples) A caesura is a pause that occurs within a line of poetry, usually marked by some form of punctuation such... (read more)

Catharsis is the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art. Aristotle coined the term catharsis—which comes from the Greek kathairein meaning "to cleanse or purge"—to describe the release of emotional tension that he... (read full catharsis explanation with examples) Catharsis is the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art. Aristotle coined the term catharsis—which comes from the... (read more)

Characterization is the representation of the traits, motives, and psychology of a character in a narrative. Characterization may occur through direct description, in which the character's qualities are described by a narrator, another character, or... (read full characterization explanation with examples) Characterization is the representation of the traits, motives, and psychology of a character in a narrative. Characterization may occur through... (read more)

Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase, such that two key concepts from the original phrase reappear in the second phrase in inverted... (read full chiasmus explanation with examples) Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase, such... (read more)

The word cinquain can refer to two different things. Historically, it referred to any stanza of five lines written in any type of verse. More recently, cinquain has come to refer to particular types of... (read full cinquain explanation with examples) The word cinquain can refer to two different things. Historically, it referred to any stanza of five lines written in... (read more)

A cliché is a phrase that, due to overuse, is seen as lacking in substance or originality. For example, telling a heartbroken friend that there are "Plenty of fish in the sea" is such a... (read full cliché explanation with examples) A cliché is a phrase that, due to overuse, is seen as lacking in substance or originality. For example, telling... (read more)

Climax is a figure of speech in which successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance, as in "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... (read full climax (figure of speech) explanation with examples) Climax is a figure of speech in which successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in ascending order of... (read more)

The climax of a plot is the story's central turning point—the moment of peak tension or conflict—which all the preceding plot developments have been leading up to. In a traditional "good vs. evil" story (like many superhero movies)... (read full climax (plot) explanation with examples) The climax of a plot is the story's central turning point—the moment of peak tension or conflict—which all the preceding plot... (read more)

Colloquialism is the use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech. Colloquialisms are usually defined in geographical terms, meaning that they are often defined by their use within a dialect, a regionally-defined variant... (read full colloquialism explanation with examples) Colloquialism is the use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech. Colloquialisms are usually defined in geographical terms,... (read more)

Common meter is a specific type of meter that is often used in lyric poetry. Common meter has two key traits: it alternates between lines of eight syllables and lines of six syllables, and it... (read full common meter explanation with examples) Common meter is a specific type of meter that is often used in lyric poetry. Common meter has two key... (read more)

A conceit is a fanciful metaphor, especially a highly elaborate or extended metaphor in which an unlikely, far-fetched, or strained comparison is made between two things. A famous example comes from John Donne's poem, "A... (read full conceit explanation with examples) A conceit is a fanciful metaphor, especially a highly elaborate or extended metaphor in which an unlikely, far-fetched, or strained... (read more)

Connotation is the array of emotions and ideas suggested by a word in addition to its dictionary definition. Most words carry meanings, impressions, or associations apart from or beyond their literal meaning. For example, the... (read full connotation explanation with examples) Connotation is the array of emotions and ideas suggested by a word in addition to its dictionary definition. Most words... (read more)

Consonance is a figure of speech in which the same consonant sound repeats within a group of words. An example of consonance is: "Traffic figures, on July Fourth, to be tough." (read full consonance explanation with examples) Consonance is a figure of speech in which the same consonant sound repeats within a group of words. An example... (read more)

A couplet is a unit of two lines of poetry, especially lines that use the same or similar meter, form a rhyme, or are separated from other lines by a double line break. (read full couplet explanation with examples) A couplet is a unit of two lines of poetry, especially lines that use the same or similar meter, form... (read more)

A dactyl is a three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which a stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables. The word “poetry” itself is a great example of a dactyl, with the stressed syllable... (read full dactyl explanation with examples) A dactyl is a three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which a stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables.... (read more)

Denotation is the literal meaning, or "dictionary definition," of a word. Denotation is defined in contrast to connotation, which is the array of emotions and ideas suggested by a word in addition to its dictionary... (read full denotation explanation with examples) Denotation is the literal meaning, or "dictionary definition," of a word. Denotation is defined in contrast to connotation, which is... (read more)

The dénouement is the final section of a story's plot, in which loose ends are tied up, lingering questions are answered, and a sense of resolution is achieved. The shortest and most well known dénouement, it could be... (read full dénouement explanation with examples) The dénouement is the final section of a story's plot, in which loose ends are tied up, lingering questions are answered, and... (read more)

A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby an unsolvable conflict or point of tension is suddenly resolved by the unexpected appearance of an implausible character, object, action, ability, or event. For example, if... (read full deus ex machina explanation with examples) A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby an unsolvable conflict or point of tension is suddenly resolved by... (read more)

Diacope is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated with a small number of intervening words. The first line of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, "Happy families are all alike;... (read full diacope explanation with examples) Diacope is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated with a small number of intervening... (read more)

Dialogue is the exchange of spoken words between two or more characters in a book, play, or other written work. In prose writing, lines of dialogue are typically identified by the use of quotation marks... (read full dialogue explanation with examples) Dialogue is the exchange of spoken words between two or more characters in a book, play, or other written work.... (read more)

Diction is a writer's unique style of expression, especially his or her choice and arrangement of words. A writer's vocabulary, use of language to produce a specific tone or atmosphere, and ability to communicate clearly... (read full diction explanation with examples) Diction is a writer's unique style of expression, especially his or her choice and arrangement of words. A writer's vocabulary,... (read more)

Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the audience. More specifically, in dramatic... (read full dramatic irony explanation with examples) Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... (read more)

A dynamic character undergoes substantial internal changes as a result of one or more plot developments. The dynamic character's change can be extreme or subtle, as long as his or her development is important to... (read full dynamic character explanation with examples) A dynamic character undergoes substantial internal changes as a result of one or more plot developments. The dynamic character's change... (read more)

An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, especially one mourning the loss of someone who died. Elegies are defined by their subject matter, and don't have to follow any specific form in terms of... (read full elegy explanation with examples) An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, especially one mourning the loss of someone who died. Elegies are defined... (read more)

End rhyme refers to rhymes that occur in the final words of lines of poetry. For instance, these lines from Dorothy Parker's poem "Interview" use end rhyme: "The ladies men admire, I’ve heard, / Would shudder... (read full end rhyme explanation with examples) End rhyme refers to rhymes that occur in the final words of lines of poetry. For instance, these lines from... (read more)

An end-stopped line is a line of poetry in which a sentence or phrase comes to a conclusion at the end of the line. For example, the poet C.P. Cavafy uses end-stopped lines in his... (read full end-stopped line explanation with examples) An end-stopped line is a line of poetry in which a sentence or phrase comes to a conclusion at the... (read more)

Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, the poet John Donne uses enjambment in his poem "The Good-Morrow" when he continues the opening sentence across the line... (read full enjambment explanation with examples) Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, the poet John Donne uses... (read more)

An envoi is a brief concluding stanza at the end of a poem that can either summarize the preceding poem or serve as its dedication. The envoi tends to follow the same meter and rhyme... (read full envoi explanation with examples) An envoi is a brief concluding stanza at the end of a poem that can either summarize the preceding poem... (read more)

Epanalepsis is a figure of speech in which the beginning of a clause or sentence is repeated at the end of that same clause or sentence, with words intervening. The sentence "The king is dead,... (read full epanalepsis explanation with examples) Epanalepsis is a figure of speech in which the beginning of a clause or sentence is repeated at the end... (read more)

An epigram is a short and witty statement, usually written in verse, that conveys a single thought or observation. Epigrams typically end with a punchline or a satirical twist. (read full epigram explanation with examples) An epigram is a short and witty statement, usually written in verse, that conveys a single thought or observation. Epigrams... (read more)

An epigraph is a short quotation, phrase, or poem that is placed at the beginning of another piece of writing to encapsulate that work's main themes and to set the tone. For instance, the epigraph of Mary... (read full epigraph explanation with examples) An epigraph is a short quotation, phrase, or poem that is placed at the beginning of another piece of writing to... (read more)

Epistrophe is a figure of speech in which one or more words repeat at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln urged the American people to ensure that,... (read full epistrophe explanation with examples) Epistrophe is a figure of speech in which one or more words repeat at the end of successive phrases, clauses,... (read more)

Epizeuxis is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated in immediate succession, with no intervening words. In the play Hamlet, when Hamlet responds to a question about what he's reading... (read full epizeuxis explanation with examples) Epizeuxis is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated in immediate succession, with no intervening... (read more)

Ethos, along with logos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Ethos is an argument that appeals to the audience by emphasizing the... (read full ethos explanation with examples) Ethos, along with logos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... (read more)

Euphony is the combining of words that sound pleasant together or are easy to pronounce, usually because they contain lots of consonants with soft or muffled sounds (like L, M, N, and R) instead of consonants with harsh, percussive sounds (like... (read full euphony explanation with examples) Euphony is the combining of words that sound pleasant together or are easy to pronounce, usually because they contain lots of consonants with soft... (read more)

Exposition is the description or explanation of background information within a work of literature. Exposition can cover characters and their relationship to one another, the setting or time and place of events, as well as... (read full exposition explanation with examples) Exposition is the description or explanation of background information within a work of literature. Exposition can cover characters and their... (read more)

An extended metaphor is a metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines or even paragraphs of a text, making use of multiple interrelated metaphors within an overarching one. So while "life is a highway" is a... (read full extended metaphor explanation with examples) An extended metaphor is a metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines or even paragraphs of a text, making use of... (read more)

An external conflict is a problem, antagonism, or struggle that takes place between a character and an outside force. External conflict drives the action of a plot forward. (read full external conflict explanation with examples) An external conflict is a problem, antagonism, or struggle that takes place between a character and an outside force. External conflict... (read more)

The falling action of a story is the section of the plot following the climax, in which the tension stemming from the story's central conflict decreases and the story moves toward its conclusion. For instance, the traditional "good... (read full falling action explanation with examples) The falling action of a story is the section of the plot following the climax, in which the tension stemming from... (read more)

Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech. When people use the term "figurative language," however, they often do so in a slightly narrower way. In this narrower definition, figurative language refers... (read full figurative language explanation with examples) Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech. When people use the term "figurative language," however, they... (read more)

A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order to produce a stylistic effect. Figures of speech can be broken into two main groups: figures... (read full figure of speech explanation with examples) A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order to... (read more)

A character is said to be "flat" if it is one-dimensional or lacking in complexity. Typically, flat characters can be easily and accurately described using a single word (like "bully") or one short sentence (like "A naive... (read full flat character explanation with examples) A character is said to be "flat" if it is one-dimensional or lacking in complexity. Typically, flat characters can be easily... (read more)

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making explicit statements or leaving subtle... (read full foreshadowing explanation with examples) Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... (read more)

Formal verse is the name given to rhymed poetry that uses a strict meter (a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables). This two-line poem by Emily Dickinson is formal verse because it rhymes and... (read full formal verse explanation with examples) Formal verse is the name given to rhymed poetry that uses a strict meter (a regular pattern of stressed and... (read more)

Free verse is the name given to poetry that doesn’t use any strict meter or rhyme scheme. Because it has no set meter, poems written in free verse can have lines of any length, from... (read full free verse explanation with examples) Free verse is the name given to poetry that doesn’t use any strict meter or rhyme scheme. Because it has... (read more)

Hamartia is a literary term that refers to a tragic flaw or error that leads to a character's downfall. In the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's arrogant conviction that he can usurp the roles of God... (read full hamartia explanation with examples) Hamartia is a literary term that refers to a tragic flaw or error that leads to a character's downfall. In... (read more)

Hubris refers to excessive pride or overconfidence, which drives a person to overstep limits in a way that leads to their downfall. In Greek mythology, the legend of Icarus involves an iconic case of hubris:... (read full hubris explanation with examples) Hubris refers to excessive pride or overconfidence, which drives a person to overstep limits in a way that leads to... (read more)

Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point, rather than be taken literally.... (read full hyperbole explanation with examples) Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements... (read more)

An iamb is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which one unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. The word "define" is an iamb, with the unstressed syllable of "de" followed by the... (read full iamb explanation with examples) An iamb is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which one unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable.... (read more)

An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For example, saying that something is... (read full idiom explanation with examples) An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... (read more)

Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages the senses of touch, movement,... (read full imagery explanation with examples) Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... (read more)

Internal rhyme is rhyme that occurs in the middle of lines of poetry, instead of at the ends of lines. A single line of poetry can contain internal rhyme (with multiple words in the same... (read full internal rhyme explanation with examples) Internal rhyme is rhyme that occurs in the middle of lines of poetry, instead of at the ends of lines.... (read more)

Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition, don't worry—it is. Irony is a... (read full irony explanation with examples) Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... (read more)

Juxtaposition occurs when an author places two things side by side as a way of highlighting their differences. Ideas, images, characters, and actions are all things that can be juxtaposed with one another. For example,... (read full juxtaposition explanation with examples) Juxtaposition occurs when an author places two things side by side as a way of highlighting their differences. Ideas, images,... (read more)

A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing. For example, "whale-road" is a kenning for... (read full kenning explanation with examples) A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression... (read more)

A line break is the termination of one line of poetry, and the beginning of a new line. (read full line break explanation with examples) A line break is the termination of one line of poetry, and the beginning of a new line. (read more)

Litotes is a figure of speech and a form of understatement in which a sentiment is expressed ironically by negating its contrary. For example, saying "It's not the best weather today" during a hurricane would... (read full litotes explanation with examples) Litotes is a figure of speech and a form of understatement in which a sentiment is expressed ironically by negating... (read more)

Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Logos is an argument that appeals to an audience's sense of logic... (read full logos explanation with examples) Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... (read more)

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as in the sentence "Love is... (read full metaphor explanation with examples) A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other.... (read more)

Meter is a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythm of some poetry. These stress patterns are defined in groupings, called feet, of two or three syllables. A pattern of unstressed-stressed,... (read full meter explanation with examples) Meter is a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythm of some poetry. These stress patterns... (read more)

Metonymy is a type of figurative language in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it. For example, in... (read full metonymy explanation with examples) Metonymy is a type of figurative language in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own... (read more)

The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing can influence its mood, from the... (read full mood explanation with examples) The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... (read more)

A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book or play. For example, one... (read full motif explanation with examples) A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... (read more)

A narrative is an account of connected events. Two writers describing the same set of events might craft very different narratives, depending on how they use different narrative elements, such as tone or point of view. For... (read full narrative explanation with examples) A narrative is an account of connected events. Two writers describing the same set of events might craft very different narratives,... (read more)

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the... (read full onomatopoeia explanation with examples) Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or... (read more)

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth. The most recognizable oxymorons are... (read full oxymoron explanation with examples) An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... (read more)

A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is much too important to be... (read full paradox explanation with examples) A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... (read more)

Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of... (read full parallelism explanation with examples) Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have... (read more)

Parataxis is a figure of speech in which words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are set next to each other so that each element is equally important. Parataxis usually involves simple sentences or phrases whose relationships... (read full parataxis explanation with examples) Parataxis is a figure of speech in which words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are set next to each other so... (read more)

A parody is a work that mimics the style of another work, artist, or genre in an exaggerated way, usually for comic effect. Parodies can take many forms, including fiction, poetry, film, visual art, and... (read full parody explanation with examples) A parody is a work that mimics the style of another work, artist, or genre in an exaggerated way, usually... (read more)

Pathetic fallacy occurs when a writer attributes human emotions to things that aren't human, such as objects, weather, or animals. It is often used to make the environment reflect the inner experience of a narrator... (read full pathetic fallacy explanation with examples) Pathetic fallacy occurs when a writer attributes human emotions to things that aren't human, such as objects, weather, or animals.... (read more)

Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to an audience's emotions. When a... (read full pathos explanation with examples) Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... (read more)

Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the... (read full personification explanation with examples) Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... (read more)

Plot is the sequence of interconnected events within the story of a play, novel, film, epic, or other narrative literary work. More than simply an account of what happened, plot reveals the cause-and-effect relationships between... (read full plot explanation with examples) Plot is the sequence of interconnected events within the story of a play, novel, film, epic, or other narrative literary... (read more)

Point of view refers to the perspective that the narrator holds in relation to the events of the story. The three primary points of view are first person, in which the narrator tells a story from... (read full point of view explanation with examples) Point of view refers to the perspective that the narrator holds in relation to the events of the story. The... (read more)

Polyptoton is a figure of speech that involves the repetition of words derived from the same root (such as "blood" and "bleed"). For instance, the question, "Who shall watch the watchmen?" is an example of... (read full polyptoton explanation with examples) Polyptoton is a figure of speech that involves the repetition of words derived from the same root (such as "blood"... (read more)

Polysyndeton is a figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and," "or," and "but" that join other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of equal importance—are used several times in close... (read full polysyndeton explanation with examples) Polysyndeton is a figure of speech in which coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and," "or," and "but" that join other words... (read more)

The protagonist of a story is its main character, who has the sympathy and support of the audience. This character tends to be involved in or affected by most of the choices or conflicts that... (read full protagonist explanation with examples) The protagonist of a story is its main character, who has the sympathy and support of the audience. This character... (read more)

A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words that have multiple meanings, or that plays with words that sound similar but mean different things. The comic novelist Douglas Adams uses both types... (read full pun explanation with examples) A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words that have multiple meanings, or that plays with words... (read more)

A quatrain is a four-line stanza of poetry. It can be a single four-line stanza, meaning that it is a stand-alone poem of four lines, or it can be a four-line stanza that makes up... (read full quatrain explanation with examples) A quatrain is a four-line stanza of poetry. It can be a single four-line stanza, meaning that it is a... (read more)

A red herring is a piece of information in a story that distracts readers from an important truth, or leads them to mistakenly expect a particular outcome. Most often, the term red herring is used to refer... (read full red herring explanation with examples) A red herring is a piece of information in a story that distracts readers from an important truth, or leads them... (read more)

In a poem or song, a refrain is a line or group of lines that regularly repeat, usually at the end of a stanza in a poem or at the end of a verse in... (read full refrain explanation with examples) In a poem or song, a refrain is a line or group of lines that regularly repeat, usually at the... (read more)

Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated two or more times. Repetition occurs in so many different forms that it is usually not thought of as a single figure... (read full repetition explanation with examples) Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated two or more times. Repetition occurs in... (read more)

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in which a question is asked for a reason other than to get an answer—most commonly, it's asked to make a persuasive point. For example, if a... (read full rhetorical question explanation with examples) A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in which a question is asked for a reason other than to... (read more)

A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words. Rhyming is particularly common in many types of poetry, especially at the ends of lines, and is a requirement in formal verse.... (read full rhyme explanation with examples) A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words. Rhyming is particularly common in many types... (read more)

A rhyme scheme is the pattern according to which end rhymes (rhymes located at the end of lines) are repeated in works poetry. Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, such that all... (read full rhyme scheme explanation with examples) A rhyme scheme is the pattern according to which end rhymes (rhymes located at the end of lines) are repeated... (read more)

The rising action of a story is the section of the plot leading up to the climax, in which the tension stemming from the story's central conflict grows through successive plot developments. For example, in the story of "Little... (read full rising action explanation with examples) The rising action of a story is the section of the plot leading up to the climax, in which the tension stemming... (read more)

A character is said to be "round" if they are lifelike or complex. Round characters typically have fully fleshed-out and multi-faceted personalities, backgrounds, desires, and motivations. Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby... (read full round character explanation with examples) A character is said to be "round" if they are lifelike or complex. Round characters typically have fully fleshed-out and... (read more)

Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take aim at other targets as... (read full satire explanation with examples) Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians,... (read more)

A sestet is a six-line stanza of poetry. It can be any six-line stanza—one that is, itself, a whole poem, or one that makes up a part of a longer poem. Most commonly, the term... (read full sestet explanation with examples) A sestet is a six-line stanza of poetry. It can be any six-line stanza—one that is, itself, a whole poem,... (read more)

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined location, like Middle Earth in... (read full setting explanation with examples) Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... (read more)

Sibilance is a figure of speech in which a hissing sound is created within a group of words through the repetition of "s" sounds. An example of sibilance is: "Sadly, Sam sold seven venomous serpents to Sally and... (read full sibilance explanation with examples) Sibilance is a figure of speech in which a hissing sound is created within a group of words through the repetition... (read more)

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also use other words that indicate... (read full simile explanation with examples) A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... (read more)

Traditionally, slant rhyme referred to a type of rhyme in which two words located at the end of a line of poetry themselves end in similar—but not identical—consonant sounds. For instance, the words "pact" and... (read full slant rhyme explanation with examples) Traditionally, slant rhyme referred to a type of rhyme in which two words located at the end of a line... (read more)

A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if thinking aloud. In some cases,... (read full soliloquy explanation with examples) A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself,... (read more)

A sonnet is a type of fourteen-line poem. Traditionally, the fourteen lines of a sonnet consist of an octave (or two quatrains making up a stanza of 8 lines) and a sestet (a stanza of... (read full sonnet explanation with examples) A sonnet is a type of fourteen-line poem. Traditionally, the fourteen lines of a sonnet consist of an octave (or... (read more)

A spondee is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which both syllables are stressed. The word "downtown" is a spondee, with the stressed syllable of "down" followed by another stressed syllable, “town”: Down-town. (read full spondee explanation with examples) A spondee is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which both syllables are stressed. The word "downtown" is a... (read more)

A stanza is a group of lines form a smaller unit within a poem. A single stanza is usually set apart from other lines or stanza within a poem by a double line break or... (read full stanza explanation with examples) A stanza is a group of lines form a smaller unit within a poem. A single stanza is usually set... (read more)

A character is said to be "static" if they do not undergo any substantial internal changes as a result of the story's major plot developments. Antagonists are often static characters, but any character in a... (read full static character explanation with examples) A character is said to be "static" if they do not undergo any substantial internal changes as a result of... (read more)

Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating sensory impressions, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax, and rough grammar. (read full stream of consciousness explanation with examples) Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's... (read more)

A syllogism is a three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which two premises are combined to arrive at a conclusion. So long as the premises of the syllogism are true and the syllogism... (read full syllogism explanation with examples) A syllogism is a three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which two premises are combined to arrive at... (read more)

Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing—usually a physical object or phenomenon—to represent something more abstract. A strong symbol usually shares a set of key characteristics with whatever it is... (read full symbolism explanation with examples) Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing—usually a physical object or phenomenon—to represent something more... (read more)

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which, most often, a part of something is used to refer to its whole. For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails"... (read full synecdoche explanation with examples) Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which, most often, a part of something is used to refer to its... (read more)

A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. One key characteristic of literary themes is their universality, which is to say that themes are ideas that not only... (read full theme explanation with examples) A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. One key characteristic of literary... (read more)

The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance, an editorial in a newspaper... (read full tone explanation with examples) The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... (read more)

A tragic hero is a type of character in a tragedy, and is usually the protagonist. Tragic heroes typically have heroic traits that earn them the sympathy of the audience, but also have flaws or... (read full tragic hero explanation with examples) A tragic hero is a type of character in a tragedy, and is usually the protagonist. Tragic heroes typically have... (read more)

A trochee is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which a stressed syllable is followed by an unstressed syllable. The word "poet" is a trochee, with the stressed syllable of "po" followed by the... (read full trochee explanation with examples) A trochee is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which a stressed syllable is followed by an unstressed syllable.... (read more)

Understatement is a figure of speech in which something is expressed less strongly than would be expected, or in which something is presented as being smaller, worse, or lesser than it really is. Typically, understatement is... (read full understatement explanation with examples) Understatement is a figure of speech in which something is expressed less strongly than would be expected, or in which something... (read more)

Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging outside and someone remarks "what lovely weather we're having," this... (read full verbal irony explanation with examples) Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean.... (read more)

A villanelle is a poem of nineteen lines, and which follows a strict form that consists of five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by one quatrain (four-line stanza). Villanelles use a specific rhyme scheme of ABA... (read full villanelle explanation with examples) A villanelle is a poem of nineteen lines, and which follows a strict form that consists of five tercets (three-line... (read more)

A zeugma is a figure of speech in which one "governing" word or phrase modifies two distinct parts of a sentence. Often, the governing word will mean something different when applied to each part, as... (read full zeugma explanation with examples) A zeugma is a figure of speech in which one "governing" word or phrase modifies two distinct parts of a... (read more)

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What Are Literary Devices? List & Definition Cheat-Sheet

What are literary devices? Many writers struggle to answer this question. In today’s guide, I’ll set the records straight and tell you what they are, how to use them, and why. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to wield language with precision and elevate your writing.

Understanding literary devices empowers us to convey what we want our audience to know or feel, which is the ultimate goal of storytelling. So, I’ll give you a list of literary devices and definitions in a simple-to-follow way that you can easily apply to your writing. Without further ado, let’s start learning.

What Are Literary Devices?

Literary devices are tools and techniques writers use to create depth and meaning in our work. From novels to poetry, essays to screenplays , these devices give writing texture, nuance, and resonance. They encompass many things, from language choices to structural patterns, and each serves a unique purpose in shaping the reader’s experience.

Here is a quick list of the literary devices I’ll be covering today:

Alliteration

Colloquialism, foreshadowing, personification, juxtaposition, metaphor or simile, onomatopoeia.

At their core, these literary devices enhance communication by engaging readers on multiple levels. They evoke emotions, spark imagination, and invite interpretation. Whether it’s the vivid imagery of a metaphor, the rhythmic repetition of alliteration, or the subtle foreshadowing of events to come, these devices enrich storytelling and leave a lasting impression on audiences.

With the “what” out of the way, let’s jump into a more detailed list of literary devices and definitions.

Literary Devices List & Definitions

Allusion is when a writer references another work of art, culture, or history within their writing. For example, you could describe your character as having “Herculean strength, ” referring to the Greek hero Hercules.

This instantly paints a vivid picture of the character’s physical prowess, allowing you to describe the character extensively (using relatively few words) through the power of association. Allusions can also establish tone, provide insight into characters, and enhance your thematic elements.

Diction refers to the choice and use of words and phrases in writing. It encompasses vocabulary, syntax, and style and influences the tone and atmosphere of a piece. For instance, a horror novel would likely use foreboding, ominous language to create a sense of tension and suspense.

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Diction conveys the intended mood, setting, and characterization. By carefully selecting words, writers can evoke specific emotions, enhance imagery, and effectively communicate their message to the audience.

Alliteration involves repeating initial consonant sounds in close proximity within a sentence or phrase. It adds rhythm and musicality to writing, making it more memorable and engaging. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” is a classic alliterative phrase.

While alliteration is most used in poetry, it certainly has a place in novels when used well. Alliteration adds a lyrical quality to the writing, which can help break up long descriptive passages and capture the reader’s attention. An example could be:

“The moonlight danced delicately down the dim, deserted street, casting captivating shadows on the cobblestone pathway. A gentle breeze whispered through the withering willows, weaving wistful melodies that echoed eerily in the empty air. The scent of sweet jasmine mingled with the subtle scent of sandalwood, suffusing the silent night with a sense of serenity and solitude.”

An allegory is a literary device in which characters, events, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral principles. It allows writers to convey complex concepts in a more accessible and relatable manner. For instance, George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” allegory uses farm animals to satirize political systems and human nature.

Allegory is important because it lets you explore deeper themes and commentary while maintaining a coherent and accessible narrative. It also encourages critical thinking and interpretation, engaging readers on multiple levels and often leaving a lasting impact.

Colloquialism refers to informal, everyday language specific to a particular region or social group. It reflects natural speech patterns and cultural norms, adding authenticity and realism to dialogue. For example, using “gonna” instead of “going to” or “y’all” instead of “you all” in a novel set in the Southern United States.

Using colloquialisms lends authenticity to characters and settings, making them more relatable and believable to the audience. It enhances characterization and enriches dialogue, helping to establish tone and legitimize the setting.

Euphemism involves substituting harsh or unpleasant terms for milder or indirect language. It allows writers to address sensitive topics gracefully and characters within the work to do the same. An example of euphemism is using “passed away” instead of “died” in a story about grief and loss.

Importance: Euphemism conveys things with subtle nuances of meaning and can evoke specific emotions without being overly blunt. It’s also important to remember that people in delicate real-life situations tend to use less upsetting, possibly offensive language when possible. As a result, it can often be a realistic way for characters to speak as well.

Flashbacks are scenes or sequences that depict events from the past within the timeline of a narrative. They provide context, backstory, and insight into the characters’ motivations and experiences. For example, in a screenplay, a character’s traumatic childhood might be revealed through flashback sequences.

Having readers experience these key moments enriches storytelling, deepens characterization, and explores the consequences of past actions. When done well, they create suspense, intrigue, and emotional resonance, improving the overall impact of the narrative.

Foreshadowing involves hinting at future events or outcomes within a story. It builds anticipation and suspense, preparing the audience for what is to come. For example, in a mystery, subtle clues or ominous warnings early on may foreshadow a later plot twist or revelation.

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Foreshadowing is very important for your narrative. With no foreshadowing, your big reveals will feel like they came out of left field. However, when you use them well, they create a sense of tension, leading to a more satisfying payoff later in the story.

Imagery refers to using vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a mental picture for the reader. By painting a detailed picture of the setting, characters, and events, you accomplish the classic advice of “show, don’t tell.”

Proper imagery transports readers into the story, immersing them in its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. It enhances mood and atmosphere and adds richness to the narrative.

Personification involves attributing human qualities or characteristics to non-human things, like objects, animals, or abstract concepts. It gives these entities human-like traits, behaviors, or emotions, making them more relatable and accessible to the reader’s imagination.

One of my favorite examples of personification comes from William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”:

“I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, 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.”

Clouds don’t get lonely; they can’t see, and daffodils can’t dance. This is personification. However, when Wordsworth says the daffodils are “fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” he gives them human-like qualities of movement and emotion that bring them (and the scene of nature) to life in our imagination.

Juxtaposition involves placing two or more contrasting elements side by side to highlight their differences or create a sense of tension or irony. It draws attention to disparities, contradictions, or unexpected connections between ideas, characters, or situations.

In Charles Dickens’s “A Tale of Two Cities,” the opening line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” juxtaposes opposing extremes to underscore the tumultuous nature of the times. Other examples are love and hate, war and peace, life and death, etc.

When done well, juxtaposition encourages readers to consider the complexities and contradictions inherent in the human experience. It adds depth and nuance to the narrative by challenging assumptions, inviting readers to explore alternative perspectives, and making things less black & white.

Metaphors and similes are figurative language devices that compare two seemingly unrelated things to create a vivid and imaginative image. The two are slightly different but achieve the same thing. A metaphor implies a direct comparison without using “like” or “as,” whereas similes use these words to establish the connection more explicitly.

A great yet simple example of a metaphor is “Her heart is a fragile glass.” In this metaphor, the heart is compared to glass. This implies that it is delicate and easily broken, suggesting that the person’s emotions or feelings are vulnerable and can be shattered, much like glass.

Here is a simile: “Her heart is like a fragile glass.” This simile also compares the heart to glass. However, unlike a metaphor, a simile uses “like” to make the comparison explicit. By saying “like,” the simile indicates a direct resemblance between the heart and glass, emphasizing the fragility of the heart more directly.

Both metaphors and similes enable us to convey abstract concepts, emotions, or experiences in concrete and relatable terms. They stimulate the imagination, evoke sensory impressions, and create memorable associations that deepen the reader’s understanding and engagement with the text.

Tone refers to the writer’s attitude or perspective toward the subject matter, characters, or audience and is conveyed through the writing’s language, style, and mood. Your tone can be formal, informal, serious, humorous, optimistic, pessimistic or satirical, depending on the intended effect.

For example, “To Kill a Mockingbird” starts with a nostalgic and innocent tone as Scout Finch recalls her childhood, but as the story delves into themes of racism and injustice, the tone becomes more somber and reflective.

Tone sets a literary work’s overall mood and atmosphere and is your tool for making sure the reader feels the way you want them to feel when they read your work. To be more hands-on with the tone of your writing, immerse yourself in the emotions and atmosphere you want to convey.

Experiment with word choice, sentence structure, and pacing to evoke the desired feeling. Consider the reactions you want from readers and adjust your tone accordingly, whether it’s playful, sad, suspenseful, or nostalgic. And remember to stay consistent throughout your narrative to maintain the tone’s impact.

Onomatopoeia is words that imitate or mimic the sound they describe. So, “The bee buzzed around the flowers. The fireworks boomed in the night sky. The bacon sizzled in the frying pan.” These words imitate the sounds they describe, adding an auditory element to the writing and engaging more senses.

Additionally, onomatopoeic words can convey emotional nuances within writing. “The rain tapped lightly against the window, creating a soothing rhythm that lulled her to sleep.”

In this sentence, the onomatopoeic word “tapped” not only describes the sound of the rain but also conveys a sense of gentleness or tranquility, which enhances the overall mood of the scene. Also, just for your information, when writing, onomatopoeia are generally italicized to make them clear to the reader.

There you have it, folks: a quick list of the most common literary devices, their definitions, and how they can be applied to your writing. Even if you weren’t aware of the names, you’ve undoubtedly been using many of them already. Hopefully, today’s article will allow you to be more intentional about weaving them into your work and improve it. Until then, get out there and get to writing.

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Literary Devices List: 33 Main Literary Devices with Examples

by Fija Callaghan

If “literary devices” sounds like a throwback to something you slept through in your English Lit 101 class, you’re not alone. Maybe breaking down the finer points of metaphor, perspective, and juxtaposition sounds like a fast track to sucking all the fun out of actually enjoying creative writing.

On the other hand, it might surprise you to learn that these literary devices are present in all stories, from epic poetry to Saturday morning cartoons to those guilty-pleasure paperbacks you pick up at the airport and then “accidentally” leave behind on the plane.

If you’re reading, watching, or listening to a story and find yourself engaged for even a moment… that’s literary devices at work. They’re tools that the writer uses to engage with the reader on a visceral level, to make them look at the story—and the world around them through the story—in a completely different way.

Here we’ll show you multiple literary devices and rhetorical devices, with examples, that you can use to create powerful stories.

What are literary devices?

Literary devices are tools and techniques that a writer can use to elevate their story beyond the literal meaning of the words on the page. These techniques work on an unconscious level to enhance characterization, heighten tension, and help your story’s theme create a more powerful impact on the reader.

There are many types of literary devices that writers can use to create different effects in their work. The skilled writer uses them to create a powerful, lasting work of art; without them, a story would be much more basic, less enjoyable, and less memorable.

In other words, literary devices are the techniques that turn a literal, step-by-step retelling of events into a rich, engaging, and memorable piece of literature.

What’s the difference between literary devices and literary elements?

You’ll sometimes hear these terms being used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing. We’ve looked at how literary elements are the structural skeleton of our story ; you can think of them as the blank canvas, the first washes of colour, the rough outlines that help us understand the shapes we’re seeing and what they have the potential to become.

Literary devices are everything that gives these outlines life and form. In a painting, these devices would be the play of light, shadow, and perspective; the use of contrasting and complimentary colour theory; the cool stuff you do with your sparkly gel pens at the very end that makes the finished piece really jump out. They’re tools that the writer uses—sometimes bold, masterful turns and sometimes nothing more than small nudges—to guide and engage the reader.

Or, consider a house. Literary elements are the house’s structure: They’re the foundation, the beams, the drywall, the roof. Without these elements there’s no physical house. Literary devices are what you do to a a building to turn it from a house into a home: the wallpaper you select, the style of furniture, the books on the shelf, the comfy couch, the good smells in the kitchen.

You probably won’t use all of the literary devices we’re going to show you here in your own work. Most writers will come back to the same ones again and again, mastering them as they keep using them. This is what becomes their distinctive storytelling style, or voice.

Having a basic understanding of the ideas on this literary devices list, however, will help you see why other storytellers make the choices they do so that you can begin developing a storytelling voice of your own.

33 literary devices (with examples!) you can use to strengthen your writing

Once you’ve formed the bones of your story, you can use these literary devices to add shape and style to your work. It’s worth exploring all of these literary devices in your practice, though you’ll likely find a handful of them that become your writer’s toolkit—devices that you come back to again and again.

As you grow in your skill, these literary devices will become a part of your storytelling voice.

1. Allegory

Allegory is kind of like a cross between metaphor (which we’ll talk about a little further on) and theme. It’s the practice of telling a real, true, relevant story through the filter of fiction.

Often these stories stand in place for something the author can’t say, due to political or cultural barriers; other times it’s simply a way to get the reader or viewer to consider an issue in a different light.

This doesn’t mean that the story is being told as a direct comparison to a central idea; it means the story on the surface is composed of a complex web of metaphors that tell a second story with a deeper meaning underneath.

An classic example of allegory is Dante’s Divine Comedy , where Dante uses his fictional journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven as an allegory for the journey of a person’s soul to God.

2. Allusion

Allusion is a common literary device that indirectly references a real life person, place, or event.

It invites the reader to meet you, the author, in the middle, piecing together a cultural clue that you’ve left for them. Sometimes this is done because the idea is too sensitive to lay out overtly. Other times allusions can be used for light, comedic effect.

For example, in Eoin Colfer’s The Wish List, several repeated references are made to “the rockstar with the hair.” For a while the author lets the reader hypothesize as to whom he might be referring to, before dropping in a detail where a character begins humming “Blue Suede Shoes.” We talk about the value of repetition a little farther on.

3. Anachronism

Anachronism is a conflict of time within a single work —for example, describing a character as “zipping up her dress” if the story is set at a time before the invention of zippers, or causing national outrage by leaving a plastic water bottle on a 1920s film set .

Generally, anachronism is a negative thing that will cause your readers and viewers to delight in calling you out for it. This is why it’s so important, when writing historical pieces, to thoroughly research all the minute details of your story. However, anachronism as a literary device can sometimes be used quite effectively for comedic effect or to create a sense of displacement.

4. Archetypes

In literature, a character archetype is a standardized pattern that we instantly recognize from generations upon generations of storytelling.

Contrary to stereotypes , which are oversimplifications of an archetype’s most extreme personality traits, archetypes work because they speak to a universal truth. All character archetypes exist and, on some level, exist in us .

Examples of archetypes are the warrior, the mentor, the damsel, the lost child, and, of course, the villain. These archetypes can take on many different faces and sometimes a character can embody more than one archetype at the same time.

In Robert Munsch’s groundbreaking feminist page turner The Paper Bag Princess , the typical damsel-and-dragon story is turned on its head as none of the three central characters fit into the roles they’re expected to. This is an example of using archetypes in an unexpected way, inverting them to delight the reader.

5. Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger is a literary device in which the author ends a segment of the story on a dramatic question. This segment might be smaller, like a chapter, or larger, like the first novel in a continuing series. It holds the reader’s attention and makes them wonder what happens next.

You may recognize cliffhangers from your favourite TV series—they’re one of the most common literary devices in TV storytelling because they’re what gets the show pilot picked up by the network and then, once the show is running, they’re what keeps the viewers engaged and coming back again and again.

An example of a cliffhanger in literature is where the literary device got it’s name: In Thomas Hardy’s A Pair of Blue Eyes , a chapter ends with the main character hanging from a cliff by his fingers. The reader has to start the next chapter to discover the protagonist’s fate.

Cliffhangers are one of the many literary devices that are beloved by filmmakers and creative writers alike.

Dialect is a fantastic literary device to use when crafting strong, distinctive, believable characters. It’s essentially the sound of someone’s voice—not an easy feat to achieve when all you have to work with is paper and ink. It’s their regional accent, but also their upbringing, their level of education, their mood, the sort of people they’ve been exposed to.

When done well, and done sparingly, individual dialects can give your characters more life and lend a wonderful richness to their world.

D. H. Lawrence was famous for his use of dialect in his novels, which preserve the unique vocabulary and pronunciation of Victorian-era coal miners in the north of England.

Diction is related to dialect in that it’s a reflection of the sound of the story’s voice—which, again, you as the writer need to accomplish with nothing more than twenty-six letters. The difference between dialect and diction is that while dialect is a part of characterization, diction is the voice of the narrator.

The author makes choices about how to convey their voice in a story based on the mood and the world they’re trying to create. Very formal language creates distance between the author and the story; more colloquial word choices and regional slang make the story more intimate and immediate.

8. Euphemism

Euphemism is a word or phrase that uses figurative language to reference something that would otherwise be indelicate. “Passed away” is a common euphemism for dying; being “let go” or “made redundant” is a nicer way of saying you’ve been fired. “Cognitively challenged” refers to a stupid person, and “in the family way” is a sensitive way of saying that a woman is pregnant.

These all use informal language to convey something with a different meaning.

Although euphemisms were more commonly used in the eras of banned books, church censorship, and general societal timidity than they are today, they’re still a great way to show characterisation (as an important aspect of dialect, as we discussed above) and the time and place in which your story is happening.

9. Exposition

Exposition is the act of working relevant information into the events of your story —whether that’s through dialogue, observation, narrative detail, or flashbacks .

Exposition can be a tricky literary device to master, but it’s important in helping your readers understand your world, your characters, and what drives your characters to make the choices they do. Too much of this can bog down the reader and take them away from the present action, but just enough will give them a fuller understanding of the world you’re trying to create.

10. Flashback

Flashbacks are interruptions in the narrative that bring the reader to a past point in time in order to create tension and arm them with important information.

You may recognize flashbacks in TV series like crime shows or sitcoms, accompanied by subtitles like “earlier that day,” “three days ago,” etc. This is a way to communicate with the viewer that they’re being taken out of the present moment and redirected to another time.

Sometimes flashbacks are used as dramatic devices, like when the opening shows something horrible or unexpected, and then the flashback shows us what brought our characters to that moment.

11. Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a wonderful literary device that gives the reader hints of what is to come later in the story , either through subtle clues based on narrative events or by simply using thematic elements like symbolism and tone. It can help build suspense and keep the reader engaged by making them guess what’s going to happen.

You might foreshadow a turn of events in your story by placing symbolic images and colours through your story. For example, in her fairytale retelling The Bloody Chamber , Angela Carter uses a ruby choker to suggest a cut throat and give hints of what might come later on.

Don’t confuse foreshadowing with the rule of Chekhov’s Gun ; the two are very different concepts! But you can use both literary techniques to give depth to your story.

12. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement used for emphatic effect. It’s different than simply overstating something, where the context teeters on the edge of being a lie. Hyperbole isn’t meant to be taken literally.

For example, a child waiting for a parent too long after school might say, “I was waiting for fifty years!” Obviously, no one in this context actually believes they were waiting for fifty years—the child hasn’t even been alive that long. It’s using figurative language to emphatically say, “I’ve been kept waiting for too long and I am less than pleased about it.”

13. Imagery

Imagery is the art of making a moment come alive for the reader. We see this literary device in both fiction and poetry. To create an image that’s vivid and engaging, use a range of senses to create your world such as sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste (this is called visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory imagery, respectively).

In addition to making the world more real for the reader, the details that you focus on can influence the mood of the story. Well-placed images can also support foreshadowing in the story , as we saw previously.

14. In Medias Res

In media res is a Latin term you might hear in literary analysis that means “in the midst of things.” This means placing the reader in the middle of an exciting event, without any previous backstory or buildup. In other words, this can mean showing the middle of your story first, and then later revealing the events leading up to that moment.

For example, Sara Gruen’s novel Water for Elephants opens with an action-packed scene that takes place towards the end of the novel; then she doubles back to the beginning and shows the reader the events that took place to arrive there.

Other times it simply means dropping your reader in the middle of things that are happening, rather than starting with a lot of flowery description and exposition. Any information the reader needs can be slowly released throughout the scene, and the following scenes.

This immerses your reader in your story’s world right from the beginning. It makes them ask questions about who the people are in the scene and what’s causing the events to unfold—things they’ll learn as they read on through the entire book to the end.

There are different types of irony in literature , but all of them come down to an inversion of belief. The three types of irony you see most often in stories are dramatic irony, where the audience knows some essential piece of information that the characters don’t; situational irony, where the events of the story contradict what we would normally expect; and verbal irony, the contrast of speech and intention.

Verbal irony might be something like sarcasm, where someone says the opposite of what they mean.

Dramatic irony happens when the story reveals information but keeps it hidden from the characters—for example, the dramatic irony of watching someone open a door in a horror film when you know the monster’s waiting behind it.

Situational irony happens when two elements contradict to create a surprising result: for example, a policeman vowing to uphold the law and then giving in to corruption.

16. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a useful literary device that deals in contrast —in other words, putting two characters, images, or ideas side by side to draw attention to their differences.

You see this often in central and supporting characters, such as Batman and Robin—Batman’s dark, silent moodiness contrasts Robin’s bright, youthful energy. You can see this in their personalities as well as their costumes, with Batman all in black and Robin in positive primary colours. It’s this juxtaposition between the two that makes them such an engaging team.

Juxtaposition can also be used in sensory imagery, such as placing a happy event underneath a dark and stormy sky or using a tactile sensation that seems out of place in its environment.

17. Language

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably intending to write your stories in English. But using language as a literary device by adding in glimmers of other languages can add depth to your characters and your world.

A great example is J. R. R. Tolkien, who creates richness in the world of his English-language work by inventing entirely new languages and referencing them just enough to make them seem real.

Cara Black, in her Parisian mystery series, writes in English but uses the occasional French word or phrase here and there to more fully immerse the reader in her Francophone world.

Language can also be useful literary device for characterisation; for example, an elderly family member who struggles with English might have dialogue almost entirely in another language, or a bilingual character might revert to their native language in times of overwhelming stress.

18. Metaphor

As a writing technique, metaphor is quite close to simile . Both are common literary devices used to draw comparisons between two seemingly unrelated ideas. But unlike a simile, which draws a comparison between two things, a metaphor goes a step further and uses one image to literally serve in place of another.

One of the most famous metaphors of all time is Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage,” which uses a literal theatrical performance as a comparison to illustrate the tragedies and comedies of everyday life.

19. Misdirection

Also called the “red herring,” misdirection is one of the most satisfying literary devices in storytelling of all kinds. It involves laying out clues as the story progresses, and nudging the reader towards the wrong deductions instead of the right ones.

The very important key to making this literary device work is to ensure the reader doesn’t feel cheated at the end—they should be able to look back at the path you’ve laid out and see that the true answer does make sense after all. This might mean working backwards after your first draft and sneaking in hints of what’s to come amidst other worldbuilding details.

Understanding the principle of Chekhov’s Gun can help avoid unwanted red herrings in your story . The risk of creating an unsatisfying red herring makes misdirection one of the trickiest literary devices to use.

A motif is a literary device in which recurring symbols, story elements, or ideas support the overall theme.

This could be something small and concrete, like apples popping up here and there throughout the story to symbolize a theme of battling temptation, or it could be something broader, like showing characters eating grander or sparser meals depending on the stage of their character arc.

You can use motifs to connect with readers on a subconscious, cultural level and help them immerse themselves even deeper in the story world.

A myth is a story that explains why things are how they are in the world—for instance, the creation myth of the Bible, or the story of how Raven stole the moon and stars in Indigenous mythology. Myths and legends are a fantastic archive of character archetypes and big, thematic ideas.

Unlike myths, legends are stories of something that may or may not have happened at some point in history, like the legends of Robin Hood or King Arthur’s knights. More importantly, both myths and legends are stories that stay with us for the long game because they represent values, needs, and desires that transcend generational divides.

Many stories—if not all stories—have their roots somewhere in this collective library of imagination. When composing your own work, try using old myths and legends to ground your story as you retell them from a new perspective. You could retell of a familiar story, or you could simply use myths and legends as inspiration for the sort of values, strengths, and weaknesses you want to explore in your own characters.

22. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a way of communicating sounds in a way that relates to what they actually sound like. “Buzz” for the sound of a bee, “ruff” for the bark of a dog, and “plop” for the sound of a drop of water are all words that sound like the action they’re describing. “Slam,” “pop,” and “pow” are other common words you see in superhero comics.

Onomatopoeia is a literary device used most often in children’s literature and in the comic book medium, though we find it in just about everything including our everyday dialect. It’s best approached sparingly in literature, but the right word choices can add a lot of depth to your sensory environment: describing a stream as “burbling” or a wind as “shrieking” (notice the harsh “ee” vowel followed by the hard “k”) makes the scene clearer and more vibrant to the reader.

23. Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a literary device closely related to a paradox , in that they both present two seemingly contradictory ideas. Unlike a paradox, an oxymoron is a figure of speech that having to do with two words one after the other: a “deafening silence” is an oxymoron, because it combines two words that contradict each other. A “friendly argument,” “act natural,” and “openly deceptive” are some oxymorons.

Although they would appear to be impossible contradictions, many of us have experienced these ideas in our own lives and know that there is a deeper meaning lying behind them.

As a figure of speech, oxymorons can be used in humour and to convey an aspect of a character’s personality—sometimes at the same time.

24. Paradox

A paradox is quite similar to an oxymoron , but it presents two contrasting ideas instead of two contrasting words.

Oscar Wilde’s famous on-brand quote, “I can resist anything except temptation,” is an example of a paradox. By its very nature it can’t be true, and yet one feels that there is some resonant truth hidden somewhere within it.

Others examples are the sayings “the only constant is change” and “the louder you shout, the less they hear.” Both of these examples are composed of ideas that appear to be in conflict with each other, and yet both can be true statements.

The first tells us the only thing that never truly changes is the fact that things are always changing, and the second shows us that causing a scene isn’t always the way to get your voice across.

Paradoxes are useful literary devices that help readers see ideas from a new perspective.

25. Personification

Personification is a literary device that uses figurative language to give recognizable human-like qualities to inanimate or non-human entities.

The most extreme example of this is anthropomorphism, which is giving human traits to an animal or other non-human character. This is a very popular literary device in children’s literature, as it tends to make the ideas and lessons in these stories feel more accessible (this is the same device used to give life to a French candelabra in Beauty and the Beast ).

However, personification can be done on a smaller scale in order to make sensory images more vivid and easier for the reader to understand. A “weeping willow” is an example of attaching a human action to a non-human thing, and to say the weeping willow’s boughs were “lazily sweeping the dust from the road” is another.

26. Perspective

Perspective is the view from which the story is being told .

For instance, if you were to set your story in an old country manor house, you could tell a story following the same events in several different ways.

The matriarch of the house would be one perspective; a small, privileged child another. What would the housemaid see that no one else would? What about the cook or the gardener? What secrets, prejudices, or knowledge would they give to the story?

Not only would all of these people contribute different worldviews, cultural upbringings, and dialects, but they might genuinely believe in different series of events.

27. Repetition

In fiction writing and story structure, repetition is a literary device used to emphasize central themes and to create a subtle kind of rhythm.

The most famous example of repetition is in the “three wishes” often found in faerie tales, as well as three quests, three trials, three paths to choose from. This is because three is the number in which our brains start to recognize patterns. In your own writing, you can use this kind of repetition to support your story’s theme and character arcs.

You can also use targeted repetition of a word or phrase to emphasise an idea or create rhythm (which we’ll look at next!)

In prose writing, rhythm is all about the pacing of your story . Slow, languid writing can feel like being wrapped up in a snuggly blanket. Too much of this, however, becomes suffocating.

Short sentences are more like quick footsteps against a sidewalk. Readers like them because they make us feel like we’re going somewhere, but too many of them for too long and it starts to get hard to keep up.

It’s your job as a writer to use sentences of varying lengths to keep the reader engaged. Longer sentences will slow down the pace, so they’re best used for quiet, reflective moments. Short sentences will kick up the pace, so lean into them for action scenes.

While all good writers use both longer and shorter sentences to some degree, you’ll find that some tend to rely more on one than the other. This is part of what forms their signature voice . Experimenting with sentences of all rhythms will help you find yours.

Satire has been around since its inception in ancient Greece and shows no sign of slowing down. It’s a literary device that uses irony and humour as a way to draw attention to prevalent cultural and societal flaws .

Sometimes this can be done in a lighthearted way: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was considered a gentle satire of the upper classes of that time period. But sometimes satires are darker and more biting, such as in dystopian fiction like George Orwell’s 1984 .

Much like a metaphor , a simile is a literary device that compares two unrelated concepts to create vivid, sense-driven imagery. While a metaphor is used to stand in place for something else, a simile is used only in description: “he was as brave as a lion,” for instance, is a simile, while “he had a lion’s heart” is a metaphor.

Similes are great in descriptive passages because you have a whole world in which to draw inspiration from. Is the new girl at school like a “cascading waterfall”? A “fire hydrant”? A “broken chair”? She could be reminiscent of any one of those things, and you as the writer are going to tell us why.

A well-placed simile can give the reader a better sense of a character or place than pages and pages of telling us what it looks like.

31. Suspense

One of the most marvelous literary devices for engaging your readers is suspense —creating a darkly indulgent sort of tension between the reader and the story that keeps them turning page after page. The writer accomplishes this by posing one dramatic question after another.

Cliffhangers are one great way to make this happen. Putting time constraints on your characters is another, as well as shifting perspectives to reveal more information to the reader.

32. Symbolism

Symbolism is the act of using a person, place, or object to convey a larger, more abstract idea . When used repeatedly in a story to emphasise this idea, it’s called a motif .

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet , the skull of Yorik is a symbol of death and fate—it serves as a tangible, physical representation of these things in the context of the story.

Symbolism can also be used in setting—for instance, a rising sun to symbolize a new beginning—or in character, like a young child symbolising a parent’s lost innocence.

A writer can also use colours, animals, or icons that have made their way into our cultural consciousness in order to support the mood and theme of the story. Symbols that we see in our everyday lives include things like red roses for love, butterflies for transformation, or the the caduceus for medicine.

Tone is the way your story world feels to the reader. In film this would be a combination of lighting, cinematography, and soundtrack.

“It was a dark and stormy night” is an infamous opening line that immediately sets the tone for the story. In addition to giving us some context as to the setting of the scene, words like “dark,” “stormy,” and “night” naturally resonate with us in a particular way.

When trying to create an atmospheric tone for your story, you can try brainstorming words that you associate with the feeling you want to evoke, and then working them into your story.

In longer works, it’s a good idea to use different tones for different scenes or chapters. This helps each one stand out from the rest, and keeps them fresh and vibrant for the reader.

How to use literary devices to craft your own story

Now that you have an understanding of the literary devices available to you as a writer, you’re ready for the next part: putting it into practice in your novel, poem, or short story. The literary device examples we’ve looked at are a great starting point for thinking about how to apply them in your own writing.

Plus, we have dedicated lessons on all of these techniques waiting for you in our writing academy !

Every writer is unique, and the literary devices you see other authors using to fantastic effect might not be the ones that bring out the best in your own writing. The sort of imagery, dialect, and characterization we bring into our own work as storytellers is directly related to the way we view the world around us.

Finding your own unique style and voice is an exciting journey that can only be travelled by trying things out, finding what feels right deep in your bones, and practicing them again and again.

To get an idea of what literary devices will work best for you, take a look at the stories that you’ve written so far. Most likely, many of the things on this literary devices list will already be present in some form or another—you’ll be naturally drawn to them because of the powerful stories you’ve absorbed over your life.

Once you see where these literary devices are beginning to take shape, you can work on refining, enriching, and mastering them to create powerful stories of your own.

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Related articles

What is a Motif? Definition and Examples

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Literary Devices ‒ How To Use Them In Your College Essay

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One of the best ways to make your college essay and other academic writing assignments interesting is by using literary devices. They serve as essential tools that authors employ to enrich their narratives, engage readers, and convey complex thoughts and emotions in an accessible way. This article will explore what literary devices are, why they’re important, and the most common literary devices you can use to make your academic essays more interesting.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Literary Devices ‒ In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Literary devices
• 3 Literary devices woven into the essay structure
• 4 Literary devices for storytelling
• 5 Literary devices: Imagery
• 6 Literary devices: Tone
• 7 Sentence-integrated literary devices

Literary Devices ‒ In a Nutshell

• Literary devices are tools used by writers to elevate their writing skills.
• Literary devices allow writers to communicate with their audiences from a unique angle.
• Literary devices can upgrade your essay writing skills and get you good grades.

Definition: Literary devices

Literary devices are tools or techniques writers use to make their narrations more captivating and hint at bigger meanings than what’s on paper. While some literary devices are only used on a sentence level, others transform the entire story. Most skilled writers use several literary devices to create a more powerful and memorable story.

Some common types of literary devices include:

• Figurative language – metaphors and similes create images and comparisons for better understanding.
• Sound devices – alliteration and onomatopoeia contribute to the rhythm, mood, and emphasis of the text.
• Narrative devices – foreshadowing and flashbacks affect the structure of the story and how it’s told.
• Stylistic devices – repetition and irony shape the overall voice, tone, and mood of the work.

In sum, literary devices enhance a piece of writing by making it more effective, memorable, and engaging in conveying its ideas and themes.

Literary devices woven into the essay structure

The following are some of the best literary devices for essay writing and how to use them:

This refers to using an object, person, place, or subject to represent a broader concept or idea.

• A dove can represent peace
• A sheep can mean conformity
• A black cat can represent bad luck.

Extended metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two, unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.”

On the other hand, an extended metaphor is a metaphor that continues the comparison across multiple sentences or paragraphs in the same piece of writing.

• Simple metaphor: “The truth is thorny.”

This metaphor compares the truth to something painful.

• Extended metaphor: “The truth is thorny, but you have to embrace it even if it hurts. Sometimes it leaves a small puncture, sometimes a huge wound, but it eventually heals.”

With this extended metaphor, you’ve spread the comparison of truth to a thorn across two sentences.

• Choose the third metaphor you think of
• Use a comprehensive comparison
• Look for extended metaphors
• Always keep it subtle
• Don’t overuse extended metaphors
• Don’t use clichés
• Don’t use distracting metaphors
• Don’t use weakening metaphors

Literary devices for storytelling

The following are some literary devices that work best with storytelling:

Into the action

“In medias res” is a Latin word that means “in the midst of things.” This writing style places the reader in the middle of the action or scene without providing any contextual information.

Beginning your story in the middle of the action helps immerse the reader into your story from the start. It makes them ask a lot of questions regarding the characters in the opening scene and what’s the reason behind the events that are unfolding.

The opening line of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez reads:

• “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

Writers often use dialogue to show communication between two characters in the story.

You can use dialogue in your college essay to move your story forward, show different points of view, or engage the reader with your story at an emotional level.

• Algernon : I’m afraid I’m not that. That’s why I want you to reform me. You might make that your mission if you don’t mind, cousin Cecily.
• Cecily : I’m afraid I’ve no time this afternoon.
• Algernon : Well, would you mind me reforming myself this afternoon?
• Cecily : It is rather Quixotic of you. But I think you should try.

A flashback is a sudden interruption in the story’s narration that brings the reader to an earlier event to provide context or backstory of the present event.

You can use flashbacks in your essay to arm the reader with some important information about a character’s backstory that they might not have known.

The realtor handed me the keys to my new three-bedroom house. I was overjoyed to become a homeowner before my 30th birthday. It’s hard to imagine that I was living with my brother a year ago because I couldn’t afford to pay rent for my apartment.

Using a famous quote in your college essay provides the reader with more context of the topic you’re writing about and helps strengthen your argument.

As a parent, you want to raise well-behaved children who do well in school and are never in trouble. However, you should know that what you do or say in front of your children plays a major role in shaping their character. Pierre Corneille once said, “Remember: sooner or later, your son will follow your example and not your advice.”

Literary devices: Imagery

Writers use imagery to engage the human senses or create a picture in the reader’s mind. The following are some of the literary devices used to create imagery:

Personification

This is a writing technique used to give human characteristics to non-humans. When used in essays, personification allows the reader to relate easily to the object the writer is talking about.

Similes compare two objects using the words “like” or “as.” Using similes in your college essay can help make it more interesting and descriptive.

As brave as a lion.

Five senses

This writing technique describes a particular object’s taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound. Using the five senses in your essay helps immerse the reader in your story by creating vivid images in their mind.

She wanted a taste of the sweet hot coffee.

Literary devices: Tone

The tone is the mood or atmosphere the writer’s words paint to the reader. The following are the literary devices used to portray the writer’s tone:

This is using exaggeration to add more impact to a certain statement.

I have a million things to do when I wake up.

Colloquialisms

This refers to using informal phrases in a piece of writing.

Y’all ain’t giving me time to explain.

Sentence-integrated literary devices

The following are the most commonly used sentence-integrated literary devices:

What are literary devices used for?

Literary devices are used to make pieces of writings more interesting to read.

How many literary devices can I use in my essay?

You can use as many literary devices as you want, as long as they make sense and add something to the reader’s experience.

What forms of writing can you incorporate literary devices?

There are no restrictions when it comes to using literary devices.

You can use literary devices with all forms of formal and informal writing, including college essays, book reports, research papers, emails, and even text messages.

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The Admissions Strategist

Literary devices (so many of them): the complete & unbeatable guide.

There are a lot of terms in literature, and at times, it may seem overwhelming to learn them all.

One way to simplify learning literary terms is to learn about literary devices.

This subject area includes tons of literary terms, and learning the ins and outs will bring your writing (and reading comprehension) to a whole new level.

What is a Literary Device?

A literary device is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a tool used by writers to transform words into literature.

Some literary devices are common terms that you likely use often: theme, plot, style, etc. Others you may have never heard of: ad hominem, neologism, spondee, etc.

No matter how common or far-fetched these terms get, every literary device has its place. The more you know, the better you can write. With the help of the following information, you can be well on your way to knowing every literary vice in existence:

Literary Devices v.s. Literary Elements v.s. Literary Techniques

Before diving into a real list of literary devices, there’s two terms you’ll need to know: Literary elements and literary techniques. These are the two different categories of literary devices.

Literary elements are the “big things.” They are something that the reader is able to figure out, and they allow the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the text. They include devices such as character, tone, and genre.

Literary techniques are devices that are used specifically by the writer to make their words come to life. They include devices such as metaphors, symbolism, and rhymes.

The Most Well-Known Literary Elements:

These literary elements are terms you may already be familiar with, and they’re a great way to dip your toes into literary device learning:

Voice: Voice is simply the way in which a writer portrays their words. Voice may be professional in a research paper, and heartfelt and funny in a letter to a loved one, for example.

Voice can also be written in either active or passive form. Active Voice is written as follows “He picked up the wrapper and threw it in the trash. Passive Voice would state “The piece of trash was picked up by the man and thrown into the trash. Active Voice is clear, and it is preferred in most writing circumstances.

Point of View: Point of View is a term that shares whose voice the words on the page are coming from. Here are some examples of point of view:

• First Person : The writer is telling the story to an audience. For example, “I am riding my bike to Jan’s house.”
• Second Person : The writer is telling the story to “you,” using the term “you” throughout the piece. For example, “I am riding my bike to your house.”
• Third Person : The writer is telling the story from an outside perspective, using names as well as the terms “he” and “she.” For example, “She is riding her bike to Jan’s house.”

Theme: The theme, in regards to writing, is the big idea behind a piece. A novel, for example, could tell a story of a young couple in the 1940’s and have a historical theme.

Structure: Structure is how writing is organized. Structure can organize written work in many ways, including chronologically, by cause and effect, by offering a problem then a solution, as well as many other ways (as long as they are logical and able to be understood by the writer and the reader).

Here are some common structures:

• Novel: A novel is a longer piece of fiction that has a distinctive form. Its structure includes an exposition (important information that needs to be told before the story can begin), a rising action ( a series of events that bring about feelings of interest and suspense), a climax (the big event or turning point in the story), a falling action (the action that follows the climax), and a resolution (the way the story ends).
• Novella: This is a piece of writing that is shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story. “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinback, is a well-known example of a novella.
• Short Story: Short Story still follows a polt, but it’s shorter than a novella. Fairy tales are often written in the form of short stories.
• Vignette: This is even shorter than a short story. It’s basically just a quick description of one happenstance. “House on Mango Street,” by Sandra Cisnreos is a popular vignette.

Style: Style is simply the way in which a writer expresses themself. There are four styles of writing, which are also literary elements:

• Expository: This is an informational writing style. Your research paper would take on this style, as would a news report.
• Narrative: This style tells a story, whether fiction or nonfiction. Examples include novels, autobiographies, and much, much more.
• Descriptive: This writing style engages the senses to draw the reader into a space that the writer creates. Many poems fall into this category.
• Persuasive: This writing style tried to persuade the reader to share the writer’s opinion. An article filled with heartfelt stories on the benefits that would come from raising the legal drinking age, for example, would be persuasive.

Audience: The audience is who you are writing to. For example, if you’re writing a young adult novel, your audience is adolescents. You’ll want to write with them in mind.

The Most Well-Known Literary Techniques:

This is another list of terms you may know, but this time they are literary techniques. These are simple, but they’ll once again transform your writing:

Simile: A simile compares one thing to another. For example, “you’re sweet like honey.”

Metaphor: A metaphor refers to one thing as something else. “You’re my knight in shining armor,” used to describe a normally dressed, non-knight boyfriend, is a commonly used example.

A metaphor can be extended , to drive in the point of the comparison. For example, “He’s the apple of my eye. He fell down from the branch in front of my eyes as I walked past the apple tree. I picked him up, and his crisp, clean look convinced me to keep him near. I only became more and more impressed to learn his beauty was more than peel-deep.” This cheesy metaphor is brought into a clearer image with descriptive language that continues throughout the following sentences.

Metaphors can also be implied , which means this object of comparison is understood, but not mentioned. For example, “She’s a good catch.” It’s clear the comparison is being made between the girl and a fish, yet fish are never actually mentioned.

Personification: Personification gives human-like tendencies to non-human or non-living objects. For example, “My running shoes stared at me from across the room, telling me it was time to wake up and get my morning jog in.”

Imagery: Imagery is a descriptive language that draws the reader in, so they’re able to feel, see, hear, and even smell what the writer is describing. An example would be “She picked a leaf from the tomato plant, hearing a soft crunch when the leaf broke off its stem and feeling the hair-like texture that covered it well.”

Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of words throughout a sentence. “Sally sold seashells by the seashore” is a commonly used example of this literary technique.

Sentence-Related Literary Devices:

Did you know that types of sentences are considered literary devices? It’s because these types of sentences are formed in a way that serves a specific purpose:

Imperative Sentence:

Balanced Sentence: A balanced sentence has two parts, each of which are close to equal in regards to length. For example, “I want to go to the park, but it’s cold and raining right now.”

Cumulative Sentence: This type of sentence begins with the main clause, and ends with multiple more clauses or phrases that add to or change the main clause. For example, “We went to the store often, so often, in fact, that we started to dread the trip, and it became our least favorite place to go.”

Hypothetical Question: This sentence type asks a question that is based on opinions or assumptions instead of fact. An example would be, “You’re in a boat that’s starting to fill with water; do you jump out and swim to shore or do you attempt to mend the boat?”

Simple Paragraph: The simple paragraph isn’t quite a sentence, but it’s a simple writing form nonetheless. Simple paragraphs are written with a topic sentence at the beginning, support sentences in the middle, and a concluding sentence at the end. They’re used in almost all types of writing, making them an essential technique for all writers to learn.

The description above can be viewed as a simple paragraph example. Convenient, right?

Literary Devices by Genre:

First off, it’s important to note that “genre” itself is a literary device! It’s considered a literary element, to be exact. A genre is a category of writing, and can include drama, romance, humor, poetry, and more. Each genre is also considered a literary device, and each genre has many devices that are used within it.

This may seem a little bit like opening up a matryoshka doll, but it’s simpler than it sounds. Check out these literary devices organized by genre to gain a deeper understanding:

Fiction: Fiction is all about make-believe. It’s any written work that is not based on true events.

• Science Fiction: This is a type of fiction writing that’s based on future technological or scientific advances; think robots, aliens, time travel, etc.
• Drama: Drama is a fiction narrative that is written with a more serious tone. Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a great example of a drama piece.
• Melodrama: To understand this genre, think drama, but exaggerated. Soap Operas can be considered melodramas.
• Tragedy: This is a form of drama that brings suffering to center stage. Romeo and Juliet is the perfect example for the tragedy genre.
• Fantasy: This is a form of fiction that’s based around myths, legends, or supernatural activity; think The Lord of the Rings and the world created within its pages.
• Romance: Romance highlights love stories and ends with optimism. Nicholas Sparks novels are all about Romance.
• Comedy: Comedy is funny, amusing, and almost always has a happy ending. Comedy is a common genre for adolescent reads, though there are comedy pieces written for all ages.
• Tragicomedy: This is just what it sounds like – a mix between comedy and tragedy. It may be that the tragic events are so overdone that they are funny, or the story may end in an uplifting and goofy way. Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” is a tragicomedy.
• Tall Tale: A Tall Tale is written as if it’s true, but the events are so far-fetched that any reader would know they’re actually fake. The tales of Paul Bunyon and Johnny Appleseed are great ways to view into this genre.
• Fable: Fables are short stories that teach a lesson. They are often written with animals as characters. One well-known fable is “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
• Fairy Tale: Fairy Tales are creative stories filled with fascinating characters. They are usually written for children. Cinderella is Fairy Tale that almost everyone knows.
• Utopia: A Utopia is a story in which the characters live in a “perfect world.” Plato’s “Republic” is a well-known Utopia.
• Dystopia: A Dystopia is just the opposite; the characters live in an awful world. “The Hunger Games,” by Suzanne Collins are Dystopian novels.
• Satire: Satire is a genre that is meant to shame a person or organization. Satire is especially common in today’s web in the area of tearing down opposing politicians.
• Thriller: Thrillers are books that are meant to keep readers on their toes. Stephen King’s books are popular thrillers.
• Suspense: A Suspense story is similar to a thriller, but it keeps the reader in a state of anxiousness, eager for additional information. Murder mystery books fit into the Suspense genre.
• Parody: A Parody piece is similar to Satire, but it simply imitates another story instead of tearing it down. An example would be “Bored of the Rings,” by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenney. It’s not meant to bring “The Lord of the Rings” down, rather it’s a read that is built for humor and entertainment.

As fiction has plenty of subtypes, it also has a long list of literary devices that are often used within its genre. These literary devices play large roles in creating make-believe writing:

• Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character in a story. Harry Potter is the protagonist in the Harry Potter series.
• Antagonist: The antagonist is actively working against the protagonist. For example, Voldemort (or should we say “he who shall not be named?” is the antagonist in the Harry Potter books.
• Hero: The hero is another name that the main character in a story may be called, especially if they accomplish something great. Hamlet is the hero in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
• Anti-hero: This is a main character that just doesn;t have those hero-like characteristics. Lucifer in “Paradise Lost” is a strong example of an anti-hero in literature.
• Anti-climax: In an anti-climax, tension builds up to an event, but nothing major actually happens. For example, a woman forgets to shut the door to her home in a horror movie, causing the audience to feel suspense as they believe the evil character may sneak inside. Later on, though, the main character simply remembers to close and lock the door.
• Dialogue: This is where two or more characters talk between each other. Most novels are written with a large amount of dialogue.
• Monologue: Monologue is where only one character speaks for a fairly lengthy amount of time. King Henry V’s “St Crispin’s Day” Speech in Shakespeare’s “Henry V” is a well known example of a monologue.
• Character: A character is a person who appears in a work of fiction. Every fiction book you read is filled with characters (as well as many nonfiction books).
• Flat Character: Flat characters stay the same from the beginning of the story to the end. Usually, flat characters aren’t the main characters. They are smaller roles, such as the strict teacher or the loving mother, who do not grow or change throughout the book.
• Static Character: This is just another term that describes flat characters! See the above term for more information.
• Dynamic Character: A Dynamic Character grows and changes throughout the book. They learn from the challenges that they face throughout the pages of the book. Most main characters are dynamic.
• Round Character: This is once again the same as a dynamic character. It’s simply another term that holds the same meaning.
• Direct Character: This just means that an author explicitly explains who a character is. Their personality does not need to be found through the happenings in the book. For example, an author may state that the main character is young but wiser than their years may suggest. This characteristic would then be reinstated throughout the story.
• External Conflict: This type of conflict takes place between a character and an external force. For example, a man is in a plane crash and works to survive in the wilderness until help arrives.
• Internal Conflict: Internal conflict takes place within a character. This may be related to a decision a character has to make, or an important, internal opinion that changes throughout the book.
• Flashback: A flashback is a scene in a book that shares a glimpse into the past. For example, when a hero is fighting off a monster and they are growing weak, about to give up, they may have a flashback and remember a person they love telling them they are strong enough to accomplish anything. The strength they receive from reliving this flashback would help them to win the fight that is occuring in current time.
• Flash-Forward: A flash-forward gives the audience a glimpse of the future before it actually happens. The Scrooge visits in Chalres Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” are a perfect example of flash-forward scenes.
• Foreshadowing: This gives the reader a hint of what is to come. An example would be when Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother tells Little Red to “watch out for the wolf in the woods.”
• Frame Story: This is a story within a story. “Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelley has multiple frame stories.
• Narrator: This is a third-party voice that tells the story. “The Book Thief” is told from the perspective of a narrator.
• Plot: This is simply the name for the events that make up a story. Every work of fiction has a plot!
• Subplot: This is a smaller story that happens alongside the main story. A romantic relationship that occurs in an action-based book would be a subplot.
• Prologue: This is a chapter that provides an opening for a story, giving necessary background information. “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak has a prologue that introduces the narrator, for example.
• Epilogue: An epilogue is a chapter found at the end of a book that provides a conclusion, even though the actual story has already been finished. The Harry Potter series ends with an epilogue set nineteen years in the future, for example..

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• Setting: This is simply where the story takes place. It could be a city, a school, or within a character’s home.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: This is something that is believed by a character to the point that they make it come true. Macbeth’s death was due to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Tragic Hero: A tragic hero does something that causes their own failure. Maybe their inability to ask others for help got them into a situation they couldn’t overcome on their own.
• Tragic Flaw: This is a trait that causes the main character to fail. For example, the character’s pride could get in the way of them winning a race.
• Cliffhanger: Some people hate them, and some people love them. A Cliffhanger is a story that ends without telling the audience what exactly happened. Every Harry Potter book ends with a cliffhanger.

Non-Fiction: Nonfiction is the opposite, so it’s based on true events. The types of nonfiction writing are listed below:

• Autobiography: An Autobiography is the written story of someone’s life, written by themselves. “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Anne Frank, is a strong example of an autobiography.
• Biography: A Biography is the written story of someone’s life, written by someone other than them. Most biographies share the life story of famous people, such as authors, presidents, musicians, actors, etc.
• Memoir: A Memoir is a type of autobiography written about specific memories or events in a person’s life. One popular memoir is “The Glass Castle,” by Jeanette Walls.”

Play: A play is a written work meant to be performed in front of an audience. It tells a story through character dialogue. One common play is “Les Miserables.” Plays, once again, have some literary devices of their own:

• Dramatic Irony: In a play, dramatic irony is where the audience understands what is happening, but the characters do not. For example, the audience may see that a teacher is leaving lunch on the desk of a child who normally goes without, while the character of the child does not know where the food is coming from until later on in the story.
• Dramatic Monologue: A dramatic monologue is a speech made by a character often in a play though they can also occur in books, where the character tells a part of the story. Shakespeare’s works are filled with examples of these.
• Comic Relief: Comic relief is a funny moment or character that gives the audience a break from a serious matter. The nurse in “Romeo and Juliet” provides comic relief through her multiple jokes.

Poem: A poem is a form of written work filled with imagery that provokes emotion. Robert Frost is a well known poet. Poems have many literary devices, which you can learn more about below:

• Anapest: This describes two short, unstressed syllables followed by a long, stressed syllable. An example is “Welcome home.”
• Blank Verse: A Blank Verse is a line of a poem that does not use a rhyme. They are often written in Iambic Pentameter (a line of ten syllables, stressed syllables following unstressed syllables). Blank Verses appear often in works of Shakespeare.
• Ballad: This is a poem that tells a story through the use of short stanzas. It can also be set to music, similar to a song. Thomas Hardy’s “During WInd and Rain” is a popular ballad.
• Caesura: This refers to a pause in the middle of a line of poetry.

“The bird flew; his wings were black as night.”

• Canto: This is the name of a section of a long poem.
• Catalogue: This is a type of poem that is filled with many images.
• Cinquain: A Cinquain is a style of poem written with fines.
• Common Meter: This poem writing style uses lines that alternate between six and eight syllables, and follows the iambic (stressed syllable followed by unstressed syllable) pattern.
• Couplet: A Couplet is two lines of a poem that work together, often with a rhyme.
• Dactyl: This is one stressed syllable, and then two unstressed syllables. “Elephant” could be a dactyl, for example.
• End Rhyme: This is just what it sounds like, rhymes that appear at the end of lines.
• End Stopped Line: This is a line in a poem that ends with punctuation, to show the end of a segment or thought.
• Epic: This is a long, narrative poem that focuses on a specific heroic or brave person, often from historical times.
• Exact Rhyme: An exact rhyme uses two words with the same stressed vowel sound and the same ending sound. For example, ”cat” and “hat” are an exact rhyme.
• Eye Rhyme: This is a rhyme in regards to the way your eyes see the word. For example, “cow” and “tow.” The words look the same, but they do not rhyme when they are said aloud.
• Feminine Rhyme: This is a set of words that rhyme in both the stressed syllable and the unstressed syllable that follows. For example, “paper” and “taper” are feminine rhymes.
• Foot: This is one stressed syllable, followed by one or more unstressed syllable(s). A dactyl is one type of foot.
• Formal Verse: This is a piece of poetry that follows a specific meter. It could follow any of the meters in Poetry, for example. It could follow Iambic Pentameter.
• Free Verse: A free verse follows no meter or structure. It is written however the author wants it to be.
• Haiku: A Haiku is a poem that has three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven, and the third line has five once again. Here’s an example of a Haiku:

“I woke up at dawn

To the sound of many birds

They were flying near.”

• An example of a half rhyme is “pun” and “fume.”
• Hyperbaton: This term refers to the inversion of words. Yoda speaks with inversion, for example.
• Hyperbole: A hyperbole is exaggerated, and not necessarily true.

“I’ll walk one thousand miles just to be with you.”

• Hypophora: This is when a question is asked, and then answered right away.

“What day is it? The most beautiful day.”

• Hypotaxis: Hypotaxis is when a clause is subordinate to another clause.

“The moon was bright, lighting up the sky.”

• Imab: This refers to a short, stressed syllable followed by a long, unstressed syllable. “Attack” is an example of an iamb.
• Internal Rhyme: Two words that rhyme because of their middle segments are internal rhymes. “Together forever” is an example of this type of rhyme.
• Innuendo: This is a slightly sneaky, often inappropriate, hint.
• Limerick: A limerick is a funny poem with five lines. One popular limerick is “Hickory Dickory Dock.”
• Line Break: This is when a line of a poem ends with punctuation.

“The sun was warming the ground

“Making the early morning dew dry up.”

• Lyric Poem: This is a style of poem that expresses emotion. Edmund Waller’s “Go, Lovely Rose” is an example of a lyric poem.
• Meter: Meter is the pattern of syllables that makes up a poem. Iambic Pentameter is a common example.
• Narrative Poem: This is a type of poem that tells a story. Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is a well known example.
• Onomatopoeia: An onomatopoeia is a word that describes a sound. “Click,” “Plop,” “Sizzle” are all examples of this term.
• Octave: An octave is a set of eight lines in a poem. It can make up a poem alone, or it can be a piece of a longer work.
• Ode: An ode is a lyric poem written to a person or a thing and filled with emotion. John Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale” is a popular example.
• Poetic Justice: This describes the good characters winning and the bad characters losing. Most children’s stories, for example, have poetic justice.
• Quatrain: This is a stanza with four lines.
• Refrain: This is a line, often found at the end of stanzas, that is repeated throughout the poem.
• Rhyme: A rhyme is made up of two words that have similar sounds. For example, “ball” and “tall” are rhymes.
• Rhyme Scheme: This is the pattern in which rhymes are placed throughout a poem.
• Riddle: A riddle is a short, beautifully written question, that is asked as a type of game.

“What has to be broken before being used?”

• Sestet: A sestet is the last six lines in a type of poem called a sonnet.
• Slant Rhyme: Slant rhymes are similar, but they do not sound exactly the same. An example could be “orange” and “porridge.”
• Sonnet: A sonnet is a poem made up of fourteen lines. It can use any type of rhyme scheme. Shakespeare wrote many sonnets.
• Stanza: A Stanza is a set of lines in a poem that is grouped together.
• Tercet: This is three lines of a poem that often rhyme.

“I chased the cat

I swung the bat

I wore a hat.”

• Trochaic: This is a poetry meter that is made up of Trochees , or stressed syllables followed by unstressed syllables.

Prose: Prose is a form of writing that has no formal structure. Everyday language is technically even spoken in prose.

Proverb: Proverbs are simple statements that share truth, whether it be based on life experience or spiritual beliefs. A common proverb is “Once bitten, twice shy.”

Folklore: Folklore is a genre that encompasses fictional stories, songs, and more, specifically related to a culture and its history. Fairy tales, tall tales, myths, and legends can all be considered folklore.

Myth: A myth is a story, typically an origin tale, that often involves gods or other supernatural beings. Greek Mythology and the stories within it are strong examples.

Legend: A legend is a story that is told as if it were true. It typically takes place in the distant past, and it has a lesson or value behind it.The story of the Loch Ness Monster is an example of a legend.

Essay: An essay is a short piece of prose writing that focuses on a specific topic. School assignments are great examples of essays. Here are some literary devices that are found within essays:

• Main Idea: The main idea is the purpose behind a piece. For example, the main idea of this piece is literary devices.
• Transition: A transition smooths the movement from one topic to the next. For example, If you’re talking about the history of dogs and you need to move into speaking about dogs in current times, your transition could state “The history of dogs is rich and fascinating, but the present world of dogs has even more to offer.”
• Thesis: The thesis is the statement sentence that shares what the rest of the essay will discuss or prove. For example, a paper about the dangers of drinking and driving could state “Drinking and driving is dangerous because it puts both yourself and others at risk.” The rest of the essay would then go on to prove those two statements.
• Argument: An argument is the presentation of opposing or opinion-based views. FOr example, you may state “The death penalty should not exist.” The rest of your essay would back up why you hold the beliefs that are presented in your argument.

Critique: A Critique is a form of writing that reviews something, such as a movie, restaurant, or piece of art. When you look at the reviews for a new movie in theatres, you’re likely reading a critique.

More Literary Devices to Explore:

Knowing the most common literary devices is one thing, but knowing ones that aren’t often used can set your writing apart. Here’s a list of every other literary device for you to explore (and add to your future writing projects):

• Allegory: An allegory is a story that has a deeper meaning buried within it, often regarding real-world events. Animal Farm by George Orwen is an allegory.
• Allusion: An Allusion is a brief way to bring something up without actually saying it. For example, stating someone is acting like “Eeyore” would be an allusion toward them feeling down and depressed.
• An example could be “I saw a dog in a blue dress.” Was the dog wearing the blue dress, or were you?
• Amplification: Amplification is simply adding onto a point or sentence. For example, “Biking is great exercise” can be amplified by stating “Biking is an excellent workout for your entire body, from the cardio work that benefits your heart and lungs to the lower body movements that strengthen your muscles.
• Analogy: An analogy is a descriptive tool that compares one thing to another. “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get” from “Forrest Gump” is a well-known analogy.
• Ad Hominem: Ad Hominem is a remark made against a person instead of an argument. It’s often found to be noncredible. An example would be stating that a person didn’t graduate high school and therefore their facts on global warming must be incorrect.
• Anachronism: An anachronism is a part of literature that is out of place or out of time when compared to the rest of the work. Anachronisms can be used to help the audience relate or to provide humor. An example would be placing cell phones in a story that occured in the nineteenth century.
• Anadiplosis: This is when a sentence endswith a specific word, and the next sentence begins with that same word. It’s often used to provide emphasis or style to a piece. For example, “Life is short. Short chunks of time are all we have to fill with memory and adventure.”
• Anagram: An anagram is a word that has the same exact letters as another word, but in a different order. An example would be “silent” and “listen.”
• Accumulation: Accumulation is when multiple similar terms or characteristics are listed to describe something. It works to provide emphasis. An example would be, “My kitten’s fur is as soft as the sky, as fuzzy as a peach, and as smooth as linen.”
• “ D irty paw prints fill the floor on muddy days. O ver all the furniture you’ll find little strands of fun. G reater than these issues, though, is the love my sweet pet gives back to me.”
• Adage: An Adage is a short saying that is regarded as truth throughout society. An example is “Many hands make light work.”
• Anacoluthon: This is a term for an interrupted sentence. These can be used as literary tools, but you may notice them more often in everyday life: “I need to stop by the store to get- Wait, did you send me the recipe we need for dinner tonight?”
• Anagnorisis: This is a term that describes the moment in a story when a character discovers truth, whether it be who they are or what is happening. It leads to the resolution of the conflict. Almost every story written today contains this moment; you just may need to search for it!
• “I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant.”
• “It was cold. It was dark. It was time to go home.”
• Anecdote: This is a short story that shares a point, and also often makes the audience laugh. It could be any story within a story, or relating to a topic being discussed.
• Anthimeria: This is simply trading one term for another. For example, in the phrase “Let’s hop to it,” “hop to it” means to go or get started on a task.
• Antanaclasis: This is when a term is repeated, but with a different meaning each time. It is often used in humor. “Othello” by Shakespeare has an antanaclasis that states “Put out the light, then put out the light.” The first term means blowing out a candle and the second means ending someone’s life.
• Antecedent: This is a word in a sentence that can later be replaced by a pronoun. For example, “Mary flew a kite. She thought it was a lot of fun.” In this case, “Mary” is the antecedent as the name is later replaced by the word “she.”
• Anthology: This is a collection of works that make up a single piece. For example, a book made up of poems could be referred to as an anthology.
• Anthropomorphism: This means giving human-like characteristics to nonhuman things. “The Little Engine that Could” is a great example.
• Antimetabole: This is when something is repeated, but backwards. For example, “Cats love dogs. Dogs love cats.”
• Antithesis: This is basically a fancy term for two contrasting phrases that work together. An example would be when man landed on the moon and the saying “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” came to be.
• “Sardines on a birthday cake– delicious.”
• “It’s time to go to school. Every child needs to go to school.”
• “The simplest questions are the hardest to answer.”
• Aporia: This is an expression of doubt. For example, “How am I supposed to do this without you?”
• Apostrophe: This is when writing turns from addressing one audience to address something else. For example, a character could turn to their green pasture and state “You look beautiful today.”
• Aposiopesis: This is when someone stops speaking mid sentence, whether it be out of passion, fear, or an unwillingness to keep talking. For example, “I’m going to take what’s mine and–” The sentence ends abruptly, and the ending is left for the audience to guess.
• “My doggy, Mr. Fluffy, is playing in the backyard.
• Archaism: This is the use of an old-fashioned word. An example would be writing with the word “Thou” in today’s time.
• Archetype: This is something, whether it be a character, action, or setting, that represents a universal pattern. There are many different archetypes, a well known one is the “Scapegoat.”
• Aside: This is when a character speaks, but their words are only heard by the audience. The other characters are not aware of them. These are often present in plays.
• Assertion: This is a statement that represents a strong belief, whether it is true or not. For example, “I will not let her go to the office” could be said by a student who believes their friend is not guilty of what the teacher accuses.
• Assonance: This is when similar, but non-rhyming vowel sounds are used. “A pot of rocks” is an example of assonance.
• Asyndeton: This is a sentence with missing words, written in a style that emphasizes the meaning. Julius Caesar’s “I came, I played, I conquered” is an example of this.
• Atmosphere: This is the feelings the writer wants the reader to experience. For example, authors of thriller books want their readers to feel suspense.
• Attitude: This is the tone a writer uses toward certain subjects. For example, a positive attitude could be expressed toward rescuing shelter dogs in a story about a rescued pet.
• Auditory image: This expresses through words something that is typically heard. For example, “The metal bowl and wooden spoon clanged together, making piercing, yet somewhat beautiful music.”
• Bandwagon: This is a tool used in persuasive writing that suggests because the greater audience believes something, the reader should believe it as well. It’s the written version of the “Everyone else is doing it” argument.
• Bathos: This term refers to deep, expressive, and emotion-filled writing. It’s commonly found in poetry.
• Bias: Bias is an undue favor (or unfavor) to a topic or group of people. It’s typically something you want to avoid when writing.
• Bildungsroman: This is another term for a coming-of-age novel, and follows the story of the main character from adolescence into adulthood. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a popular example.
• Black humor: This is when a subject that is normally “off limits” is talked about with a bit of humor.
• Cacophony: This is when multiple loud, harsh-sounding words are used. Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” contains a lot of cacophony.
• Cadence: This is the rhythm or beat a piece of writing follows. It’s mostly found in poetry, though it can be used as a stylistic tool in any type of writing.
• Catastrophe: This is another word for a huge disaster. “Romeo and Juliet” is a catastrophe-based story.
• Catharsis: This is the use of large, often negative, emotions in literature to help readers deal with the same feelings in their everyday life. The tragedy genre is often considered to be catharsis.
• Chiasmus: This term describes two phrases that are similar, but reversed.

“We ate all of our dinner. It’s entirety, we consumed.”

• Circumlocution: This simply means unneeded words. For example, “Mean people who want to hurt others are not welcome.” In this sentence, the words “who want to hurt others” are unnecessary.
• Claim: This is the point the writer is trying to make. In an essay meant to persuade readers to vote, the point would be the importance of participating in elections.
• Cliche: This is a phrase that is overused, and therefore has turned a bit cheesy.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

• “Let’s go! Let’s catch up! We can win this race!”
• Coherence: This term means logical and consistent. This is an important tool to use when trying to prove a point.
• Colloquialism: These are phrases that are used in a specific area. “Y’all” is a colloquialism used in the Southern part of the United States.
• Comparatives: This is an area that looks into the differences between literature in various countries. For example, it may compare American and British literature.
• Conceit: A conceit is a comparison that is made between two very different things. For example, “Friendship is like slipping on a banana peel.”
• Concession: A concession is a sentence that admits not everyone agrees with your thesis and provides a few reasons why, but then goes on to show why they should change their minds and side with you. For example, “I know not everyone likes summer because it’s hot and humid, but the daily sunshine and the life that sprouts all around us are things no one should take for granted.”
• Connotation: This term related to the feeling a word has behind it, whether it be positive or negative. For example, a toddler digging through the kitchen cupboards could be called “mischievous” with a negative connotation, or “curious” with a positive connotation.
• Consonance: This is when consonant sounds are repeated. For example, “The b irds in the b lue sky b ounced all around.”
• Context: Context is the background or details surrounding a word that affect its meaning. For example, a word may have one meaning in a research paper and a different meaning in a romance novel. The reader uncovers what the writer means by using context.
• Contrast: This is the use of opposites in writing. It may be opposite characters, for example, that emphasize each other’s characteristics by use of contrast.
• Denotation: Words have many meanings. Denotation refers to the literal meaning. For example, blue is a color (not another term for sadness).
• Denouement: This is basically how a story ends. For example, it’s the conclusion of events that take place in a novel.
• Deus ex machina: This is when an unfixable problem in a story is solved by a very unexpected twist. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a good example, when Charlie’s financial situation is fixed by him inheriting Wonka’s factory.
• Diacope: This is a phrase that is repeated with words in between. For example, “To be or not to be.”
• Diction: This is the way words are chosen, in hopes of them fitting into a specific style. Many famous, historical novels provide excellent diction examples.
• Diatribe: This is a harsh form of writing that is meant to bring something down. Joseph COnrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is an example of diatribe.
• Dichotomy: This is when something is broken into two different parts. For example, good and evil.
• Didacticism: This is a form of writing that teaches something. “How to” articles are a great example.
• Digression: This is when a writer begins talking about something that is off-topic for an amount of time. It’s a common occurrence in storytelling.
• Dilemma: A dilemma occurs when a character needs to make a choice between two good (or bad) things. An example may be choosing to help their friend pass a class, or avoiding the act of cheating on an assignment.
• Discourse: This is a formal type of writing that often conveys important information. They are common in educational work.
• Dissonance: This is the use of harsh-sounding words in poetry. It’s similar to cacophony.
• Distortion: Distortion is when something is twisted and turned to represent something other than what it actually is. An example would be when someone exaggerates the truth to the point that it is false.
• Doppelgänger: This is a fictional character that looks extremely similar to the protagonist.
• Double entendre: This is a term or phrase that can be interpreted in two different ways. They are often used in comedy.
• Dysphemism: This is when negative terms are used instead of positive terms. For example, a dysphemism would be calling a rollercoaster a “death trap.”
• Elegy: This is a type of poem that honors a person who has died. They are commonly written for famous people or historical people who have made an impact on the writer.
• Elision: An elision is when some sounds are removed from words or phrases. “Tis” used in place of “it is” is an elision.
• Ellipsis: An ellipsis is the three dots that are used when a word or phrase is removed from a sentence. For example, “I love you because… and I will continue to love you forever.” The three dots are replacing the reasons behind the love to shorten the sentence and show the main point.
• Enjambment: This is when a thought or phrase in poetry runs from one line to the next.

“The green grass grows

And covers the entire field.”

• Enthymeme: This is an argument that is written logically, but with an implied conclusion. For example, “I had a bad sandwich at her house last week, so all of her meals must be bad.”
• Enumeration: An enumeration is a complete list within a work of literature. It could be a set of steps in a “How To” article, for example.
• Epanalepsis: This is when a word or phrase is used at the beginning and the end of a sentence.

“Cats are magnificent creatures and no creature is as great as cats.”

• Epiphany: This is a sudden idea or insight a character has. It’s the “lightbulb” moment in literature.
• Epiphora: This is when a word is repeated in nearby segments of text. For example, “I have a banana, you have a banana, and Tom has a banana.”
• Epistle: This is a long, formal letter. Epistles are common in the Bible.
• Epigram: An epigram is an idea that is stated in a quick, clever fashion.

“True friends stab you in the front.” -Oscar Wilde

• Epigraph: An epigraph is a short bit of writing (written by someone else) placed at the top of a piece. Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” begins with an epigraph.
• Epistrophe: This is the repetition of words at the end of sentences. For example, “The sky’s awake. I am awake.”
• Epitaph: This is a short poem written about a friend after they die. They are sometimes engraved on tombstones.
• Epithet: This is a tool used to describe an object or a character. In Alexander the Great’s name, for example, “the Great” is an epithet.
• Eponym: An eponym is something that is named after a person (or referred to in a certain way because of that person). For example, John Hancock is another name for signature.
• Epizeuxis: This is simply another word for diacope, which is explained above.
• Eristic: When an author writes about a heated topic without actually trying to solve the issue at hand, it’s referred to as Eristis. It’s considered a form of debate.
• Ethos: This is a way to make the audience trust the writer by showing credibility and ethical behavior. For example, a persuasive essay on why it’s important to not text and drive has more meaning when it’s written by a former police officer who had to report to all of the texting and driving accidents.
• Euphemism: This is a nicer way to say something that’s hard to talk about. “He who shall not be named” is a euphemism for Voldemort in “Harry Potter.”
• Euphony: Euphony is writing that is made up of pleasant sounds. It is common in poetry.
• Evidence: Evidence is required in argumentative essays to prove the point the writer is trying to make. If the writer states that zoos should not exist, their evidence needs to show the downsides of zoos in regards to animals.
• Exaggeration: This is when something is described as more than it really was. For example, “I saw the biggest dog in the world today.”
• Exemplum: This proves the point of a story. For example, the exemplum in fables is the lesson the story brings to light.
• Expletive: An expletive is an unnecessary word (or words) that take up space in a sentence. For example, “it is” in the sentence “It is time to go to the movies.” The words aren’t needed to understand what is being said.
• Explication: This is a short write up that explains the meaning of a work. For example, an explication of a poem wouldn’t mention how the piece was written, it would only explain the meaning it holds.
• Fallacy: This is an incorrect or illogical statement that makes an argument invalid. The ad hominem is an example of a fallacy.
• Farce: This is a type of comedy that is written solely for entertainment and humor. The movie “Home Alone” is a good example.
• Figurative Language: This is language that is used in a non-literal sense. Metaphors and similes are types of figurative language.
• Figure of Speech: A figure of speech has a second meaning, beside its literal meaning. “Falling in love” is a well known example of a figure of speech.
• Foil: This is when a good character is presented as an evil character. Mercutio is a foil in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
• Hamartia: This is simply another term for Tragic Flaw.
• Hubris: This is another word for pride in a literary character. It is a common tragic flaw.
• Idiom: This is a saying that does not stand for its literal meaning. For example, “Stop bugging me” has nothing to do with bugs.
• In Medias Res: This is when a story starts in the middle, because the audience already knows what happened beforehand. An example is Homer’s “The Iliad.”
• Inciting incident: This is when the action begins in a story. In fiction, it’s followed by the rising action.
• Induction: Induction is when a reader finds a fact and draws a conclusion from it. That conclusion may be right or wrong. Induction happens all the time throughout the process of reading. A writer may use this knowledge to add surprises into the text.
• Inference: This is when opinions are formed based on a set of observations. A writer can supply facts to guide the reader toward a certain inference.
• Intertextuality: Intertextuality is when one text is shaped by another. William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” is shaped by Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,” for example.
• Inversion: This is when words are revered. Yoda speaks in an inverted fashion.
• Irony: Irony is an extremely unexpected occurrence or something has the opposite meaning than what would be expected. An example would be a fire station burning down.
• “I want to go to the park, because it is a beautiful day and because the sun is shining bright.”
• Jargon: Jargon is a set of words with meanings that are only understood by a specific group of people. Lawyers have a large amount of legal jargon.
• Juxtaposition: This is when two characters or phrases are placed together for comparison. For example, “When it rains, it pours.”
• Kenning: This is a metaphor that combines two words. An example would be a bookworm.
• Kinesthesia: This is imagery, typically found in poetry, that describes a bodily movement such as a heartbeat or running legs.
• Lampoon: A lampoon is basically a way to make fun of something. Satire and sarcasm are types of lampoons.
• Litotes: This means to understate something in a funny way. For example, if a person got into a car accident on their way to work, they could say “Well this is not the best morning I’ve ever had.”
• Logos: This is just another term for logic, and it’s especially important in argumentative writing. Including statistics in a report is a type of logos.
• Malapropism: This is when a word that sounds right, but is completely wrong, is used to confuse the reader (or to make them laugh).

“She went to expensive measures to keep her son safe.”

• Maxim: These are clever sayings that share truths of life. An example is “Opposites attract.”
• Meiosis: This term refers to downplaying something. An example could be calling a psychiatrist a “shrink,” and therefore diminishing the important work they do.
• Metalepsis: Metalepsis is when something is described by using a similar, yet unrelated term. An example would be calling something good by stating “It wasn’t bad.”
• Metaphysical: This is a complex and bold form of poetry that is said to be outside the realm of human understanding. It was commonly written during the seventeenth century.
• Metonymy: This is when something is referred to with a closely related term. For example, “heart” often refers to “love.”
• Mood: The mood refers to the emotions that are evoked by a piece of writing. It can be affected by setting, character, plot, and more. One mood written works can have is uplifting.
• Moral: This is the lesson that is meant to be learned by a story. For example, the moral of “The Tortoise and the Hare” is “slow and steady wins the race.”
• Motif: This is an image or idea that occurs throughout a written work that adds to the theme. For example, the spring season could represent new life.
• Motivation: This is the reason behind a character’s actions. It can be intrinsic (within the character) or extrinsic (an outside force). An example would be a student who wants to pass high school to get a better job than her parents had throughout her childhood.
• Nemesis: The nemesis is an evil character who works against the protagonist. An example would be Ursula in “The Little Mermaid.”
• Neologism: This is a term that basically means “a made up word.” “Selfie” is a neologism for a picture of yourself.
• Non Sequitur: This is a sentence or statement that does not make logical sense. It’s often used for comedic purposes.

“I saw a cat today, so I’ll likely win the lottery tomorrow.”

• Nostalgia: This is a description of the past, and can bring back either feelings of pleasure or feelings of pain. The famous beginning of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” is an example of nostalgia.
• Omniscient: In literature, an omniscient view can see the thoughts of every character. Many novels are written from this point of view.
• Ordinal Number: These are number terms such as first, second, third, and so on. They can be used to organize thoughts or books in a series.
• Overstatement: An overstatement is describing something as more than it was. For example, someone who found a dollar on the ground could say “I had the best day of my life today!”
• Oxymoron: This is when two words or phrases with opposite meaning are used together. “Good pain” could be considered an oxymoron.
• Pacing: This is how a writer controls the speed of a story. It can be told quickly, or it can be more drawn out.
• Palindrome: This is a word that backward or forward, spells the same. An example is “racecar.”
• Paradox: A paradox is a sentence that cannot be true, but it also cannot be false.

“This sentence is a lie.”

• Paralipsis: This refers to the act of purposely leaving information out. It is commonly used in political speeches.
• Parallel structure: This is a sentence that is made up equally in regards to grammar.

“We went outside, rode our bikes, drew with chalk, and ate a snack.”

• Paraphrase: This is taking someone else’s writing and putting it in your own words.

“Tigers are elegant creatures with their orange and black stripes.”

“The black and orange stripes that tigers have make them beautiful.”

• Paraprosdokian: This term describes a surprise ending to a sentence. For example, “I had two pets named Fred, one was a dog and the other was my husband.”
• “The horse galloped and jumped and bucked and played.”
• Parenthesis: This is an explanatory word or phrase that’s inserted into a text (and placed inside of parenthesis). Did you spot the example right in the definition?
• Paronomasia: This is a funny play on words. They are found often throughout the work of Shakespeare.
• Parrhesia: This is another term for free speech, often expressing the opinion of the author. George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” contains plenty of this.
• Pastiche: This is a type of writing that imitates the work of someone else. An example would be trying to write in a Shakespearian style.
• Pathos: This gets the emotions of the reader involved. Bringing up how farm animals are treated by large corporations, for example, would be an effective use of pathos in an argument for supporting local farmers.
• Periphrasis: Periphrasis is just an indirect way of speaking. For example, stating “The bowl of water that belongs to the dog” instead of “The dog’s water bowl.”
• Persona: The persona is who is thought to be speaking in a written work. For example, the writer could take on an educational voice to create a fitting persona for a research paper.
• Perspective: This describes who is telling the story. Some examples include first person, second person, and third person.
• Pleonasm: Thi is when something is described with more than the amount of necessary descriptive terms. For example, “I saw it this morning at the beginning of the day.”
• Polyptoton: This is when words with the same root are repeated. For example, “My lover is looking lovely today.”
• Polysyndeton: This style of writing uses multiple conjunctions. “We went to the bank and the store and the restaurant and the mall.”
• Portmanteau: This is when two words are combined to create a new word. A popular portmanteau is “hangry.”
• “Many people believe it is okay to text and drive, but it is one of the most dangerous things you can do.”
• Propaganda: Propaganda publicly shares a specific opinion. “Animal Farm” is propaganda.
• Prosody: Prosody is the attitude that gives a phrase the correct meaning. For example, if someone says “I had a wonderful day,” prosody would determine whether that statement was true or sarcastic.
• Prosthesis: This is when a syllable is added to the beginning of a word. For example, “She went a-walkin’.”
• Pun: A pun is a funny type of word play. An example could be “Horses are stable animals.”
• Realism: This is a writing style that represents real life. As long as a book has nothing make-believe in it, it’s likely realism.
• Rebuttal: This is when a writer breaks down the opposing argument. For example, in a piece that states truancy is too harshly enforced, the writer could look at countries with less truancy punishments and show they have better attendance rates.
• Red Herring: This is when a writer avoids an argument or negative subject by bringing up something completely unrelated. It is once again common in political pieces.
• Reductio Ad Absurdum: This is another term for argumentative essays, where the writer breaks down the opposing view to the point no one could possibly believe it.
• Repetition: Repetition is repeating a word or phrase for emphasis. For example, The strong wind blew over the table, and the strong wind knocked down a tree.”
• Rhetorical Devices: Rhetoric is using literature for a variety of purposes, including bringing about emotions or proving a point. Most literary techniques can be considered rhetorical devices.
• Sarcasm: This is when something is said one way, but has the opposite meaning. Stating “It’s a beautiful day” during a giant storm is an example of sarcasm.
• Semantic: Semantic is the thought that words can be used in many ways other than to represent their literal meaning. Semantics show that “heart” can be a human organ, and it can be something that represents love.
• Sensory Language: This connects the reader to a story through the use of the five senses. It may include terms that explain sounds or feelings, for example.
• Sesquipedalian: This term refers to the use of extremely long words. It can include the use of any ridiculous words or phrases.
• Sestine: This is a type of poem with six, six-line stanzas followed by one three-line stanza. An example is Elizabeht Bishop’s “A Miracle for Breakfast.”
• Sibilance: Sibilance is the repeated use of “hissing” sounds. “Sally sold seashells by the seashore” could be a sibilance.
• Situational Irony: This is when something extremely unexpected (and often funny) happens. An example would be a teacher forgetting to do their homework.
• Slang: These are made-up words that have been accepted and are understood by society. “BAE” is a slang word that means “before anyone else,” or babe, that is often used today.”
• Snark: Snark is made up of quick, unkind comments. Saying “Nice catch” when someone drops a football would be an example of snark.
• Soliloquy: This is when a character speaks to themselves. Soliloquies are often found in plays.
• Sound Devices: These create a specific sound in writing, and specifically in poetry. Rhymes are the most common sound device.
• Spondee: A spondee is two stressed syllables. An example could be “Schoolyard.”
• Straw Man: This is when an argument goes after the most extreme point of view instead of what the other person actually thinks. An example would be arguing with someone on lowering the legal drinking age, and state they want more alcoholics in the world.
• Stream of Consciousness: This is a writing style that follows the thoughts in the author’s mind. Virginia Woolf’s works are great examples of this style.
• Subjective: Subjective means opinion-based. A subjective topic example is “What is the best color in the rainbow?”
• Superlative: Superlatives are words that add “-est” onto an adverb or adjective. “Happiest” is an example of a superlative.
• Surrealism: Surrealism is work that is almost dreamlike. It is full of descriptive imagery. Salvador Dahli’s work is a great example.
• Symbolism: Symbolism is when one object holds the meaning of something larger. A necklace given to a character by her lover could be a symbol of his commitment and love.
• Syncope: This is a term that represents a shortened word. For example, the syncope for “You all” is “Y’all.”
• Synecdoche: This is a saying in which a piece of something represents the whole thing. A good example is “All hands on deck.” WHen this phrase is used, they are not just asking for hands, they are asking for the help of the people.
• Synesis: This is a type of phrase where the technical rules of grammar are let go to allow something that still makes sense. Mark Twain’s novels use synesis.
• Synesthesia: This is when something is being described with characteristics of something else. A simile is a great example of synesthesia.
• Syntax: This term refers to how words are arranged in a sentence.
• Tautology: Tautology is when a meaning is repeated through a seemingly unnecessary word. For example, “Cold snow.” We already know that snow is cold, so using the adjective to describe it isn’t really necessary.
• Tmesis: This cuts a word or phrase into two different parts. “Fan-freaking-tastic” is a slang version of a tmesis.
• Tricolon: This means three words or phrases that are parallel.

“Eat, Pray, Love.”

• Trope: This is a broad term that describes something in a way that is not literal. A metaphor is a type of trope.
• Truism: This is a statement that is based on a fact, so it does not need to be proven. For example, “Water is wet.”
• Understatement: This is when something is downplayed. Saying “I had a decent race” when you won the state championship would be an example of an understatement.
• Undertone: This is an implied attitude that lies at the surface of a piece. For example, an argumentative essay on the why the death penalty should not exist may have a depressing undertone.
• Verbal Irony: Verbal irony is when a character says one thing but means the opposite. They could say “I wish I was at home” while on the best vacation of their life.
• Villanelle: This is a specific type of poem with nineteen lines (five tercets, one quatrain, and one couplet). “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop is a great example.
• Verisimilitude: This is the process a writer uses to make their piece seem believable. For example, people in a certain country speak the native language, making it seem true that the characters are actually there.
• Vernacular: These are sets of words used by specific groups of people. Medical terms are vernacular for doctors and nurses.
• Volta: This is a switch in a written work. It could be a change in emotion or a switch to the other side of an argument. For example, a character may go from being happy that it’s snowing to being sad that school is cancelled for the day.
• Wit: Wit is a quick, well-thought-out, and funny way to respond to something. It is often used in comedy writing, or as comic relief.
• Zeugma: A Zeugma is a verb or an adjective that explains two different things. For example, “He threw away the assignment and his chance at passing the class.”
• Zoomorphism: This is when animal-like characteristics are given to people (or to anything that is not an animal).

“She ran with the speed of a cheetah.”

Conclusion: Literary Devices, Techniques, and Elements

The list of literary devices is long, and it’ll never be required of you to memorize them all.

The more you know, however, the more complexity and style you can add to your writing.

Take this list and work your way toward becoming the best writer you can possibly be.

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• Literary Terms
• Literary Device
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Literary Devices

I. What is a Literary Device?

In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary device . Typically, these devices are used for an aesthetic purpose – that is, they’re intended to make the piece more beautiful. However, it’s a very broad term and isn’t strictly limited to this meaning.

The term rhetorical device has almost exactly the same meaning, but it’s a little broader: whereas literary devices occur in literature, rhetorical devices can occur in any kind of speech or writing. So all literary devices are rhetorical devices , but not all rhetorical devices are literary devices. The specific devices used are almost all the same, though.

II. Examples of Literary Devices

The foil is a structural-level literary device in which a supporting character forms a striking contrast to the main character. If the main character is intelligent but physically frail, the foil can be a brawny dimwit. This makes the characters seem more vivid and helps their attributes stand out.

Able-bodied antelopes ambled along the alleyway.

Alliteration is a sentence-level literary device in which several (or all!) the words start with the same letter. It’s especially common in poetry, and can range from extremely obvious (as in the sentence above) to much more subtle.

Alexander marched to Persia with a thousand spears at his back.

This is a metonym – a word-level literary devices in which a part stands in for the whole. In this case, the spear is part of the armed soldier. So the sentence really means that there are a thousand soldiers carrying spears, but expressing it this way is more poetic and evocative.

III. Types of Literary Device

The varieties of literary devices are basically infinite – since the invention of storytelling, people have been honing the craft of literature and have come up with all sorts of tricks. For simplicity’s sake, we can separate the types of literary device based on scale:

• Word Level: many literary devices affect individual words or short phrases. For example, a metaphor is when one word stands in for another. So, for example, “The sun was a golden jewel ” would be a metaphor, and a word-level literary device.
• Sentence Level: There are also many literary devices that apply to sentences or long phrases. Parallelism is a good example: “I enjoyed the play , but I preferred the intermission .” The two underlined phrases have identical grammatical structure, so the sentence as a whole demonstrates parallelism.
• Structural Level: These devices apply to the entire piece, whether it’s a poem, novel, or creative nonfiction. Character development is a good example of a structural literary device: the character begins as one sort of person, but learns and grows throughout the story so that by the end she’s someone quite different. This device applies to the story as a whole rather than to a single word or sentence.

IV. The Importance of Literary Devices

Literary devices are the author’s whole toolkit: whatever you want to do in your story, you do it with literary devices. That could mean setting an emotional tone, making a poem more relatable, or just stretching your own creative muscles. Literary devices can do it all. Without such devices, we could barely even talk to each other, let alone create great works of literature and philosophy! Because literary devices serve such a broad range of functions, there’s no single overarching “purpose” to literary devices as a whole, other than just to improve the quality of writing.

V. Examples  of Literary Devices  in Literature

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun ! (William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet”)

This famous line contains a metaphor – a literary device where a word is used in a non-literal sense to stand in for something else. In this case, Romeo is catching his first glimpse of Juliet as he stands below her balcony, and he’s so overcome by her beauty that he calls her “the sun.” Obviously he doesn’t mean this literally, or he’d be burned to a crisp.

He was a f our f old f ather, this f ighting prince: (“Beowulf”)

The Anglo-Saxons used alliteration the way classic English poets used rhyme. It was one of the most basic literary techniques defining their craft. In this line, we find repeated F sounds, which give the line a soft, flowing quality – it would sound very different if it were full of hard, percussive consonants like K’s and B’s.

When Harry Potter gets his first letter from Hogwarts, it’s an exciting moment, but also full of mystery. This is an example of a literary device called the call to adventure . If you pay close attention, you can find this device in countless stories: the hero is going about his ordinary life, needing a change, when all of a sudden an unexpected message comes from a mysterious source. From that moment on, the hero’s life is never the same.

VI. Examples of Literary Devices in Pop Culture

The Joker is a perfect foil for Batman. Batman is dark and brooding; Joker smiles all the time. Batman fights for a purpose and lives by a strict code of honor; Joker is pure chaos and respects no rules or codes. Batman dresses all in black and grey; Joker has a colorful wardrobe of purple and green. The two characters make a great pair because of the sharp contrasts between them.

As a specimen, yes, I’m in timidating! (Gaston, “Beauty and the Beast “ )

Gaston’s Song from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast contains an internal rhyme . Notice how “specimen” rhymes with “yes I’m in-” It’s a subtle rhyme buried in the middle of the line rather than at the end of the line, where rhymes are normally found. The can be considered a sentence-level literary device.

The original Star Wars movies demonstrate great character development. Luke Skywalker starts off as a bratty, self-centered child, but over the course of the trilogy he grows into a noble Jedi Knight. Similarly, Han Solo starts off as a mercenary who doesn’t care about anyone other than himself (and maybe Chewbacca), but by the end of the story he’s a respected general, deeply committed to the cause of the Rebel Alliance.

VII. Related Terms

Literature is anything written for artistic value. It typically refers to novels, but can also include short stories, poems, and creative nonfiction. But it doesn’t include formal essays , scientific research papers, etc., since these forms of writing are usually not written for artistic effect – they’re written to get a point across, to make an argument, or to inform the reader.

Rhetoric means the art of persuasion. It’s an ancient art form consisting of various techniques (“rhetorical devices”) for swaying the audience to the speaker’s point of view. Rhetoric was originally created for speeches, but with the invention of writing it came to cover written arguments as well. Sometimes this term is used more broadly to refer to the manner of presenting an idea (instead the idea itself), but it’s strict meaning has to do with persuading others.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Chapter Four: Theory, Methodologies, Methods, and Evidence

Research Methods

You are viewing the first edition of this textbook. a second edition is available – please visit the latest edition for updated information..

This page discusses the following topics:

Research Goals

Research method types.

Before discussing research   methods , we need to distinguish them from  methodologies  and  research skills . Methodologies, linked to literary theories, are tools and lines of investigation: sets of practices and propositions about texts and the world. Researchers using Marxist literary criticism will adopt methodologies that look to material forces like labor, ownership, and technology to understand literature and its relationship to the world. They will also seek to understand authors not as inspired geniuses but as people whose lives and work are shaped by social forces.

Example: Critical Race Theory Methodologies

Critical Race Theory may use a variety of methodologies, including

• Interest convergence: investigating whether marginalized groups only achieve progress when dominant groups benefit as well
• Intersectional theory: investigating how multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage around race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. operate together in complex ways
• Radical critique of the law: investigating how the law has historically been used to marginalize particular groups, such as black people, while recognizing that legal efforts are important to achieve emancipation and civil rights
• Social constructivism: investigating how race is socially constructed (rather than biologically grounded)
• Standpoint epistemology: investigating how knowledge relates to social position
• Structural determinism: investigating how structures of thought and of organizations determine social outcomes

To identify appropriate methodologies, you will need to research your chosen theory and gather what methodologies are associated with it. For the most part, we can’t assume that there are “one size fits all” methodologies.

Research skills are about how you handle materials such as library search engines, citation management programs, special collections materials, and so on.

Research methods  are about where and how you get answers to your research questions. Are you conducting interviews? Visiting archives? Doing close readings? Reviewing scholarship? You will need to choose which methods are most appropriate to use in your research and you need to gain some knowledge about how to use these methods. In other words, you need to do some research into research methods!

Your choice of research method depends on the kind of questions you are asking. For example, if you want to understand how an author progressed through several drafts to arrive at a final manuscript, you may need to do archival research. If you want to understand why a particular literary work became a bestseller, you may need to do audience research. If you want to know why a contemporary author wrote a particular work, you may need to do interviews. Usually literary research involves a combination of methods such as  archival research ,  discourse analysis , and  qualitative research  methods.

Literary research methods tend to differ from research methods in the hard sciences (such as physics and chemistry). Science research must present results that are reproducible, while literary research rarely does (though it must still present evidence for its claims). Literary research often deals with questions of meaning, social conventions, representations of lived experience, and aesthetic effects; these are questions that reward dialogue and different perspectives rather than one great experiment that settles the issue. In literary research, we might get many valuable answers even though they are quite different from one another. Also in literary research, we usually have some room to speculate about answers, but our claims have to be plausible (believable) and our argument comprehensive (meaning we don’t overlook evidence that would alter our argument significantly if it were known).

A literary researcher might select the following:

Theory: Critical Race Theory

Methodology: Social Constructivism

Method: Scholarly

Skills: Search engines, citation management

Wendy Belcher, in  Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks , identifies two main approaches to understanding literary works: looking at a text by itself (associated with New Criticism ) and looking at texts as they connect to society (associated with Cultural Studies ). The goal of New Criticism is to bring the reader further into the text. The goal of Cultural Studies is to bring the reader into the network of discourses that surround and pass through the text. Other approaches, such as Ecocriticism, relate literary texts to the Sciences (as well as to the Humanities).

The New Critics, starting in the 1940s,  focused on meaning within the text itself, using a method they called “ close reading .” The text itself becomes e vidence for a particular reading. Using this approach, you should summarize the literary work briefly and q uote particularly meaningful passages, being sure to introduce quotes and then interpret them (never let them stand alone). Make connections within the work; a sk  “why” and “how” the various parts of the text relate to each other.

Cultural Studies critics see all texts  as connected to society; the critic  therefore has to connect a text to at least one political or social issue. How and why does  the text reproduce particular knowledge systems (known as discourses) and how do these knowledge systems relate to issues of power within the society? Who speaks and when? Answering these questions helps your reader understand the text in context. Cultural contexts can include the treatment of gender (Feminist, Queer), class (Marxist), nationality, race, religion, or any other area of human society.

Other approaches, such as psychoanalytic literary criticism , look at literary texts to better understand human psychology. A psychoanalytic reading can focus on a character, the author, the reader, or on society in general. Ecocriticism  look at human understandings of nature in literary texts.

We select our research methods based on the kinds of things we want to know. For example, we may be studying the relationship between literature and society, between author and text, or the status of a work in the literary canon. We may want to know about a work’s form, genre, or thematics. We may want to know about the audience’s reading and reception, or about methods for teaching literature in schools.

Below are a few research methods and their descriptions. You may need to consult with your instructor about which ones are most appropriate for your project. The first list covers methods most students use in their work. The second list covers methods more commonly used by advanced researchers. Even if you will not be using methods from this second list in your research project, you may read about these research methods in the scholarship you find.

Most commonly used undergraduate research methods:

• Scholarship Methods:  Studies the body of scholarship written about a particular author, literary work, historical period, literary movement, genre, theme, theory, or method.
• Textual Analysis Methods:  Used for close readings of literary texts, these methods also rely on literary theory and background information to support the reading.
• Biographical Methods:  Used to study the life of the author to better understand their work and times, these methods involve reading biographies and autobiographies about the author, and may also include research into private papers, correspondence, and interviews.
• Discourse Analysis Methods:  Studies language patterns to reveal ideology and social relations of power. This research involves the study of institutions, social groups, and social movements to understand how people in various settings use language to represent the world to themselves and others. Literary works may present complex mixtures of discourses which the characters (and readers) have to navigate.
• Creative Writing Methods:  A literary re-working of another literary text, creative writing research is used to better understand a literary work by investigating its language, formal structures, composition methods, themes, and so on. For instance, a creative research project may retell a story from a minor character’s perspective to reveal an alternative reading of events. To qualify as research, a creative research project is usually combined with a piece of theoretical writing that explains and justifies the work.

Methods used more often by advanced researchers:

• Archival Methods: Usually involves trips to special collections where original papers are kept. In these archives are many unpublished materials such as diaries, letters, photographs, ledgers, and so on. These materials can offer us invaluable insight into the life of an author, the development of a literary work, or the society in which the author lived. There are at least three major archives of James Baldwin’s papers: The Smithsonian , Yale , and The New York Public Library . Descriptions of such materials are often available online, but the materials themselves are typically stored in boxes at the archive.
• Computational Methods:  Used for statistical analysis of texts such as studies of the popularity and meaning of particular words in literature over time.
• Ethnographic Methods:  Studies groups of people and their interactions with literary works, for instance in educational institutions, in reading groups (such as book clubs), and in fan networks. This approach may involve interviews and visits to places (including online communities) where people interact with literary works. Note: before you begin such work, you must have  Institutional Review Board (IRB)  approval “to protect the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research.”
• Visual Methods:  Studies the visual qualities of literary works. Some literary works, such as illuminated manuscripts, children’s literature, and graphic novels, present a complex interplay of text and image. Even works without illustrations can be studied for their use of typography, layout, and other visual features.

Regardless of the method(s) you choose, you will need to learn how to apply them to your work and how to carry them out successfully. For example, you should know that many archives do not allow you to bring pens (you can use pencils) and you may not be allowed to bring bags into the archives. You will need to keep a record of which documents you consult and their location (box number, etc.) in the archives. If you are unsure how to use a particular method, please consult a book about it. [1] Also, ask for the advice of trained researchers such as your instructor or a research librarian.

• What research method(s) will you be using for your paper? Why did you make this method selection over other methods? If you haven’t made a selection yet, which methods are you considering?
• What specific methodological approaches are you most interested in exploring in relation to the chosen literary work?
• What is your plan for researching your method(s) and its major approaches?
• What was the most important lesson you learned from this page? What point was confusing or difficult to understand?

Write your answers in a webcourse discussion page.

• Introduction to Research Methods: A Practical Guide for Anyone Undertaking a Research Project  by Catherine, Dr. Dawson
• Practical Research Methods: A User-Friendly Guide to Mastering Research Techniques and Projects  by Catherine Dawson
• Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches  by John W. Creswell  Cheryl N. Poth
• Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice  by Michael Quinn Patton
• Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches  by John W. Creswell  J. David Creswell
• Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners  by Ranjit Kumar
• Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques  by C.R. Kothari

Strategies for Conducting Literary Research Copyright © 2021 by Barry Mauer & John Venecek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Understanding Literary Devices: A Comprehensive Guide

Identify figurative language, use of symbolism, learn about irony, explore imagery in literature, understanding alliteration, appreciate the use of allusion, meaning and use of metaphor, importance of personification, utilizing foreshadowing in literature, hyperbole for emphasis.

Have you ever been left scratching your head by a line in a book that seemed to hold more meaning than the words directly conveyed? It's highly likely that you stumbled upon a literary device. This post will serve as your friendly guide to understanding the definition of literary device and how they enliven our favorite works of literature, making them more impactful and enjoyable. From figurative language to irony, all the way to the clever usage of hyperbole for emphasis, we'll walk you through each step of this fascinating literary journey. So grab a comfy chair, your favorite book, and let's get started!

Figurative language is like the secret spice that chefs add to their dishes—it transforms a simple meal into a gastronomic delight. In the same way, authors use figurative language to add flavor to their writing, making it more interesting and engaging. But what does figurative language mean in the context of the definition of literary device?

Simply put, figurative language is a way of expressing something more than the literal meaning of words. It provides new ways of looking at the world by creating vivid images, suggesting comparisons, and offering fresh perspectives. Let's look at some common types of figurative language:

• Simile: This is when you compare one thing to another using words like 'as' or 'like'. An example is "She sings like an angel."
• Metaphor: Here, a direct comparison is made without using 'as' or 'like'. For instance, "Life is a journey."
• Personification: This is when you give human qualities to non-human things or ideas. "The wind whispered through the trees."
• Hyperbole: This involves extreme exaggeration to make a point. "I've told you a million times to tidy your room!"
• Onomatopoeia: This is when a word sounds like what it means. Examples include 'buzz', 'sizzle', and 'pop'.

Learning to identify these elements will not only deepen your understanding of the definition of literary device but also enhance your appreciation of literature. It's like having a decoder ring for books—once you know the code, a whole new world of understanding opens up.

Now that we've decoded figurative language, let's move on to another interesting part of the definition of literary device - symbolism. If you've ever wondered why authors are so fond of certain objects or ideas in their stories, you've come across symbolism.

Symbolism is all about using objects, characters, or even colors to represent deeper, more abstract ideas. It's what makes you go "Aha! I see what you did there!" when reading a book. Here's a simple way to understand symbolism:

Imagine you're reading a story about a young girl who often dreams about a bluebird. On the surface, it's just a bird, right? But the author might be using the bluebird as a symbol of freedom, hope, or even the girl's aspirations. So, every time you come across the bluebird in the story, you'll know there's something more to it than just feathers and flight.

Symbolism is a powerful literary device that can add layers of meaning to a story. It's like a secret handshake between the author and the reader—you're in on the deeper meaning, and that makes the reading experience all the more rewarding. So next time you're reading, keep an eye out for symbolism—you never know what you might discover!

Speaking of secret handshakes, let's talk about another literary device that authors love to use—irony. It's like the spice in a well-cooked dish—it adds an unexpected twist and makes the story more flavorful. But what exactly is the definition of this literary device called irony? Let's break it down.

Irony happens when there's a difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. This could be a difference between what a character thinks is going to happen and what really happens, or between what the character says and what they actually mean. The great thing about irony is that it often leads to surprising and humorous situations in a story.

Let's take a simple example. Suppose a character is terrified of dogs and goes to great lengths to avoid them. One day, he adopts a small, scruffy stray animal, thinking it's a cat—and it turns out to be a dog! That's irony for you.

Irony is a fun literary device to spot, and it keeps you on your toes as a reader. So the next time you come across a situation in a book that makes you chuckle or raise your eyebrows, you might be looking at irony in action. Remember, the unexpected is what makes reading so much fun!

Now let's move on to a literary device that is as colorful as a painter's palette—imagery. But wait, what is the definition of this literary device known as imagery? Let's dive into it.

When we talk about imagery in literature, we aren't exactly referring to images you can hang on a wall. Instead, we're talking about the images that words can paint in your mind. Imagery is the use of descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures. It appeals to our five senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—to make the reader feel like they are part of the story.

Imagine you're reading a book, and you come across this sentence: "She walked into the damp, musty attic, the wooden floorboards creaking under her weight, the air thick with the smell of old books and dust." You can almost see the attic, can't you? You can smell the mustiness, hear the creaking floorboards. That's imagery at work!

Imagery makes a story more relatable and engaging. It helps you to visualize the story in your mind's eye, making it more than just words on a page. So the next time you find yourself lost in a book, pay attention to the imagery. You might be surprised at the vivid pictures your mind can paint!

Ever heard of tongue twisters? "She sells seashells by the seashore." Not only is it a fun phrase to say, but it's also a perfect example of alliteration, a fascinating literary device. But what exactly is the definition of this literary device called alliteration? Let's get into it.

Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. It's a technique often used in poetry and prose to create a rhythmic effect or to highlight a particular part of the text.

Let's play a game. Try to spot the alliteration in this sentence: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Did you notice how the 'P' sound repeats at the start of most words? That's alliteration for you!

Alliteration can add a musical quality to a piece of writing. It can make your reading experience more enjoyable and memorable. So, the next time you read a catchy slogan or a memorable book title, remember—there's a good chance alliteration is at play!

Let's take a walk down the literary device lane and meet allusion, another brilliant tool in a writer's toolkit. But what's the definition of this literary device named allusion? Let's dive right in.

Allusion is a reference, explicit or implicit, to something or someone famous—think historical events, literary works, myths, or even popular culture. It's like a secret handshake between the author and the reader. If you get the reference, you feel like you're in on a private joke.

For example, imagine you're reading a book and come across the sentence, "He was a real Romeo with the ladies." Here, "Romeo" is an allusion to Shakespeare's Romeo, a character known for his passionate love for Juliet. The author expects you to understand this reference, adding depth to the character description.

Allusions can add a layer of richness and depth to writing, allowing authors to build on existing stories and ideas. So, as a reader, having knowledge about famous works of literature, historical events, and cultural references can enhance your reading experience. It's like being part of an exclusive club with a secret language!

Next on our literary adventure is the metaphor, a device that packs a powerful punch. But what's the definition of this literary device named metaphor? Let's go step by step.

In simple terms, a metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as". It says that one thing is another. For example, if an author writes, "Time is a thief", they don't mean that time is literally a thief sneaking around in a black mask. Instead, they're suggesting that time, like a thief, can take things away unexpectedly and quickly.

Metaphors help us understand complex ideas by relating them to familiar concepts. They make abstract ideas more tangible and concrete, turning words into vivid pictures in our minds. They can add beauty to the language, evoke strong emotions, and make the text more engaging and memorable. Who wouldn't want to read a book that paints pictures in their mind?

So, next time you come across a metaphor in a book, take a moment to appreciate the mental image it creates. It's a testament to the creativity of the author and the beauty of language!

Have you ever read a sentence in a book like "the wind whistled through the trees" and thought about how lively that wind sounds? Well, you've just stumbled upon personification, a fascinating literary device. Let's dissect the definition of this literary device called personification.

Simply put, personification is a device that gives human characteristics to non-human things. It's like dressing up your dog in a fancy suit—it doesn't make him human, but it's fun to pretend! By giving human traits to nature, objects, or ideas, authors can bring them to life and make them more relatable.

Personification can make the setting of a story more vivid, and it can help us understand abstract concepts by relating them to human experiences. For example, when an author says, "The sun smiled down on the city," it's easier for us to picture a warm, sunny day. Plus, it adds a touch of whimsy and creativity to the writing.

So, the next time you read about a "crying sky" or a "whispering wind," remember—it's not just a quirky way of describing the weather. It's an important literary device that adds depth and richness to the text. And who knows? You might even start seeing the world around you in a whole new light!

Ever had that feeling while reading a book where you just knew something was going to happen? You might not have known what, but you felt a sense of anticipation? That, my friend, is the power of foreshadowing. But what exactly is the definition of this literary device?

Foreshadowing is a technique that hints at events yet to come in the story. It's like the calm before the storm or the music in a horror movie that plays right before the villain jumps out. It builds suspense and keeps readers hooked, making them eager to find out what happens next.

Think about the last mystery or thriller book you read. The author probably dropped little hints along the way about the big reveal at the end. Those hints? That's foreshadowing in action. It's a device that's vital to creating a gripping, engaging story that keeps readers turning the page.

So, next time you're reading and you get that little nudge of anticipation, take a moment to appreciate the foreshadowing at work. It's one of the many tools in a writer's toolbox that transforms a simple story into an unforgettable journey.

If I've told you once, I've told you a million times — hyperbole is a fantastic literary device! But what does that mean? What's the definition of this literary device?

Hyperbole, simply put, is an extravagant exaggeration used for effect. It's when you're so hungry you could eat a horse, or you've laughed so hard you thought you'd die. It's all in the name of emphasizing a point, making your feelings clear, and adding a little fun to your language.

Think back to a time when you've been so surprised you could've jumped out of your skin. Were you literally going to jump out of your skin? Of course not! But by using hyperbole, you've just made your feelings of surprise much more interesting and dramatic. You've invited your listener or reader into your extreme experience, even if it's just for a moment.

So next time you're telling a story or writing a description, remember the power of hyperbole. It's your ticket to a more engaging, colorful conversation or piece of writing. Remember, it's not lying—it's exaggerating for effect!

If you enjoyed delving into the world of literary devices and want to further expand your creative writing toolbox, consider exploring the workshop ' Using Drawing as a Tool for Writers Block ' by Debbie Knox-Hewson. While it may seem unconventional, this workshop can provide you with a creative approach to overcoming writer's block and tapping into new ideas for your writing projects.

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8.12: Essay Type- Literary Research

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• Page ID 101139

• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

The Research Essay

The research essay is basically a literary analysis essay supported by research. Usually, this research takes the form of literary criticism. For more on literary criticism, check out the literary criticism chapter.

Finding a Topic

Often times, instructors will assign a research topic. Be sure to consult with your instructor and/or the assignment prompt given by the instructor. If, however, the assignment is open-ended, then that is exciting news! You can write an essay about your interests in literature. It is like an adventure! However, too much choice can be debilitating. You want an essay that is large enough in scope that you can write an entire essay about it, but you don't want too large of a topic as you may not be able to feasibly cover it in the short amount of time you have. Therefore, a good way to find a "Goldilocks" topic—not too big and not too small—is to start with a simple formula and adjust as you go.

• Find the literary text you want to write about. For example, "Bajadas" by Francisco Cantu or Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
• Find an aspect or angle about that text which interests you. For example, when writing about "Bajadas," you might want to write about the ecology of the border desert, the use of animal symbolism, or the history of border politics and how it may have informed the story. When writing about Hamlet, you might be interested in the way female characters like Ophelia and Gertrude are treated, about the symbolism behind Ophelia's flowers, or about espionage on the part of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Finding a topic formula

Topic = angle + text

Topic = Espionage + Hamlet

Working thesis statement: In this essay, I will be exploring espionage in Hamlet

Brainstorming

Once you come up with a topic, start brainstorming. Yes, brainstorm before you perform research. The reason for this is because your instructor is interested in your original ideas about the text, not the ideas of scholars. Secondary sources should only be used to support your own original ideas. If you start with research, it is much more difficult to come up with your own ideas, because all of your ideas are going to sound a lot like the articles you read. So start with your initial impressions of your topic.

Brainstorming Example:

Espionage in Hamlet is interesting to me because it seems like everyone in Elsinore is spying on each other. For example, Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Ophelia to spy on Hamlet. Polonius dies because he is spying on Hamlet. In turn, Hamlet spies on Claudius during the play within the play. Spying seems to play a huge part in the play, and I wonder why. Was there espionage in Shakespeare's London? Might it have influenced or inspired his writing?

Once you get some of your basic ideas down, you might start outlining the "big ideas" of your essay. This will help when it comes to writing the essay and organizing your ideas. It will also help you when it comes time to research.

Outlining Example

• Background of espionage in Hamlet
• Espionage in Shakespeare's Time
• Analysis of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Spying scene
• Analysis of Ophelia spying scene
• Analysis of Polonius spying scene
• Analysis of Claudius/Hamlet spying scene
• Analysis of Hamlet conducting counter-espionage against Claudius
• How might these scenes have been influenced by espionage in Shakespeare's time?

Before you begin researching, write what you can on your own. For example, write a literary analysis essay where you simply examine and analyze the literature without input from outside sources. This will allow you to solidify your ideas. It will also make it easier to find search terms when you are ready to research.

Researching

Once you have a solid topic and writing, it's time to research your essay topic. Starting with some questions about your topic is a great way to start. See the chapter on navigating scholarly sources for a more detailed look at how to find research material.

Annotated Bibliography

As you read, keep track of your sources using an Annotated Bibliography or Research Log. Basically, an Annotated Bibliography is just like a regular Works Cited page, except every source is summarized after the bibliographical entry. Because you will be reading a lot of different sources, some 20+ pages in length, it can be difficult to keep track of the ideas of each source. An Annotated Bibliography is a tool to help you keep track of your research. This also can help you avoid plagiarism! When taking notes on your sources, be sure to clearly mark summary, paraphrase, and quotation so that you ethically attribute words and ideas to their author.

Annotated Bibliography Example

Student first name Last name

Professor Soandso

30 March 2019

Annotated Bibliography: Espionage in Hamlet

Working title: Elizabethan Spy Culture Reflected in Hamlet

Working thesis : for this essay I will explore how Elizabethan spy culture might have influenced Hamlet. For example, I will look at how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are used to spy on Hamlet, and how it seems like everyone is watching everyone in Elsinore: perhaps Claudius is a stand-in for the English monarchy, a critique of its corruption?

Honan, Park. Christopher Marlowe : Poet & Spy. OUP Oxford, 2005. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.solano.edu/login?url= http://search.ebscohost.com/login.as...&site=eds-live .

Christopher Marlowe was a contemporary of Shakespeare. He was also his competitor as a fellow playwright and poet. This text is a scholarly biography of Marlowe’s life as a spy and poet. This source gives a picture of the cultural context of Shakespeare: of particular relevance to my research is the chapter describing Marlowe and Shakespeare’s relationship (187-196). Though this gives interesting background information, it might solely be useful to note that Shakespeare regularly rubbed elbows with a spy, Marlowe, so he was at least somewhat familiar with Elizabethan spy culture, though how much he knew is a mystery. Otherwise, this text may not be very useful because it only briefly mentions Shakespeare.

Sample Student Research Essay

Text: "The Hunting of the Hare" by Margaret Cavendish

Topic: Symbol & Theme: Humanity's Attraction to Destruction and Violence

Rebekah’s research essay on Margaret Cavendish’s poem “The Hunting of the Hare” illustrates several of the principles discussed in this chapter:

• How to integrate scholarly secondary sources without relinquishing control of the argument
• How to make it clear whose ideas are whose through use of tag words and phrases
• How to employ parenthetical in-text citations according to MLA guidelines
• How to construct a Works Cited page according to MLA guidelines

Rebekah Fish

English 3460

Human Nature in Margaret Cavendish’s “The Hunting of the Hare”

Margaret Cavendish’s 1653 poem “The Hunting of the Hare” relates the cruel fate of a hare that has fallen prey to a group of hunters. A study of this poem suggests that Cavendish can be viewed as one of the first supporters for animal rights as she criticizes the cruelty of men who kill animals for sport. On a more personal level, Cavendish could have closely identified with the hare, which is ostensibly humanlike, and also with its fear. She might have even intended to parallel her critics to the dogs and the hunters within the poem. On a grander scale, Cavendish might be making the critical judgment that humankind seeks enjoyment through violent competition with others. Through a study of the many different thematic levels of the poem, Margaret Cavendish’s “The Hunting of the Hare” seems to have an overarching theme of humanity’s destructive attraction to violence in order to achieve supremacy.

It is evident through the poet’s portrayal of the hare that it is meant to be seen as a significant and even a symbolic figure, beginning in the first line of the poem where the hare is granted the name “Wat.” He is humanlike, “glaring” across the landscape as his “Haires blew up behind” him in the wind instead of his fur (4 and 6). The hare is also described as “wise” instead of merely being a sentient creature, and Cavendish makes its humanlike features even more evident as the hare “walks about” rather than hopping or crawling (Cavendish 7 and 11). Another way the rabbit is seemingly anthropomorphized is through the continual use of the personal pronoun “him” in the poem, which is used instead of “it.” To indicate her disapproval of the unethical treatment of all animals, near the very end of the poem Cavendish grants all creatures the same humanlike quality as the hare by saying that creatures are being “murdered” (100) by men instead of “killed.” The word “murder” connotes unlawfulness and makes a connection between that illicitness and the killing of animals, indicating that all sentient life, that of humans and animals, is important and worthy of being preserved. Some may even argue that Cavendish was trying to make a point that humankind should not express dominant authority over other creatures through the use of violence, because, within the last lines of the poem, man is portrayed not only as murderous but also as an oppressive tyrant that rules over all other living creatures.

Cavendish’s humanlike portrayal of the hare might raise concerns for some readers. Bruce Thomas Boehrer discusses some critics’ objection to an author’s anthropomorphizing nonhuman characters. To anthropomorphize is to project one’s own tendencies and traits onto another species. Some critics argue that this act ignores a nonhuman species’ real behaviors and traits and illustrates humans’ feeling of dominance over nature. However, as Boehrer explains, many animal characters in literature “challenge the human-animal divide” (5) and force people to examine their values, especially those related to nature. Donna Landry supports the view that “The Hunting of the Hare” raises these issues. She argues that in Cavendish’s work, she promotes the “democratizing of relations between humans and other species” (471). Rather than emphasizing the superiority of human emotions by anthropomorphizing the hare, Cavendish humanizes him in order to bridge the gap between the reader and the hare. Paul Salzman states that Cavendish’s main goal as a writer was “to enter into an empathetic relationship with the world around her” (142). In “The Hunting of the Hare,” Cavendish portrays the hare with empathy in order to persuade the reader that committing unnecessary violence on animals is cruel and terrible.

In addition, the description of the hare is used to form and emphasize the strong connection between the hare and Cavendish, who was similarly being pursued by her critics as a female writer. This criticism is clearly shown through the description of Cavendish by Mary Evelyn, who portrayed her as extravagant and vain and said that her discourse was “as airy, empty, whimsical, and rambling as her books” (Qtd. in Damrosch and Dettmar 2058-9). Many people of Cavendish’s time viewed her as outrageous, partly because publicly recognized women writers were rare during the seventeenth century. Although scholars seriously study Cavendish’s work now, Emma L.E. Rees says that because of the harsh critics of her time, “The impression which lasted for many years was of an eccentric, disturbed and arrogant woman” (11). “The Hunting of the Hare” could be interpreted as a response to this criticism. Her critics, paralleled by both the “cruel dogs” (16) and the men in the poem, are often referred to as merciless. The critics are described as nosy through common references to the dogs and how they always “thrust [their] snuffling nose[s]” into things (64). They are also described as loudmouths through the image of dogs who cry out with their “wide mouths” (19). While at times, Cavendish seems to be uncaring as to what the critics say about her, at other times, she seems terrified of the public’s opinion of her life and writing, much like the hare’s terror of being pursued. She suggests that, in public, she hides her fear of the critics, similarly to the hare when, “Licking his feet, he wiped his ears so clean / That none could tell that Wat had hunted been” (41-2). Although critics continued to pursue her, Cavendish emphasizes through the poem that she will continue to maintain her composure until the very end, like the hare does until his death. Yet, this continual pursuing and killing of hares, which parallels Cavendish’s experience, critiques human nature’s desire for supremacy over all living things—even each other.

Not only can Cavendish’s poem be seen as a response to animal cruelty and the cruelty of critics, but it can also be seen as an assessment of how humankind treats its brethren. In the poem, the men are portrayed as bloodthirsty monsters that thrive off cruelty to others. The men in Cavendish’s poem, who “destroy those lives that God did make” (98) solely for “sport or recreation’s sake” (97), seek to kill the rabbit, the symbol, through heavy personification, of a fellow human (Cavendish 2062).

Margaret Cavendish’s “The Hunting of the Hare” is a comment on human nature and the desire for obtaining dominion over others by any means necessary. Through her extensive use of pathos throughout the poem, her audience at the time was meant to feel a sense of culpability and a desire to change. Despite her portrayal of human nature as inherently evil, the guilt the audience is supposed to feel offers a sense of hope, as it indicates that human nature is capable of being altered and even changed.

Works Cited

Boehrer, Bruce Thomas. Animal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern Literature, U of Pennsylvania P, 2010.

Cavendish, Margaret. “The Hunting of the Hare.” 1653. UC Press E-books Collection, publishing.cdlib. org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt7q2nc9xn&chunk. id=ss1.55&toc.depth=100&toc.id=ch09&brand=eschol. Accessed 3 October 2013.

Damrosch, David and Kevin J. H. Dettmar. “Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.” The Longman Anthology: British Literature, edited by David Damrosch and Kevin J. H. Dettmar, Longman, 2010, pp. 2060-63.

Landry, Donna. “Green Languages? Women Poets as Naturalists in 1653 and 1807.” Huntington Library Quarterly, vol. 63, no.4, 2000, pp. 467-89. JSTOR. www.jstor.org/stable/3817613. Accessed 2 Oct. 2013.

Rees, Emma L.E. Margaret Cavendish: Gender, Genre, Exile. Manchester UP, 2003. EBSCOHost, libproxy. ung.edu/login?url=search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2004581244&site=e ds-live&scope=site. Accessed 8 Nov. 2013.

Salzman, Paul. Reading Early Modern Women’s Writing. Oxford UP, 2006.

Contributors and Attributions

• Sample Student Essay reproduced from Writing and Literature: Composition as Inquiry, Learning, Thinking, and Communication by Tanya Long Bennett Professor (English) at University of North Georgi a, Sourced from GALILEO Open Learning Materials , CC BY-SA

Common literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, are the building blocks of literature, and what make literature so enchanting. Language evolves through the literary devices in poetry and prose; the different types of figurative language make literature spark in different ways.

Consider this your crash course in common literary devices. Whether you’re studying for the AP Lit exam or looking to improve your creative writing, this article is crammed with literary devices, examples, and analysis.

What are Literary Devices?

• Personification
• Juxtaposition
• Onomatopoeia
• Common Literary Devices in Poetry
• Common Literary Devices in Prose
• Repetition Literary Devices
• Dialogue Literary Devices
• Word Play Literary Devices
• Parallelism Literary Devices
• Rhetorical Devices

Let’s start with the basics. What are literary devices?

Literary devices take writing beyond its literal meaning. They help guide the reader in how to read the piece.

Literary devices are ways of taking writing beyond its straightforward, literal meaning. In that sense, they are techniques for helping guide the reader in how to read the piece.

Central to all literary devices is a quality of connection : by establishing or examining relationships between things, literary devices encourage the reader to perceive and interpret the world in new ways.

One common form of connection in literary devices is comparison. Metaphors and similes are the most obvious examples of comparison. A metaphor is a direct comparison of two things—“the tree is a giant,” for example. A simile is an in direct comparison—“the tree is like a giant.” In both instances, the tree is compared to—and thus connected with—something (a giant) beyond what it literally is (a tree).

Other literary devices forge connections in different ways. For example, imagery, vivid description, connects writing richly to the worlds of the senses. Alliteration uses the sound of words itself to forge new literary connections (“alligators and apples”).

By enabling new connections that go beyond straightforward details and meanings, literary devices give literature its power.

What all these literary devices have in common is that they create new connections: rich layers of sound, sense, emotion, narrative, and ultimately meaning that surpass the literal details being recounted. They are what sets literature apart, and what makes it uniquely powerful.

Read on for an in-depth look and analysis at 112 common literary devices.

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Literary Devices List: 14 Common Literary Devices

In this article, we focus on literary devices that can be found in both poetry and prose.

There are a lot of literary devices to cover, each of which require their own examples and analysis. As such, we will start by focusing on common literary devices for this article: literary devices that can be found in both poetry and prose. With each device, we’ve included examples in literature and exercises you can use in your own creative writing.

Afterwards, we’ve listed other common literary devices you might see in poetry, prose, dialogue, and rhetoric.

Let’s get started!

1. Metaphor

Metaphors, also known as direct comparisons, are one of the most common literary devices. A metaphor is a statement in which two objects, often unrelated, are compared to each other.

Example of metaphor: This tree is the god of the forest.

Obviously, the tree is not a god—it is, in fact, a tree. However, by stating that the tree is the god, the reader is given the image of something strong, large, and immovable. Additionally, using “god” to describe the tree, rather than a word like “giant” or “gargantuan,” makes the tree feel like a spiritual center of the forest.

Metaphors allow the writer to pack multiple descriptions and images into one short sentence. The metaphor has much more weight and value than a direct description. If the writer chose to describe the tree as “the large, spiritual center of the forest,” the reader won’t understand the full importance of the tree’s size and scope.

Similes, also known as indirect comparisons, are similar in construction to metaphors, but they imply a different meaning. Like metaphors, two unrelated objects are being compared to each other. Unlike a metaphor, the comparison relies on the words “like” or “as.”

Example of simile: This tree is like the god of the forest. OR: This tree acts as the god of the forest.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

The obvious difference between these two common literary devices is that a simile uses “like” or “as,” whereas a metaphor never uses these comparison words.

Additionally, in reference to the above examples, the insertion of “like” or “as” creates a degree of separation between both elements of the device. In a simile, the reader understands that, although the tree is certainly large, it isn’t large enough to be a god; the tree’s “godhood” is simply a description, not a relevant piece of information to the poem or story.

Simply put, metaphors are better to use as a central device within the poem/story, encompassing the core of what you are trying to say. Similes are better as a supporting device.

Does that mean metaphors are better than similes? Absolutely not. Consider Louise Gluck’s poem “ The Past. ” Gluck uses both a simile and a metaphor to describe the sound of the wind: it is like shadows moving, but is her mother’s voice. Both devices are equally haunting, and ending the poem on the mother’s voice tells us the central emotion of the poem.

Learn more about the difference between similes and metaphors here:

Simile vs. Metaphor vs. Analogy: Definitions and Examples

Simile and Metaphor Writing Exercise: Tenors and Vehicles

Most metaphors and similes have two parts: the tenor and the vehicle. The tenor refers to the subject being described, and the vehicle refers to the image that describes the tenor.

So, in the metaphor “the tree is a god of the forest,” the tenor is the tree and the vehicle is “god of the forest.”

To practice writing metaphors and similes, let’s create some literary device lists. grab a sheet of paper and write down two lists. In the first list, write down “concept words”—words that cannot be physically touched. Love, hate, peace, war, happiness, and anger are all concepts because they can all be described but are not physical objects in themselves.

In the second list, write down only concrete objects—trees, clouds, the moon, Jupiter, New York brownstones, uncut sapphires, etc.

Your concepts are your tenors, and your concrete objects are your vehicles. Now, randomly draw a one between each tenor and each vehicle, then write an explanation for your metaphor/simile. You might write, say:

Have fun, write interesting literary devices, and try to incorporate them into a future poem or story!

An analogy is an argumentative comparison: it compares two unalike things to advance an argument. Specifically, it argues that two things have equal weight, whether that weight be emotional, philosophical, or even literal. Because analogical literary devices operate on comparison, it can be considered a form of metaphor.

For example:

Making pasta is as easy as one, two, three.

This analogy argues that making pasta and counting upwards are equally easy things. This format, “A is as B” or “A is to B”, is a common analogy structure.

Another common structure for analogy literary devices is “A is to B as C is to D.” For example:

Gordon Ramsay is to cooking as Meryl Streep is to acting.

The above constructions work best in argumentative works. Lawyers and essayists will often use analogies. In other forms of creative writing, analogies aren’t as formulaic, but can still prove to be powerful literary devices. In fact, you probably know this one:

“That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” — Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

To put this into the modern language of an analogy, Shakespeare is saying “a rose with no name smells as a rose with a name does.” The name “rose” does not affect whether or not the flower smells good.

Analogy Writing Exercise

Analogies are some of the most common literary devices, alongside similes and metaphors. Here’s an exercise for writing one yourself.

On a blank sheet of paper: write down the first four nouns that come to mind. Try to use concrete, visual nouns. Then, write down a verb. If you struggle to come up with any of these, any old word generator on the internet will help.

The only requirement is that two of your four nouns should be able to perform the verb. A dog can swim, for example, but it can’t fly an airplane.

Your list might look like this:

Verb: Fall Nouns: Rain, dirt, pavement, shadow

An analogy you create from this list might be: “his shadow falls on the pavement how rain falls on the dirt in May.

Your analogy might end up being silly or poetic, strange or evocative. But, by forcing yourself to make connections between seemingly disparate items, you’re using these literary devices to hone the skills of effective, interesting writing.

Is imagery a literary device? Absolutely! Imagery can be both literal and figurative, and it relies on the interplay of language and sensation to create a sharper image in your brain.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to describe something.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to describe something. In fact, we’ve already seen imagery in action through the previous literary devices: by describing the tree as a “god”, the tree looks large and sturdy in the reader’s mind.

However, imagery doesn’t just involve visual descriptions; the best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses. By appealing to the reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, your writing will create a vibrant world for readers to live and breathe in.

The best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses.

Let’s use imagery to describe that same tree. (I promise I can write about more than just trees, but it’s a very convenient image for these common literary devices, don’t you think?)

Notice how these literary device examples also used metaphors and similes? Literary devices often pile on top of each other, which is why so many great works of literature can be analyzed endlessly. Because imagery depends on the object’s likeness to other objects, imagery upholds the idea that a literary device is synonymous with comparison.

Imagery Writing Exercise

Want to try your hand at imagery? You can practice this concept by describing an object in the same way that this article describes a tree! Choose something to write about—any object, image, or idea—and describe it using the five senses. (“This biscuit has the tidy roundness of a lady’s antique hat.” “The biscuit tastes of brand-new cardboard.” and so on!)

Then, once you’ve written five (or more) lines of imagery, try combining these images until your object is sharp and clear in the reader’s head.

Imagery is one of the most essential common literary devices. To learn more about imagery, or to find more imagery writing exercises, take a look at our article Imagery Definition: 5+ Types of Imagery in Literature .

5. Symbolism

Symbolism combines a lot of the ideas presented in metaphor and imagery. Essentially, a symbol is the use of an object to represent a concept—it’s kind of like a metaphor, except more concise!

Symbols are everywhere in the English language, and we often use these common literary devices in speech and design without realizing it. The following are very common examples of symbolism:

A few very commonly used symbols include:

• “Peace” represented by a white dove
• “Love” represented by a red rose
• “Conformity” represented by sheep
• “Idea” represented by a light bulb switching on

The symbols above are so widely used that they would likely show up as clichés in your own writing. (Would you read a poem, written today, that started with “Let’s release the white dove of peace”?) In that sense, they do their job “too well”—they’re such a good symbol for what they symbolize that they’ve become ubiquitous, and you’ll have to add something new in your own writing.

Symbols are often contextually specific as well. For example, a common practice in Welsh marriage is to give your significant other a lovespoon , which the man has designed and carved to signify the relationship’s unique, everlasting bond. In many Western cultures, this same bond is represented by a diamond ring—which can also be unique and everlasting!

Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete.

Finally, notice how each of these examples are a concept represented by a concrete object. Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete, and also allows you to manipulate your ideas. If a rose represents love, what does a wilted rose or a rose on fire represent?

Symbolism Writing Exercise

Often, symbols are commonly understood images—but not always. You can invent your own symbols to capture the reader’s imagination, too!

Try your hand at symbolism by writing a poem or story centered around a symbol. Choose a random object, and make that object represent something. For example, you could try to make a blanket represent the idea of loneliness.

When you’ve paired an object and a concept, write your piece with that symbol at the center:

The down blanket lay crumpled, unused, on the empty side of our bed.

The goal is to make it clear that you’re associating the object with the concept. Make the reader feel the same way about your symbol as you do!

6. Personification

Personification, giving human attributes to nonhuman objects, is a powerful way to foster empathy in your readers.

Personification is exactly what it sounds like: giving human attributes to nonhuman objects. Also known as anthropomorphism, personification is a powerful way to foster empathy in your readers.

Think about personification as if it’s a specific type of imagery. You can describe a nonhuman object through the five senses, and do so by giving it human descriptions. You can even impute thoughts and emotions—mental events—to a nonhuman or even nonliving thing. This time, we’ll give human attributes to a car—see our personification examples below!

Personification (using sight): The car ran a marathon down the highway.

Personification (using sound): The car coughed, hacked, and spluttered.

Personification (using touch): The car was smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Personification (using taste): The car tasted the bitter asphalt.

Personification (using smell): The car needed a cold shower.

Personification (using mental events): The car remembered its first owner fondly.

Notice how we don’t directly say the car is like a human—we merely describe it using human behaviors. Personification exists at a unique intersection of imagery and metaphor, making it a powerful literary device that fosters empathy and generates unique descriptions.

Personification Writing Exercise

Try writing personification yourself! In the above example, we chose a random object and personified it through the five senses. It’s your turn to do the same thing: find a concrete noun and describe it like it’s a human.

Here are two examples:

The ancient, threadbare rug was clearly tired of being stepped on.

My phone issued notifications with the grimly efficient extroversion of a sorority chapter president.

Now start writing your own! Your descriptions can be active or passive, but the goal is to foster empathy in the reader’s mind by giving the object human traits.

7. Hyperbole

You know that one friend who describes things very dramatically? They’re probably speaking in hyperboles. Hyperbole is just a dramatic word for being over-dramatic—which sounds a little hyperbolic, don’t you think?

Basically, hyperbole refers to any sort of exaggerated description or statement. We use hyperbole all the time in the English language, and you’ve probably heard someone say things like:

• I’ve been waiting a billion years for this
• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse
• I feel like a million bucks
• You are the king of the kitchen

None of these examples should be interpreted literally: there are no kings in the kitchen, and I doubt anyone can eat an entire horse in one sitting. This common literary device allows us to compare our emotions to something extreme, giving the reader a sense of how intensely we feel something in the moment.

This is what makes hyperbole so fun! Coming up with crazy, exaggerated statements that convey the intensity of the speaker’s emotions can add a personable element to your writing. After all, we all feel our emotions to a certain intensity, and hyperbole allows us to experience that intensity to its fullest.

Hyperbole Writing Exercise

To master the art of the hyperbole, try expressing your own emotions as extremely as possible. For example, if you’re feeling thirsty, don’t just write that you’re thirsty, write that you could drink the entire ocean. Or, if you’re feeling homesick, don’t write that you’re yearning for home, write that your homeland feels as far as Jupiter.

As a specific exercise, you can try writing a poem or short piece about something mundane, using more and more hyperbolic language with each line or sentence. Here’s an example:

A well-written hyperbole helps focus the reader’s attention on your emotions and allows you to play with new images, making it a fun, chaos-inducing literary device.

Is irony a literary device? Yes—but it’s often used incorrectly. People often describe something as being ironic, when really it’s just a moment of dark humor. So, the colloquial use of the word irony is a bit off from its official definition as a literary device.

Irony is when the writer describes something by using opposite language. As a real-life example, if someone is having a bad day, they might say they’re doing “ greaaaaaat ”, clearly implying that they’re actually doing quite un-greatly. Or a story’s narrator might write:

Like most bureaucrats, she felt a boundless love for her job, and was eager to share that good feeling with others.

In other words, irony highlights the difference between “what seems to be” and “what is.” In literature, irony can describe dialogue, but it also describes ironic situations : situations that proceed in ways that are elaborately contrary to what one would expect. A clear example of this is in The Wizard of Oz . All of the characters already have what they are looking for, so when they go to the wizard and discover that they all have brains, hearts, etc., their petition—making a long, dangerous journey to beg for what they already have—is deeply ironic.

Irony Writing Exercise

For verbal irony, try writing a sentence that gives something the exact opposite qualities that it actually has:

The triple bacon cheeseburger glistened with health and good choices.

For situational irony, try writing an imagined plot for a sitcom, starting with “Ben lost his car keys and can’t find them anywhere.” What would be the most ironic way for that situation to be resolved? (Are they sitting in plain view on Ben’s desk… at the detective agency he runs?) Have fun with it!

9. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition refers to the placement of contrasting ideas next to each other, often to produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect. Writers use juxtaposition in both poetry and prose, though this common literary device looks slightly different within each realm of literature.

In poetry, juxtaposition is used to build tension or highlight an important contrast. Consider the poem “ A Juxtaposition ” by Kenneth Burke, which juxtaposes nation & individual, treble & bass, and loudness & silence. The result is a poem that, although short, condemns the paradox of a citizen trapped in their own nation.

Just a note: these juxtapositions are also examples of antithesis , which is when the writer juxtaposes two completely opposite ideas. Juxtaposition doesn’t have to be completely contrarian, but in this poem, it is.

Juxtaposition accomplishes something similar in prose. A famous example comes from the opening A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.” Dickens opens his novel by situating his characters into a world of contrasts, which is apt for the extreme wealth disparities pre-French Revolution.

Juxtaposition Writing Exercise

One great thing about juxtaposition is that it can dismantle something that appears to be a binary. For example, black and white are often assumed to be polar opposites, but when you put them next to each other, you’ll probably get some gray in the middle.

To really master the art of juxtaposition, try finding two things that you think are polar opposites. They can be concepts, such as good & evil, or they can be people, places, objects, etc. Juxtapose your two selected items by starting your writing with both of them—for example:

Across the town from her wedding, the bank robbers were tying up the hostages.

I put the box of chocolates on the coffee table, next to the gas mask.

Then write a poem or short story that explores a “gray area,” relationship, commonality, or resonance between these two objects or events—without stating as much directly. If you can accomplish what Dickens or Burke accomplishes with their juxtapositions, then you, too, are a master!

10. Paradox

A paradox is a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that, while seemingly impossible, actually reveals a deeper truth. One of the trickier literary devices, paradoxes are powerful tools for deconstructing binaries and challenging the reader’s beliefs.

A simple paradox example comes to us from Ancient Rome.

Catullus 85 ( translated from Latin)

I hate and I love. Why I do this, perhaps you ask. I know not, but I feel it happening and I am tortured.

Often, “hate” and “love” are assumed to be opposing forces. How is it possible for the speaker to both hate and love the object of his affection? The poem doesn’t answer this, merely telling us that the speaker is “tortured,” but the fact that these binary forces coexist in the speaker is a powerful paradox. Catullus 85 asks the reader to consider the absoluteness of feelings like hate and love, since both seem to torment the speaker equally.

Another paradox example comes from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

“To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.”

Here, “natural” and “pose” are conflicting ideas. Someone who poses assumes an unnatural state of being, whereas a natural poise seems effortless and innate. Despite these contrasting ideas, Wilde is exposing a deeper truth: to seem natural is often to keep up appearances, and seeming natural often requires the same work as assuming any other pose.

Note: paradox should not be confused with oxymoron. An oxymoron is also a statement with contrasting ideas, but a paradox is assumed to be true, whereas an oxymoron is merely a play on words (like the phrase “same difference”).

Paradox Writing Exercise

Paradox operates very similarly to literary devices like juxtaposition and irony. To write a paradox, juxtapose two binary ideas. Try to think outside of the box here: “hate and love” are an easy binary to conjure, so think about something more situational. Wilde’s paradox “natural and pose” is a great one; another idea could be the binaries “awkward and graceful” or “red-handed and innocent.”

Now, situate those binaries into a certain situation, and make it so that they can coexist. Imagine a scenario in which both elements of your binary are true at the same time. How can this be, and what can we learn from this surprising juxtaposition?

11. Allusion

If you haven’t noticed, literary devices are often just fancy words for simple concepts. A metaphor is literally a comparison and hyperbole is just an over-exaggeration. In this same style, allusion is just a fancy word for a literary reference; when a writer alludes to something, they are either directly or indirectly referring to another, commonly-known piece of art or literature.

The most frequently-alluded to work is probably the Bible. Many colloquial phrases and ideas stem from it, since many themes and images from the Bible present themselves in popular works, as well as throughout Western culture. Any of the following ideas, for example, are Biblical allusions:

• Referring to a kind stranger as a Good Samaritan
• Describing an ideal place as Edenic, or the Garden of Eden
• Saying someone “turned the other cheek” when they were passive in the face of adversity
• When something is described as lasting “40 days and 40 nights,” in reference to the flood of Noah’s Ark

Of course, allusion literary devices aren’t just Biblical. You might describe a woman as being as beautiful as the Mona Lisa, or you might call a man as stoic as Hemingway.

Why write allusions? Allusions appeal to common experiences: they are metaphors in their own right, as we understand what it means to describe an ideal place as Edenic.

Like the other common literary devices, allusions are often metaphors, images, and/or hyperboles. And, like other literary devices, allusions also have their own sub-categories.

Allusion Writing Exercise

See how densely you can allude to other works and experiences in writing about something simple. Go completely outside of good taste and name-drop like crazy:

Allusions (way too much version): I wanted Nikes, not Adidas, because I want to be like Mike. But still, “a rose by any other name”—they’re just shoes, and “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

From this frenetic style of writing, trim back to something more tasteful:

Allusions (more tasteful version): I had wanted Nikes, not Adidas—but “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

12. Allegory

An allegory is a story whose sole purpose is to represent an abstract concept or idea. As such, allegories are sometimes extended allusions, but the two common literary devices have their differences.

For example, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory for the deterioration of Communism during the early establishment of the U.S.S.R. The farm was founded on a shared goal of overthrowing the farming elite and establishing an equitable society, but this society soon declines. Animal Farm mirrors the Bolshevik Revolution, the overthrow of the Russian aristocracy, Lenin’s death, Stalin’s execution of Trotsky, and the nation’s dissolution into an amoral, authoritarian police state. Thus, Animal Farm is an allegory/allusion to the U.S.S.R.:

Allusion (excerpt from Animal Farm ):

“There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in [Farmer] Jones’s day.”

However, allegories are not always allusions. Consider Plato’s “ Allegory of the Cave ,” which represents the idea of enlightenment. By representing a complex idea, this allegory could actually be closer to an extended symbol rather than an extended allusion.

Allegory Writing Exercise

Pick a major trend going on in the world. In this example, let’s pick the growing reach of social media as our “major trend.”

Next, what are the primary properties of that major trend? Try to list them out:

• More connectedness
• A loss of privacy
• People carefully massaging their image and sharing that image widely

Next, is there something happening at—or that could happen at—a much smaller scale that has some or all of those primary properties? This is where your creativity comes into play.

Well… what if elementary school children not only started sharing their private diaries, but were now expected to share their diaries? Let’s try writing from inside that reality:

I know Jennifer McMahon made up her diary entry about how much she misses her grandma. The tear smudges were way too neat and perfect. Anyway, everyone loved it. They photocopied it all over the bulletin boards and they even read it over the PA, and Jennifer got two extra brownies at lunch.

Try your own! You may find that you’ve just written your own Black Mirror episode.

13. Ekphrasis

Ekphrasis refers to a poem or story that is directly inspired by another piece of art. Ekphrastic literature often describes another piece of art, such as the classic “ Ode on a Grecian Urn ”:

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

Ekphrasis can be considered a direct allusion because it borrows language and images from other artwork. For a great example of ekphrasis—as well as a submission opportunity for writers!—check out the monthly ekphrastic challenge that Rattle Poetry runs.

Ekphrasis writing exercise

Try your hand at ekphrasis by picking a piece of art you really enjoy and writing a poem or story based off of it. For example, you could write a story about Mona Lisa having a really bad day, or you could write a black-out poem created from the lyrics of your favorite song.

Or, try Rattle ‘s monthly ekphrastic challenge ! All art inspires other art, and by letting ekphrasis guide your next poem or story, you’re directly participating in a greater artistic and literary conversation.

14. Onomatopoeia

Flash! Bang! Wham! An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the noise it describes. Conveying both a playfulness of language and a serious representation of everyday sounds, onomatopoeias draw the reader into the sensations of the story itself.

Onomatopoeia words are most often used in poetry and in comic books, though they certainly show up in works of prose as well. Some onomatopoeias can be found in the dictionary, such as “murmur,” “gargle,” and “rumble,” “click,” and “vroom.” However, writers make up onomatopoeia words all the time, so while the word “ptoo” definitely sounds like a person spitting, you won’t find it in Merriam Webster’s.

Here’s an onomatopoeia example, from the poem “Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio” by Carl Sandburg .

The onomatopoeias have been highlighted in bold. These common literary devices help make your writing fresh, interesting, and vivid, creating a sonic setting that the reader can fall into.

Learn more about onomatopoeias here!

Onomatopoeia Writing Exercise

Onomatopoeias are fun literary devices to use in your work, so have fun experimenting with them. In this exercise, take a moment to listen to the noises around you. Pay close attention to the whir of electronics, the fzzzzzzz of the heater, the rumbling of cars on the street, or the tintintintintin of rain on the roof.

Whatever you hear, convert those sounds into onomatopoeias. Make a list of those sounds. Try to use a mix of real words and made up ones: the way you represent noise in language can have a huge impact on your writing style .

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes, and when you have a comprehensive list of the sounds you hear, write a poem or short story that uses every single word you’ve written down.

If you built your political campaign off of wordplay, would you be punning for president?

A pun is a literary device that plays with the sounds and meanings of words to produce new, often humorous ideas. For example, let’s say you used too much butter in your recipe, and it ruined the dish. You might joke that you were “outside the margarine of error,” which is a play on the words “margin of error.”

Puns have a rich literary history, and famous writers like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, as well as famous texts like The Bible, have used puns to add depth and gravity to their words.

Pun Writing Exercise

Jot down a word or phrase that you commonly use. If you’re not sure of what to write down, take a look at this list of English idioms . For example, I might borrow the phrase “blow off steam,” which means to let out your anger.

Take any saying, and play around with the sounds and meanings of the words in that saying. Then, incorporate the new phrase you’ve created into a sentence that allows for the double meaning of the phrase. Here’s two examples:

If I play with the sound of the words, I might come up with “blowing off stream.” Then, I would put that into a sentence that plays with the original meaning of the phrase. Like: “Did you hear about the river boat that got angry and went off course? It was blowing off stream.”

Or, I might play with the meanings of words. For example, I might take the word “blowing” literally, and write the following: “someone who cools down their tea when they’re angry is blowing off steam.”

Searching for ways to add double meanings and challenge the sounds of language will help you build fresh, exciting puns. Learn more about these common literary devices in our article on puns in literature .

16–27. Common Literary Devices in Poetry

The following 12 devices apply to both poetry and prose writers, but they appear most often in verse. Learn more about:

• Metonymy/Synecdoche
• Alliteration
• Consonance/Assonance
• Euphony/Cacophony

12 Literary Devices in Poetry: Identifying Poetic Devices

28–37. Common Literary Devices in Prose

The following 10 devices show up in verse, but are far more prevalent in prose. Learn more about:

• Parallel Plot
• Foreshadowing
• In Media Res
• Dramatic Irony

10 Important Literary Devices in Prose: Examples & Analysis

38–48. Repetition Literary Devices

Though they have uncommon names, these common literary devices are all forms of repetition.

• Anadiplosis
• Anaphora (prose)
• Antanaclasis
• Antimetabole
• Antistrophe
• Epanalepsis

Repetition Definition: Types of Repetition in Poetry and Prose

49–57. Dialogue Literary Devices

While these literary elements pertain primarily to dialogue, writers use euphemisms, idioms, and neologisms all the time in their work.

• Colloquialism

How to Write Dialogue in a Story

58–67. Word Play Literary Devices

The following literary devices push language to the limits. Have fun with these!

• Double Entendre
• Malapropism
• Paraprosdokian
• Portmanteau

Word Play: Examples of a Play on Words

68–72. Parallelism Literary Devices

Parallelism is a stylistic device where a sentence is composed of equally weighted items. In essence, parallel structure allows form to echo content. Learn all about this essential stylistic literary device below.

• Grammatical parallelism
• Rhetorical parallelism
• Synthetic parallelism
• Antithetical parallelism
• Synonymous parallelism

Parallelism Definition: Writing With Parallel Structure

73–112. Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are literary devices intended to persuade the reader of something. You might have heard of ethos, pathos, and logos, but do you know your aposiopesis from your hyperbaton?

Many literary devices can also be considered rhetorical devices. After all, a metaphor can convince you of something just as well as a syllogism. Nonetheless, the following 40 rhetorical/literary devices will sharpen your style, argumentation, and writing abilities.

• Anacoluthon
• Polysyndeton
• Procatalepsis
• Reductio ad Absurdum
• Amplification
• Antiphrasis
• Overstatement
• Adnomination
• Aposiopesis
• Circumlocution

Common Rhetorical Devices List: The Art of Argument

Master These Common Literary Devices With Writers.com!

The instructors at Writers.com are masters of literary devices. Through masterful instruction and personal expertise, our instructors can help you add, refine, and improve your literary devices, helping you craft great works of literature. Check out our upcoming courses , and join our writing community on Facebook !

Sean Glatch

91 comments.

Very nice the litrery divices

Brilliant litery devices

I love this literary term it help a lot

thank you this was life-changing

Broaden the vucablry it does

Very effectively and simply elaborated

enjoyed this (and learned some new things, too). HB

Wow, very educating and nice! Quite helpful

It is very nice visiting this site.

This was put together profoundly; thank you! As a writer, you can never learn enough. I will begin incorporating these into my stories. Words can’t express how helpful this was, and it was very efficiently put together as well, so kudos to that!

I’m so happy this article helped you, Jalen! Happy writing!

Thank you for this article! It really helped a lot! hands up to the good samaritan of understanding literature :D.

But I would have one last question: Would any sort of intertextuality be considered an Allusion? (Also when you refer to the author for example?)

Great questions! That’s a great way to think about allusion–any sort of intertextuality is indeed allusive. In fact, your use of “Good Samaritan” is an allusion to the Bible, even if you didn’t mean it to be!

And yes, because an allusion is anything referential, then a reference to another author also counts as an allusion. Of course, it can’t be directly stated: “She’s reading Shakespeare” doesn’t count, but “She worships the Immortal Bard” would be an allusion. (It’s also an allusion to the story of the same name by Isaac Asimov).

I’m glad to hear our article was helpful. Happy reading!

This will help! Thanks!

There is also Onomatopoeia, you can make the list 45

This article really helped me, the techniques are amazing, and the detail is incredible. Thank you for taking your time to write this!

I’m so glad this was helpful, Gwen! Happy writing!

this was useful 🙂 thanks

I love personification; you can do so much with it.

Hi, I’m really sorry but I am still confused with juxtaposition.

Hi Nate! Juxtaposition simply describes when contrasting ideas are placed next to each other. The effect of juxtaposition depends on the ideas that are being juxtaposed, but the point is to surprise or provoke the reader.

Take, for example, the opening line of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Here, happy and unhappy families are being juxtaposed, and the contrast between the two is meant to provoke the reader and highlight the differences between those families. This juxtaposition sets up the novel as a whole, which often discusses themes of family and happiness (among many other themes).

I hope this helps!

very nice indeed

[…] 33 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises […]

[…] 44 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises […]

Thanks a lot for this it was really nice, good and fun to read it and it was really helpful for me as a student👔so please keep up with the good work 😉🌹💖😚😍💝💞💐

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Really helping. It’s a wonderful article

O mother Ghana, teach your children to change their negative attitudes towards you and what you have Please which literary device is this?

The device employed here is called apostrophe, which is when the writer addresses something not actually present for literary effect. Read more about it at this link .

This was very effective towards my writing and my family really enoyed seeing how much I had learnt. Thanks a lot.

so irony is literally sarcasm then

Sometimes! Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony.

Verbal irony occurs when a person intentionally says the opposite of what they mean. For example, you might say “I’m having the best day ever” after getting hit by a car.

Sarcasm is the use of verbal irony with the intent of mocking someone or something. You might say “Good going, genius” to someone who made a silly mistake, implying they’re not a genius at all.

Hope that makes sense!

Love this article! I used to struggle in my literature class, but after reading though this article, I certainly improved! Thanks! However, I have one question I really need your help with- Can I assume that a phrase which is the slightest bit plausible, a hyperbole? For example, a young elementary student who is exceptionally talented in basketball, to such an extent that he was quite famous nation-wide, said that he would be the next Lebron James although he was still very young. Would this be considered as a hyperbole? It would be great if you can help me with this.

That’s a great question! Although that claim is certainly exaggerated, it probably wouldn’t be hyperbole, because the child believes it to be true. A hyperbole occurs when the writer makes an exaggerated statement that they know to be false–e.g. “I’ve been waiting a billion years for this.”

Of course, if the child is self-aware and knows they’re just being cheeky, then it would be hyperbole, but I get the sense that the child genuinely believes they’re the next Lebron. 🙂

I’m glad this article has helped you in your literature class!

That makes a lot of sense, thanks for your reply!

Sorry, I have another question related to hyperbole. This is an extract from Animal Farm:

“Squealer was sent to make the necessary explanation to the others. ‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well being of a pig. We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?’ Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones back. When it was put to them in this light, they had no more to say. The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious.”

May I know if the speech made by Squealer in this extract is a hyperbole, gaslight (I’m not sure if this is a literary device), or some other device(s)? I know this is very wordy so you can take your time, no rush.

(I am doing a chapter analysis of chapter 3 in Animal Farm)

By the way, if you have written any other articles, please let me know! I would like to read them, thanks!

Take a look at writers.com/writing-tips for our archive on the craft of writing!

It wouldn’t be hyperbole, as a hyperbole is usually a word or phrase, not an entire passage of text. It’s better to analyze this passage in terms of its rhetorical strategies: Squealer is appealing to nebulous ideas like Science and the return of Jones–appeals to logos and pathos, despite there being a lack of evidence.

These strategies are logical fallacies: arguments that are easily disproven through reasoning, but which often resonate when people don’t employ critical thinking. Some of the fallacies here are “appeal to fear” and the “false dilemma” that Jones will return if the pigs don’t eat apples and milk (this is also a “red herring”).

I can’t provide much more help than this, as I don’t want to write your assignment for you, but I’m happy to point you in this direction, because understanding how logical fallacies are abused is essential to being an informed reader and citizen. 🙂

Ok, thanks for your reply!

Thank you! I am studying for an English final and this was a life saver!

My pleasure, Isla, good luck on your final!

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Hi what is the name of the literary device where you name a character after their personality eg. Mr Knighley, Miss honey or Miss Trunchball? Thank you

That’s called an “aptronym”!

Mind blowing indeed. I had no idea there were so many names for patterns I hear people use with words. This lis is great as is. I am using it to probe further into what they are. I would only suggest that if the time ever allowed for someone to provide a brief detail or definition to each it would save a lot of time for many like me. None the less, I am grateful for the work provided. Thank you.

It awesome and amazing

It is personification as well as apostrophe, as Sean suggested. Ghana (the nation, I am assuming) is personified as a mother who is able to teach her citizens (children) to change their negative attitudes towards her.

Helped alot😊

This has truly helped me alot. Definitely great

Thanks so much, I never knew the list to this was as tall as everest, way back in school I didn’t take lit lessons serious and forgot everything til it came to mind to revise these devices And here google landed me, and thanks again so much.

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The litrarery device is the best way to get a knowledge in education

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Can Dystopia be considered a kind of literary device?

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Best of luck on your exam, Olive!

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Great definition and examples

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This was Uber helpful! BUT, I do wish that we got more examples, and I can see why you made it shorter. If you put examples for all of them, then this would be really long.

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Definition of Evidence

Evidence is a type of literary device that appears in different categories of essays and theses, in the form of paraphrase and quotations. It is presented to persuade readers, and used with powerful arguments in the texts or essays.

It is factual information that helps the reader reach a conclusion and form an opinion about something. Evidence is given in research work, or is quoted in essays and thesis statements, but is paraphrased by the writer. If it is given as it is, then it is quoted properly within quotation marks.

In rhetoric , when a person makes a claim or presents an argument , he needs to present evidence in support of his claim or argument, in order to establish the veracity of his statements. If there is no evidence, the claim stands quashed. The same is true with a case in law, where a case or litigation is quashed if there is no evidence to support the claim. However, literary evidence is only used in literature, essays, and research papers for persuasion and convincing purposes.

Examples of Evidence in Literature

Example #1: the bluest eye (by tony morrison).

“I talk about how I did not plant the seeds too deeply, how it was the fault of the earth, our land, our town. I even think now that the land of the entire country was hostile to marigolds that year. This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live.”

Morrison evidently analyzes the environment, as it has powerful effects on people. She provides strong evidence that that the Earth itself is not fertile for the marigold seeds. Likewise, people also cannot survive in an unfriendly environment.

Example #2: The Color of Water Juliet (By James McBride)

” ‘…while she weebled and wobbled and leaned, she did not fall. She responded with speed and motion. She would not stop moving.’ As she biked, walked, rode the bus all over the city, ‘she kept moving as if her life depended on it, which in some ways it did. She ran, as she had done most of her life, but this time she was running for her own sanity.’ “

McBride supports his arguments and understanding of a mother as an individual who keeps moving in her life and does not stop to think about what is happening and why something is happening. Since the movement offers a solution, which though temporary, preserves her sanity.

Example #3: Educational Paragraph (By Anonymous)

An effective use of evidence in a quotation:

“Today, Americans are too self-centered. Even our families don’t matter as much anymore as they once did. Other people and activities take precedence. In fact, the evidence shows that most American families no longer eat together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Sit-down meals are time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become less valued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting self-centeredness over group identity.”

This is a best example of evidence, since the evidence is effectively incorporated into the text, as the author makes the link between her claim (question) and the evidence (logic), which is powerful.

Function of Evidence

When writing something about literature, or writing about a particular text, a writer needs to strengthen his discussion by providing powerful answers from the text as evidence of the questions he raises. It is not enough to just simply drop in quotations around the text and expect their relevance and importance of his arguments to be self-evident.

The fact is that simply making a claim and making an argument does nothing to convince the audience . The audience will only believe what the writer or the speaker has to say if he proffers strong evidence to back up his arguments. Therefore, evidence not only helps the writer convince his readers, but also persuades them to feel sympathy , or to support his argument. Mostly political speakers, research writers, and editorial writers use evidence extensively to turn public opinion for or against some issue.

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Essays on Literary Devices

Brief description of literary devices.

Literary devices are tools or techniques used by writers to convey meaning and create an impact on the reader. They add depth and richness to the text, and can include elements such as metaphor, simile, symbolism, and foreshadowing. Understanding literary devices is crucial for analyzing and interpreting literature, as they help readers uncover layers of meaning and appreciate the artistry of the writer.

Importance of Writing Essays on This Topic

Essays on literary devices are important for academic and personal exploration as they help students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. By examining how writers use literary devices to convey their ideas, students can gain a deeper understanding of the text and become more adept at expressing their own thoughts and interpretations. Writing essays on this topic also encourages creativity and fosters a love for literature.

Tips on Choosing a Good Topic

• Consider the literary work: Choose a topic that relates to a specific literary work you are passionate about.
• Analyze the impact: Look for topics that explore the significance of a particular literary device in a text and its effect on the overall meaning.
• Personal connection: Select a topic that resonates with you personally, as it will motivate you to delve deeper into the analysis.

Essay Topics

• The use of symbolism in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and its impact on the story.
• How irony is employed in "The Catcher in the Rye" to convey the protagonist's disillusionment.
• The effectiveness of foreshadowing in "Macbeth" in creating suspense and tension.
• The role of allegory in "Animal Farm" and its relevance to modern society.
• A comparison of the use of imagery in the poetry of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
• Analyzing the differing approaches to character development in the novels of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë.

Concluding Thought

Exploring literary devices through essay writing offers a unique opportunity to engage with literature at a deeper level. By delving into the intricacies of how writers use these devices to convey their ideas, students can develop a richer understanding and appreciation of the art of storytelling. Happy writing!

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Analysis of literary devices in the black walnut tree, robert frost's use of literary devices in fire and ice, remarque’s use of literary devices in "all quiet on the western front", postmodernism and metafiction in slaughterhouse five: analysis of literary devices, analysis of imagery and other literary devices in dover beach, literary analysis of "frostbitten faithlessness", literary analysis of in the time of the butterflies by julia alvarez, the use similes, strong irony, and imagery in "the tell-tale heart", the reflection of war in mahabharata, use of figurative language in daffodils by william wordsworth, literary analysis of dickinson’s i felt a funeral, in my brain, moving toward the destination: an analysis of stephen vizinczey's "elephant", literary analysis of twelve angry men by reginald rose, claude mckay’s political message in if we must die, deconstructing the poem legal alien by pat mora, the use of imagery, metaphors, and similes in 'dover beach', symbolism in the flowers by alice walker, macabre imagery in 'the lowest animal' by mark twain, analysis of rab bradbury’s use of literary elements in fahrenheit 451, relevant topics.

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LITERARY DEVICES

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The Use Of Literary Devices In Literature Research Papers Example

Type of paper: Research Paper

Topic: Psychology , The Reader , Actions , Sound , Novel , Writing , Character , Literature

Words: 2000

Published: 03/07/2020

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Classic English Literature: Research Paper

The writers and poets use different literary devices and literary techniques to convey their message. The literary device is thus a way of conveying a message by the writer. The literary devices interconnect the literary techniques and literary elements with each other as an essential part of the literature. In this research paper, an analysis of the literary devices used in literature shall be carried out with a view to understanding their usage and relevance to the writing of literature. More often, the writers use the term literary devices for referring to the typical structure in their written work in order to convey their message to the audience in the most simple and understandable manner. The proper use of the literary devices helps the reader to understand, appreciate, interpret and analyze a given literary work. Writers use literary devices in two manners that can be regarded as the literary elements or literary techniques. Both literary elements and literary techniques have definitions that can explain more about them: - - Literary Elements: Literary elements have a traditional place in any work of literature and are often employed by the writer to write a piece of literature such as narrative structure, plot, mood, setting, theme and moral. The writer uses the literary elements in a professional way to write a professional piece of literature. Different literary elements include: - - Plot: It is the rational arrangement of proceedings that progress the story and makes it an understandable piece of literature. The plot is the crux of the story and lays down the outline for progress of the literature. - Setting: It is related to the time and place of the plot or the story. The place and time matters as it connects the reader emotionally and mentally with the particular time and place in the history. - Antagonist: The character in the literature that has a conflict with the protagonist such as the character of Claudius in the Hamlet by Shakespeare. He is the villain of the story. - Protagonist: He is the main character of the play, story or the novel such as the character of Hamlet in the Hamlet by Shakespeare. He is the hero of the story who always embraces success and wins the love of life. - Narrator: He is a person who narrates the story to the reader, and the story is written in the first person from narrator’s point of view. Narrator himself is not the part of the picture being discussed; rather, the narrator sees the picture being developed and narrates the story along with the development of the story. - Narrative Method: It is the way the narrative is presented to the reader, and it comprises plot and setting. It may be a direct presentation or may be an indirect presentation. - Dialogue: Dialogue is the part of the literature where different characters of the play or novel speak to one another. Basing on the dialogue, the story develops further. - Conflict: It is related to the issue or the idea around which the whole story of the novel or play revolves. It may be the love of the lady or the attraction of wealth that creates the conflict and carries the story forward. - Mood: Mood is the general environment of the narrative of the play or novel and it depicts the condition of characters in the play. - Theme: Theme is the central concept or idea of the story and the story of the play or novel is built on the theme of the novel or play. - Literary Techniques: Literary techniques differ greatly from the literary elements. These are the structures comprising a word or phrase as part of the text in the literature that, a writer uses to achieve an artistic end to the sentence or paragraph or literature. It also enhances the reader’s understanding of the literature. Examples of the literary techniques are the allegory, hyperbole, simile and alliteration, etc. The literary techniques are not essential part of the literature and may not form part of the literature. Commonly used literary techniques include allegory, imagery, personification, alliteration, simile and metaphor, hyperbole, irony, tragedy, foreshadowing, assonance and euphemism. Details as under: - - Allegory: It is a literary technique used for changing an abstract idea into a character, event or action. It is a symbolism mechanism through which the meaning of greater and raw concept is conveyed to the reader through more clear objects or ideas by using them as an example. In the allegory, a rhetoric mechanism is used to present the idea via metaphoric examples. In the novel, “Animal Farm” the writer uses the actions of the animals to describe the overthrow of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and before Second World War, the end of communist revolution. - Imagery: Imagery is the use of metaphorical language to describe the actions, ideas and objects to the minds of the reader in such a manner that they attract the attention of the reader and appeal to his physical senses. In the literature, imagery is one of the strongest literary devices where the writer uses the phrases and words to make images on the minds of the readers. It helps readers to visualize the description of the writer in a more realistic way and understand the situation in a better way. The use of allusions, metaphors, descriptive words and similes in order to awake the readers mind and make him understand the concept through visualization of the situation is called imagery. Use of imagery is not confined to the visualization, but also includes the gustatory, tactile, thermal and auditory sensations, olfactory and kinesthetic. Examples of imagery, the simile is “as high as the sky” and “as quick as lightening.” Example of metaphor is “He is a race car.” The phrases compare two different things without the use of as and like. These words create the images on the mind of the reader that appeal to the human five senses of touch, see, hear, smell and taste. - Personification: The personification is one of the most commonly used literary devices. It gives an idea, a thing or an animal the human qualities. It attaches the human characteristics and traits with non-living phenomenon, animals and objects. The examples of personification are the wise owl, the comforting fire, the dancing flowers. - Alliteration: It refers to the creation of the same sound by the rhyming words coming out together such as she sells sea shells at the shore. It is a literary device where words are used one after the other in quick succession and starts with the letters that create the same sound. It may be a permanent sound or a vowel group as it involves the repetition of words with a similar sound in the same sentence. Alliteration happens when all words in a sentence begin with the same alphabet. Purpose of using alliteration is the addition of character and fun to the literature. - Simile and Metaphor: Simile and metaphor represent two different objects and compare them by drawing similarities between the two objects. Simile uses the words of as and like whereas the metaphor does not use any such words. Simile is one of the most used literary devices and refers to the practice of drawing comparisons between two different objects, people, places, concepts or things. A simile can add a lot of meanings to a simple word, and the reader understands the writer’s sentiments in a better way. Examples are, “James is an old fox very cunning” and “my love for you is the fragrance of the roses.” - Hyperbole: It is referred to like the extra exaggeration of incidents, events and actions so as to lay more emphasis on the action such as your bag weighs a ton, and I have got millions of problems to look after by myself. - Irony: It is a literary technique that uses words in a way which conveys the meanings totally opposite to their actual meaning, such as the bread are as soft as a stone, and it is so great of you to break my cup. - Tragedy. It is a part of the drama or play where the main character is brought to ruin or suffer extreme sorrows as a result of tragic flaw or moral weakness or the character’s inability to cope with the unfavorable circumstances in the play. - Foreshadowing: It regards the giving away of clues of incidents that will happen in the future as the story develops. The concept of foreshadowing creates anxiety and anticipation in the reader’s mind and, thus, brings further interest to the literature. - Assonance: It is the repetition of the same vowel sound in a phrase or the line of poetry. - Euphemism: It is resorting to the substitutions in order to avoid writing a blunt, harsh and offensive comment. Euphemism’s purpose is to make the statement politically acceptable to the audience. The literary devices are an assortment of collective creative structure used by the writers in writing of literature. The function of literary devices is to assist the writer in giving meanings and logical framework to their work through use of language. The readers while reading such literature automatically recognize the literary devices. The reader appreciates the use of literary devices at the right places for the depiction of the desired situation. The correct use of these literary devices absorbs the reader in the literature throughout the story and maintains the interest from the start till end. The universal use of these literary devices enables the reader to compare the work of different writers and thus grade them as per their standards of writing. The use of literary devices beautifies the literature and adds to the meaning and depth of the literature. It also tests the understanding and comprehension of the reader and keeps his mind busy in visualizing the situation depicted by the writer through use of subject literary devices. The literary devices used in a piece of literature help motivate the reader in continuing with the study of literature by attraction all his attention and keeping him tied with the book until finishing the piece of literature or the book. The success of a writer depends upon the maximum use of literary devices in the literature, and more use of literary devices enhances the standards of the literature and makes the writer more authentic and popular. The audience of the literature is always interested in reading something that fascinates their mind and keeps them busy mentally; therefore, the literature work with the use of literary devices will automatically attract more readers, and will sell more numbers of books. The literary devices add to the beauty of the literature. The more the numbers of literary devices used in a piece of literature, the more success the literature will have in attracting the number of readers. The literary devices are like additional beauty tips to the real piece of literature that increases its value and weight. The successful and well-read literature around the world is the one with maximum numbers of literary devices used by the author. Literary devices are an important part of the literature and are a big help to the writer in making the literature interesting. It is important for the upcoming writers to understand the correct use of literary devices if they want to be successful and famous writers. Understanding the correct use of literary devices by the readers is also important in order to assess the quality of the literature.

Works Cited

Village Christian. Literary Terms for AP English Literature.2014. Print. Literary Devices. Home of Literary devices. Definition and Examples of Literary Terms. 2014. Web. 14 August. 2014. Peter Childs and Roger Fowler. The Routledge Dictionary of Literary Terms. 1987. Print. M. H. Abrams. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 1999. Web. 14 August. 2014. Roan Estate. Literary Analysis: Using Elements of Literature. 2014. Web. 14 August. 2014.

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: researchagent: iterative research idea generation over scientific literature with large language models.

Abstract: Scientific Research, vital for improving human life, is hindered by its inherent complexity, slow pace, and the need for specialized experts. To enhance its productivity, we propose a ResearchAgent, a large language model-powered research idea writing agent, which automatically generates problems, methods, and experiment designs while iteratively refining them based on scientific literature. Specifically, starting with a core paper as the primary focus to generate ideas, our ResearchAgent is augmented not only with relevant publications through connecting information over an academic graph but also entities retrieved from an entity-centric knowledge store based on their underlying concepts, mined and shared across numerous papers. In addition, mirroring the human approach to iteratively improving ideas with peer discussions, we leverage multiple ReviewingAgents that provide reviews and feedback iteratively. Further, they are instantiated with human preference-aligned large language models whose criteria for evaluation are derived from actual human judgments. We experimentally validate our ResearchAgent on scientific publications across multiple disciplines, showcasing its effectiveness in generating novel, clear, and valid research ideas based on human and model-based evaluation results.

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