English Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies for Analyzing Texts

diction

the deliberate selection of words in a text

denotation

the dictionary definition of a word

Syntax

sentence structure - the way words and phrases are arranged and punctuated

hyperbaton (AKA inverted syntax)

inversion of typical word order / sentence structure

asyndeton

omitting conjunctions in related phrases or clauses

polysyndeton

repeating conjunctions in successive phrases or clauses

connotation

the emotional and imaginative associations of a word

parallelism

using similar grammatical structures in multiple sentences or phrases to suggest a comparison or contrast

tone

the way the author feels about the subject of his/her work

mood

the reader feels when reading a text

stream of consciousness

a method of writing that describes what is happening as if capturing the flow of one's thoughts

circumlocution

a roundabout and vague manner of speech

periphrasis

using more words than necessary

equivocation

deliberately using vague language to hide the truth or avoid answering a question

colloquialism

informal language, typically slang, used in writing

dialect

language specific to an area or group of people

jargon

language specific to a profession or trade

imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the senses

repetition

using a word or phrase more than once for effect

anaphora

repetition of the beginning of successive phrases, sentences, or paragraphs

anadiplosis

when the end of one phrase, sentence, or paragraph begins the next one

epistrophe

repetition of the end of successive phrases, sentences, or paragraphs

antimetabole

when the words in one line are repeated in reverse order in the next line

irony

technique based on discrepancy and contrast

Verbal irony

a contrast between what is said and what is meant (sarcasm)

rhetorical question

a question that does not require an answer but is asked to call attention to something or make an impact

dramatic irony

a contrast between what the audience knows and what the characters know

situational irony

a contrast between what is expected and what really happens

simile

a comparison between unlike things using words 'like,' 'as,' or 'resembles'.

metaphor

Comparison between unlike things without using 'like,' 'as,' or 'resembles'.

analogy

a comparison of two concepts or ideas based on their relationships to other concepts or ideas.

personification

using human characteristics to describe non-human things (metaphorical/figurative).

anthropomorphism

when non-human things exhibit human characteristics (more literal than personification).

Zoomorphism

giving animal characteristics or attributes to non-animals.

oxymoron

using two contradictory words next to one another.

paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but still contains truth and makes sense.

hyperbole

a vast exaggeration.

understatement

a minimization of significance.

euphemism

a polite way of saying something taboo or unpleasant.

idiom

a common expression that has a figurative meaning that is different from the original, literal meaning.

cliché

an overused expression that has lost its power and novelty.

allusion

a reference to something or someone of significance.

pop culture

a reference to a person, place, or thing of cultural significance.

historical

a reference to a person, place, or thing of historical significance.

biblical

a reference to a person, place, or thing mentioned in the Bible.

mythological

a reference to a person, place, or thing from mythology.

literary

a reference to a person, place, or thing from literature.

Symbol

an object, character, figure, or color used to represent an abstract concept in a literary work.

emblem

an object that always represents the same concept, regardless of context.

motif

a recurring structure, contrast, phrase, emotion, or device that contributes to the development of a work's major theme.

metonymy

Substituting a word with something that word is conceptually and generally related to.

synecdoche

a form of metonymy where a part is used to refer to the whole.

pun

a play on words that typically hinges on a word with more than one meaning.