Literary Devices

9/12/25

Theme:

The central idea or message in a story or piece of writing

(e.g., "love," "friendship," or "courage").

Literary Devices:

A tool used by writers to enhance their writing, making it more engaging and meaningful

(e.g., metaphor, symbolism, imagery).

Metaphor:

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by saying one is the other

(e.g., "Time is a thief").

Simile:

A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"

(e.g., "She’s as busy as a bee").

Symbol

An object, character, or event that represents a larger idea or concept

(e.g., a dove representing peace).

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates vivid pictures in the reader’s mind

(e.g., "The golden sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange").

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things

(e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees").

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event that the reader is expected to know (e.g., mentioning "Pandora's box" to imply unexpected trouble).

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for emphasis or effect

(e.g., "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow").

Alliteration

The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of closely connected words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers").

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes

(e.g., "buzz," "clang," or "sizzle").

Tone

The author's attitude or feeling toward the subject or audience

(e.g., "serious," "humorous," or "angry").

Irony

A situation or statement where the opposite of what is expected happens or is said

(e.g., a fire station burns down).

Oxymoron

A phrase that combines two contradictory or opposite words to create a
new meaning (e.g., "jumbo shrimp" or "deafening silence").

Hyperbole

An exaggerated statement used to emphasize a point, not meant to be
taken literally (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").

Idiom

A common expression that has a meaning different from the literal
interpretation of the words

(e.g., "It's raining cats and dogs," meaning it's
raining heavily).

Meiosis

A presentation of a thing with underemphasis especially in order to
achieve a greater effect. An understatement to downplay.

Analogy

It compares two unalike things to advance an argument. Specifically, it
argues that two things have equal weight.

Juxtaposition

the placement of contrasting ideas next to each other, often to
produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect.

Paradox

is a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that, while seemingly
impossible, actually reveals a deeper truth.

Analogy

It compares two unalike things to advance an argument. Specifically, it
argues that two things have equal weight.

Motif

A motif is simply an important feature of a work of literature that gets
repeated across that work.