Literary Devices

Syntax

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses and sentences. It is sentence structure and how it influences the way a reader perceives a piece of writing.

Repetition

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Cumulation

Using many similar words in a short space is cumulation and can give weight to the idea being expressed.

Alliteration

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Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence

Epistrophe

A word or phrase repeated at the end of consecutive liens

Parallelism

Words placed side by side in a similar form.

Understatement

The ironic minimising of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is.

Expletives

Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive (in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed etc)

Invective

Emotionally violent or verbal denunciation/attack using strong abusive langauge

Tone

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Undertone

An attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece. Under a cheery surface, for example, a work may have threatening undertones.

Colloquial language

Informal or everyday language.

Inclusive language

Aims to directly address the reader, either personally or as a member of a shared group. Involves using words such as us, we, you, our

Synthetic personalization

The process of addressing mass audiences as though they were individuals through inclusive language usage. This is often done through second person in advertisements.

Diction (word choice)

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Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

Denotation

The actual meaning of the word

Euphemism

A more acceptable or usually a more acceptable way of saying something uncomfortable

Lexical cluster

Words pertaining to a particular group or idea.

Ambiguity

Use of language in which multiple meanings are possible.

Analogy

Comparing one situation to another. For example comparing the game of football to war

Hyperbole

Completely overstating and exaggerating your point for effect

Imagery

Sensory details in word; the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, call to mind an idea, or describe an object. Imagery involves ANY of the five senses

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparision of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

Metonymy

The name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it (white house instead of the president)

Symbol/symbolism

Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else.

Synecdoche

A type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, (Farmer Joe has three hired hands = three people helping him)

Hypophora

Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker (When the enemy struck on that June day of 1950, what did America do? It did what it always has done in all its times of peril. It appealed to the heroism of its youth)

Antithesis

The presentation of two contrasting ideas. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs (to be or not to be)

Asyndeton

Not using a conjuction such as “and” or “as” in a series of related clauses (I came, I saw, I conquered)

Polysyndeton

A figure of speech in which several conjunctions are used to join connected clauses in places where they are not contextually necessary (the dinner was so good, I ate the chicken, and the salad, and the turkey, and the rice…)

Juxtaposition

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Epistrophe

A figure of speech that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences (opposite of anaphora)

Tricolon

A rhetorical term for a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses

Rule of three

A writing idea based on the idea that humans process information through pattern recognition. As the smallest number that allows us to recognise a pattern in a set, three can help us create memorable phrases.