Literary Devices and Tone

Figurative Language

Writing or speech not meant to be taken literally.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

Euphemism

Substituting an agreeable expression for one that may suggest something unpleasant.

Hyperbole

A deliberate exaggeration or overstatement for comic effect.

Idiomatic Expression

A phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from its literal words.

Imagery

Descriptive language used to create word pictures for readers.

Verbal Irony

A contrast between what is said versus what is meant.

Dramatic Irony

A contradiction between what an audience knows versus what a character knows.

Situational Irony

When an outcome contradicts character or situation expectations.

Metaphor

A direct comparison calling something something else without using 'like' or 'as'.

Metonymy

Replacing an object's name with a closely related word or concept.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two opposite words.

Paradox

A contradictory statement that is actually true.

Personification

Giving human characteristics to a non-human entity.

Simile

A direct comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Symbolism

Representing abstract qualities or ideas using symbols or objects.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.

Tone

The author's attitude towards the subject or audience.

Mood

The emotional response that the writer wishes to evoke in the reader.

Connotation

The feeling or emotional association associated with a word.

Denotation

The literal and objective meaning of a word.

Diction

The specific words the author chooses to contribute to the effectiveness of the writing.

Topic

What the text is about, expressed in a couple of words.