50 Literary Devices (Definitions)

Flashcards designed to help students learn and memorize important literary devices and their definitions.

alliteration

The repetition of the first sound in words.

allusion

A reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.

assonance

Vowels are repeated in words that are close to each other.

anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things.

simile

Comparing two unlike things usually formed with 'like' or 'as'.

hyperbole

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor.

imagery

When the writer or speaker uses descriptions to access the senses of the reader or listener.

consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words.

enjambment

When the writer uses line breaks meaningfully and abruptly to either emphasize a point or create dual meanings.

repetition

When the writer or speaker knowingly repeats a word or group of words for effect.

rhyme

When the end or final sound of two or more words are identical.

rhythm

When the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud.

onomatopoeia

When the words sound like what they mean.

idiom

An accepted phrase or expression having a meaning different from the literal.

personification

Representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature.

meter

A pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in poetry.

end rhyme

Rhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry.

allegory

A story, play, or picture in which characters or settings are used as symbols or abstract ideas.

slant rhyme

Two words that have some sound in common but do not rhyme exactly.

tone

The attitude a writer takes towards a subject, character, or the reader.

internal rhyme

Rhyme that occurs within a line, rather than at the end.

diction

A writer's or speaker's choice of words.

oxymoron

An expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined.

cacophony

Loud, harsh, or disagreeable sounds.

blank verse

Poetic form written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

free verse

Poetic form that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme.

ballad

A type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature.

colloquial language

Informal language; language that is 'conversational'.

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.

elegy

A sad or mournful poem, especially one mourning the dead.

irony

A contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.

foil

Two characters that highlight each other by their differences.

foreshadowing

The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot.

juxtaposition

Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.

lyric

A short poem of songlike quality.

monologue

A speech made by one actor or speaker.

ode

A poem usually addressed to a particular person, object, or event that has stimulated deep and noble feelings in the poet.

paradox

An apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth.

pun

A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings.

rhetorical question

A question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer.

sarcasm

Harsh words intended to hurt someone.

satire

A literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision.

symbol

Something that stands for or represents something else.

understatement

Saying less than one means, for effect.

wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.

stream of consciousness

A style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind.

sonnet

Fourteen-line poem that is usually written in iambic pentameter and has one of several rhyme schemes.

epiphany

A moment of sudden realization or insight.

epitaph

An inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there.

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by a literary work.