Literary Devices and Terms for Analyzing Texts

Allusion

An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.

Alter-ego

A character that is used by the author to speak the author's own thoughts; when an author speaks directly to the audience through a character.

Anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode. Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or nonfictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.

Classicism

Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures.

Comic relief

When a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood somewhat.

Diction

Word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects on meaning.

Colloquial

Ordinary or familiar type of conversation. A 'colloquialism' is a common or familiar type of saying, similar to an adage or an aphorism.

Connotation

Rather than the dictionary definition (denotation), the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.

Jargon

The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.

Vernacular

1. Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech.

Didactic

A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.

Adage

A folk saying with a lesson. 'A rolling stone gathers no moss.' Similar to aphorism and colloquialism.

Allegory

A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts.

Aphorism

A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle.

Ellipsis

The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.

Euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.

Physically challenged

In place of 'crippled.'

Vertically challenged

In place of 'short.'

Figurative Language

Writing that is not meant to be taken literally.

Literal Language

Writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value.

Analogy

A comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration.

Idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

Metaphor

Making an implied comparison, not using 'like,' 'as,' or other such words.

Extended metaphor

When the metaphor is continued later in the written work.

Conceit

A particularly elaborate extended metaphor.

Metonymy

Replacing an actual word or idea with a related word or concept.

Synecdoche

A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa.

Simile

Using words such as 'like' or 'as' to make a direct comparison between two very different things.

Synesthesia

A description involving a 'crossing of the senses.'

Personification

Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human.

Foreshadowing

When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits.

Gothic

Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death.

Imagery

Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind.

Invective

A long, emotionally violent attack using strong, abusive language.

Irony

When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.

Verbal irony

When you say something and mean the opposite or something different.

Sarcasm

If your voice tone is bitter, it's called sarcasm.

Dramatic irony

When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out.

Situational irony

Found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie, sometimes making you laugh because it's funny how things turn out.

Juxtaposition

Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.

Mood

The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction).

Syntax

Often a creator of mood since word order, sentence length and strength and complexity also affect pacing and therefore mood.

Motif

A recurring idea in a piece of literature.

Oxymoron

When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox.

Pacing

The speed or tempo of an author's writing.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.

Parallelism

Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.

Chiasmus

When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.

Antithesis

Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.

Parenthetical Idea

Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence.

Aside

A whisper that should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly.

Parody

An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes that borrows words or phrases from an original and pokes fun at it.

Persona

The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.

Poetic device

A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.

Assonance

The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.

Consonance

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words.

Onomatopoeia

The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.

Polysyndeton

When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions.

Pun

When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.

Rhetorical Question

A question not asked for information but for effect.

Romanticism

Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature.

Satire

A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect.

Appositive

A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning.

Balanced sentence

A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale.

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Independent clause

Expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.

Dependent clause

Cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.

Compound sentence

Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses.

Complex sentence

Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Cumulative sentence

Begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.

Periodic sentence

The main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence; begins with subordinate elements.

Simple sentence

Contains only one independent clause.

Declarative sentence

States an idea; does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question.

Imperative sentence

Issues a command.

Interrogative sentence

Incorporates interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose).

Style

The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes.

Symbol

Anything that represents or stands for something else, usually something concrete representing something more abstract.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work.

Thesis

The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and organization.

Understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, presenting something as less significant than it is.

Litotes

A particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used.