English Literary Devices (paper 1)

Visual Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight.

Auditory Imagery

Language that appeals to the sense of hearing.

Olfactory Imagery

Language that appeals to the sense of smell.

Gustatory Imagery

Language that appeals to the sense of taste.

Tactile Imagery

Language that appeals to the sense of touch.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'Her smile was as bright as the sun').

Metaphor

A direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'Time is a thief').

Personification

Giving human characteristics to non-human entities (e.g., 'The wind whispered through the trees').

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., 'I’ve told you a million times').

Understatement

Deliberately making a situation seem less important than it is (e.g., 'It’s just a scratch' when referring to a large dent).

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (e.g., 'bittersweet').

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., 'Less is more').

Alliteration

Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words (e.g., 'She sells seashells by the seashore').

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words (e.g., 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain').

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (e.g., 'The lumpy, bumpy road').

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds (e.g., 'buzz,' 'bang,' 'sizzle').

Rhyme

Repetition of similar sounding words, often at the end of lines in poetry.

Meter

The rhythmic structure of lines in a poem, determined by the number of syllables and the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Sentence Structure

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex).

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures to create rhythm and balance (e.g., 'She likes cooking, jogging, and reading').

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (e.g., 'I have a dream…').

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which words or concepts are repeated in reverse order (e.g., 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country').

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas, characters, or settings close together to highlight their differences.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break in poetry.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience (e.g., sarcastic, solemn, playful).

Mood

The emotional atmosphere created by a text, influencing how the reader feels (e.g., tense, melancholic, joyful).

First Person

The narrator is a character in the story, using 'I' or 'we.'

Second Person

The narrator addresses the reader directly using 'you.'

Third Person Limited

The narrator is outside the story but focuses on the thoughts and feelings of one character.

Third Person Omniscient

The narrator is outside the story and knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Symbol

An object, person, or event that represents a larger idea or concept (e.g., a dove symbolizing peace).

Motif

A recurring element, such as an image, theme, or idea, that has symbolic significance in a text.

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing but meaning the opposite (e.g., 'What a beautiful day!' during a storm).

Situational Irony

A situation where the outcome is different from what was expected (e.g., a fire station burning down).

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that the characters do not (e.g., in a horror movie, the audience knows the killer is in the house, but the character does not).

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, event, place, or work of art (e.g., 'He has the patience of Job').

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression used by the author (e.g., formal, informal, colloquial).

Connotation

The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word (e.g., 'home' vs. 'house').

Denotation

The literal or dictionary definition of a word.

Ethos

An appeal to ethics or credibility (e.g., 'As a doctor, I recommend this treatment').

Pathos

An appeal to emotions (e.g., 'Think of the children who suffer every day').

Logos

An appeal to logic or reason (e.g., 'Studies show that this method is effective').

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer (e.g., 'Isn’t it time for a change?').

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present action to depict an earlier event.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

Stream of Consciousness

A narrative technique that presents thoughts and feelings as they occur in a character’s mind.

Direct Characterization

The author explicitly describes a character’s traits.

Indirect Characterization

The author reveals a character’s traits through their actions, speech, thoughts, and interactions with others.

Theme

The central idea or message of a text, often a universal truth or commentary on life (e.g., 'The struggle for identity').

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt (e.g., 'passed away' instead of 'died').

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose societal flaws.

Pun

A play on words that produces a humorous effect by using a word that suggests two or more meanings (e.g., 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana').

Repetition

The repeated use of words, phrases, or structures for emphasis or effect.

Refrain

A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song.

Caesura

A pause or break in a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

Soliloquy

A speech in a play where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, often alone on stage.

Monologue

A long speech by one character in a play or story.

Aside

A remark made by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

Modernism

A literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by a break with traditional forms and a focus on individual experience.

Postmodernism

A literary movement that emerged after World War II, characterized by skepticism, fragmentation, and a focus on the nature of reality.

Romanticism

A literary movement that emphasized emotion, nature, and individualism, often in reaction to industrialization.

Historical Context

The historical events, social conditions, and cultural attitudes that influence a text.

Cultural Context

The cultural beliefs, values, and practices that influence a text.

Intertextuality

The relationship between texts, where one text references or is influenced by another.