English literary devices

Alliteration

Repetition of the same sound (usually consonants) at the beginning of words. Example: 'She sells seashells by the seashore.'

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

Caesura

A pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation. Example: 'To be, or not to be—that is the question.'

Enjambment

When a sentence continues onto the next line without pause. Example: Shakespeare Sonnet 18 'Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer's lease hath all too short a date.'

Metaphor

Comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

Simile

Comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

Meter

The rhythmic structure of a poem, based on beats per line. Example: Iambic pentameter in Shakespeare's sonnets.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds. Example: 'Buzz,' 'gurgle,' 'bang.'

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines. Example: ABAB, AABB, ABCB.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, often separated by spacing. Example: A quatrain = 4 lines.

Symbolism

Using symbols to represent deeper meanings or abstract ideas. Example: A dove = peace.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences. Example: 'I have a dream that one day… I have a dream that all…'

Epiphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of sentences. Example: 'We will all travel the miles together, we will create our future together.'

Triad

Three words used to describe the same phenomenon. Example: 'Blood, sweat and tears.'

Couplet

Two consecutive rhyming lines. Example: 'Once I saw a cat / The cat wore a black hat.'

Eye Rhyme

Words that look like they rhyme in spelling but do not in sound. Example: Love/move, meat/great.

Half Rhyme

Almost a rhyme, but not exact. Example: Flesh/flash, push/posh.

Tone

The attitude or mood of a text. Example: Sad, hopeful, angry, joyful.

Cliché

An overused expression or idea. Example: 'Only time will tell.'

Mood

The emotional atmosphere of a text. Example: A horror story might create a fearful mood.

Narratee

The character within the story to whom it is told. Example: A sailor listening in a framed story.

Narrator

The voice telling the story. Example: Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby.

Surface Story

The literal storyline of a text. Example: In Animal Farm - farm animals overthrow humans.

Underlying Story

The deeper meaning or message behind the text. Example: In Animal Farm - an allegory about the Russian Revolution.