Literary devices (litcharts)

Acrostic

A piece of writing where a set of letters, typically the first letter of each line, spells out a significant word or phrase.

Allegory

A work that conveys a hidden meaning, often moral or political, through symbolic characters and events.

Alliteration

A figure of speech where the same sound repeats in a group of words, usually at the beginning of each word.

Allusion

An unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text, used to layer associations and meanings.

Anachronism

A person or thing placed in the wrong time period, often used to relate historical periods to modern audiences.

Anadiplosis

A figure of speech where a word or group of words at the end of one clause is repeated at the beginning of the next.

Analogy

A comparison that explains an idea by likening it to something else, highlighting similarities.

Anapest

A three-syllable metrical pattern in poetry with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.

Anaphora

A figure of speech where words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Antagonist

A character or force that opposes the protagonist in a story.

Antanaclasis

A figure of speech where a word is repeated in a sentence but with different meanings each time.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human characteristics to animals or non-human entities.

Antimetabole

A figure of speech where a phrase is repeated in reverse order.

Antithesis

A figure of speech that juxtaposes contrasting ideas within parallel grammatical structures.

Aphorism

A concise saying that expresses a moral principle or universal truth.

Aphorismus

A figure of speech questioning the appropriateness of a word's use in a situation.

Aporia

A rhetorical device expressing uncertainty or doubt to prove a point.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech where a speaker addresses someone or something that cannot respond.

Assonance

A figure of speech where the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words.

Asyndeton

A figure of speech where conjunctions are omitted to create a more urgent or memorable effect.

Ballad

A type of poem that tells a story, often set to music, typically with a specific rhyme scheme.

Ballade

A form of lyric poetry with a strict rhyme scheme and a specific structure.

Bildungsroman

A genre of novel focusing on a young protagonist's journey to maturity.

Blank Verse

Poetry that lacks rhyme but follows a specific meter, usually iambic pentameter.

Cacophony

A combination of harsh-sounding words, often due to explosive consonants.

Caesura

A pause within a line of poetry, marked by punctuation.

Catharsis

The emotional release experienced by spectators during a dramatic tragedy.

Characterization

The representation of a character's traits, motives, and psychology in a narrative.

Chiasmus

A figure of speech where the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase.

Cinquain

A five-line stanza or poem with specific features.

Cliché

An overused phrase or idea that lacks originality.

Climax (Figure of Speech)

A figure of speech where elements are arranged in ascending order of importance.

Climax (Plot)

The central turning point of a story, marked by peak tension or conflict.

Colloquialism

The use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech.

Common Meter

A meter in lyric poetry alternating between lines of eight and six syllables.

Conceit

An elaborate metaphor making a far-fetched comparison between two things.

Connotation

The emotions and ideas suggested by a word beyond its literal meaning.

Consonance

A figure of speech where the same consonant sound repeats within a group of words.

Couplet

A unit of two lines of poetry that often rhyme.

Dactyl

A three-syllable metrical pattern with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

Denotation

The literal meaning or dictionary definition of a word.

Deus Ex Machina

A plot device where an unsolvable conflict is suddenly resolved by an implausible occurrence.

Diacope

A figure of speech where a word or phrase is repeated with a few intervening words.

Dialogue

The exchange of spoken words between characters in a written work.

Diction

A writer's choice and arrangement of words, contributing to their unique style.

Dramatic Irony

A plot device where the audience knows something that the characters do not.

Dynamic Character