literary devices

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities to convey a larger message.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words close together.

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known person, event, text, or work of art.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things to clarify or explain an idea.

Apostrophe

Direct address to an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object.

Approximate Rhyme / Slant Rhyme

Words with similar but not identical sounds.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words close together.

Conceit

An extended, elaborate, or surprising metaphor, often intellectual or unconventional.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

An author’s choice of words and phrasing.

Elegy

A poem or work that mourns the dead or reflects on loss.

Eulogy

A speech or piece of writing praising someone, usually after death.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered harsh or unpleasant.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed over multiple lines or throughout a work.

Extended Simile

A simile sustained and developed over several lines or ideas.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another to highlight traits.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses.

Irony (Verbal)

Saying one thing but meaning another.

Irony (Dramatic)

When the audience knows something the characters do not.

Irony (Situational) – A contrast between expected and actual outcomes.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting elements side by side to highlight differences.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using like or as, AKA directly compares two unlike things by stating one is the other

Metonymy

Substituting something closely associated with an object or idea for the thing itself.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds.

Oxymoron

A phrase combining contradictory terms.

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

Parallelism

Repetition of grammatical structures for balance and emphasis.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told.

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize human flaws or society.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

Simile

A comparison using like or as.

Symbol

An object, character, or event that represents a larger idea.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part.

Synesthesia

Describing one sense in terms of another.

Syntax

The arrangement and order of words and sentences.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Understatement

Deliberately minimizing the importance or intensity of something.