Literary Devices

allegory

A narrative that uses symbolic figures and actions to convey a deeper moral or spiritual meaning.

alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words.

allusion

An indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.

anapest

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.

antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character, or protagonist.

apostrophe

A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.

aside

A dramatic device where a character speaks to the audience, revealing thoughts and feelings, not meant to be heard by other characters.

aubade

A poem or piece of music appropriate to the dawn or early morning.

ballad

A form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that tells a story.

blank verse

Unrhymed verse written in iambic pentameter.

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

caesura

A pause in a line of poetry, often occurring in the middle.

catharsis

The emotional release or purging that occurs through art or literature.

character

A person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work.

climax

The most intense or decisive point of a story, usually the turning point.

comic relief

A humorous scene or passage that provides relief from the tension of a serious situation.

conflict

The struggle between opposing forces in a story, which drives the plot.

connotation

The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word, beyond its literal meaning.

convention

An accepted practice or custom in literature or art.

couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter.

dactyl

A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word.

denouement

The final resolution or outcome of the story's plot.

diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

elegy

A mournful poem or song, typically lamenting the loss of someone.

deus ex machina

A plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved with an unexpected intervention.

dramatic monologue

A poem in which a single speaker addresses a silent audience, revealing emotions and thoughts.

enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.

epic

A long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of heroic figures.

epigram

A brief, witty, and often paradoxical statement.

euphony

Pleasant, harmonious sound in language.

exposition

The introduction of background information within a story.

fable

A short tale, often with animals as characters, that conveys a moral lesson.

flashback

A scene that interrupts the chronological flow of a narrative to present events from the past.

foot

The basic unit of measurement of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech to convey meaning or to achieve a special effect.

foreshadowing

A literary device that gives an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

form

The structure or organization of a literary work.

free verse

Poetry that does not adhere to a specific meter or rhyme scheme.

hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Iamb

A metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable.

idyll

A simple descriptive work in poetry or prose about peaceful or picturesque scenes or events.

image

A figurative description of a person or object that appeals to the senses.

imagery

Descriptive language that evokes sensory experience.

impressionism

A literary style that seeks to give an impression of a character or event.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting the absurd or unexpected.

lyric poetry

A poetic form expressing personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical style.

magic realism

A literary genre in which magical elements are a natural part of an otherwise mundane, realistic environment.

metaphor

A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things.

meter

The structured rhythm of a poem, determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.

metaphysical poetry

Poetry that explores complex philosophical ideas, often using metaphors.

metonymy

A figure of speech in which one term is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.

monologue

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

motif

A recurring thematic element or idea in a literary work.

narrator

The voice telling the story in a narrative work.

narrative poem

A poem that tells a story, often with a plot and characters.

octave

A stanza consisting of eight lines.

ode

A formal, often lengthy lyric poem that addresses a serious theme.

onomatopeia

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear together.

parable

A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth.

parallelism

The use of similar grammatical constructions to express related ideas.

parody

A humorous or satirical imitation of a literary work.

pathos

A quality that evokes pity or sadness.

personification

The attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities.

plot

The sequence of events that make up a story.

point of view

The perspective from which a story is told.

protagonist

The main character in a story, often facing a conflict.

quatrain

A stanza of four lines.

resolution

The part of a story where the problem is resolved.

rhetorical question

A question posed for effect rather than requiring an answer.

rhyme/rime

The correspondence of sound between words, especially at the end of lines.

rhythm

The pattern of sounds in poetry, created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.

rhyme scheme

The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines of a poem.

romanticism

An artistic and intellectual movement emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature.

satire

A genre of literature that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock.

scansion

The analysis of a poem's meter by breaking down its rhythm.

sestet

A stanza of six lines, often used in sonnets.

sestina

A complex form of poetry consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by a three-line conclusion.

setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, often while alone.

sonnet

A poetic form consisting of 14 lines, usually with a specific rhyme scheme.

spondee

A metrical foot consisting of two stressed syllables.

stage directions

Instructions in a script of a play that indicate movement, position, or tone.

stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, often set apart by a space.

structure

The arrangement of and relations between the parts of a literary work.

style

The distinctive way in which an author expresses their thoughts through language.

subplot

A secondary, minor plot that relates to the main plot.

subtext

The underlying or implicit meaning in a piece of literature.

symbol

An object, character, figure, or color that is used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent a whole.

syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

tercet

A stanza of three lines.

theme

The central topic, subject, or message within a narrative.

tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or the audience.

tragic hero

A protagonist with a fatal flaw that inevitably leads to their downfall.

trochee

A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.

understatement

A figure of speech in which a writer deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.