AP LIT Literary Devices

Figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Allusion example

If he's not careful, his love life could end up like Romeo and Juliet's.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

Apostrophe example

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole example

I've told you a million times.

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Imagery example

He could see the boy through streaked glass, flashing with sunlight, blurring his vision.

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Metaphor example

The snow is a white blanket.

Extended Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.

Extended metaphor example

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

they have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,"

Personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Personification example

The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.

The ocean danced in the moonlight.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Simile example

your eyes twinkle like the stars

Sentence Types

There are four sentence types. You can remember them by the acronym I-DIE.

Declarative

Makes a statement. Ends in a period.

→ I am going to the doctor.

Exclamatory

Says something with emotion. Ends in an exclamation mark.

→ Stop, thief!

Imperative

Gives a command. Can end in a period or an exclamation mark.

→ Do not touch the wall.

Interrogative

Asks a question. Ends in a question mark.

→ Where are you going?

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

Anaphora example

My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.

Asyndeton

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Asyndeton example

On his return he received medals, honors, treasures, titles, fame.

Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions

Polysyndeton example

We lived and laughed and loved and left.

Ellipses

deliberate omission of a word or of words which are readily implied by the context

Ellipses example

Some people go to church to pray; others, to think.

Inversion

inverted order of words in a sentence (variation of the subject-verb-object order). Used to change emphasis.

Inversion example

Strong he was.

Loose sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.

Loose sentence example

Florida is a great vacation spot for families, with Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World.

Periodic sentence

A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end.

Periodic sentence example

In spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.

Parallelism

Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other

Parallelism example

like father, like son

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Oxymoron example

jumbo shrimp

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

Juxtaposition example

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

Paradox example

Winners know how to lose.

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Antithesis example

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Absolute diction/Absolutes/Superlatives

a word free from limitations or qualifications ("always," "never," "everyone," "perfect")

Dialect

a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group

Dialect example

coke vs. pop, lift vs. elevator, torch vs. flashlight

Imperative tone

commanding tone

Imperative tone example

Stop talking and listen.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Irony example

A marriage counselor filed for divorce.

Litotes

An understatement usually through a form of negation

Litote example

She was not unmindful

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Symbolism example

The dove is a symbol of peace.