Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies for Analyzing Texts

Allegory

a narrative that can be interpreted to reveal hidden truths, moral or political

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely related words

Allusion

to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly, indirect reference

Ambiguity

being open to more than one option

Anadiplosis

is the repetition of the last word of a preceding clause. "This, it seemed to him, was the end, the end of a world as he had known it..." (James Oliver Curwood).

Analogy

a comparison between 2 things

Anaphora

repeating words at the beginning of clauses for emphasis

Anecdote

a short, interesting story about a person or an incident

Antecedent

something that comes before something else

Antithesis

a thing that is the opposite of something else

Aphorism

an observation that contains a general truth

Apostrophe

a figure of speech where the speaker talks about something that is not there, imaginary, or personified abstraction.

Asyndeton

omitting the use of a conjunction between parts of a sentence

Atmosphere

emotions and feelings depicted through descriptions of objects and settings.

Chiasmus

where 2 clauses are balanced by using the reversal of their structures.

Clause

a grammatical unit containing a subject and a verb

Conduplicatio

repetition of a key word from the previous clause for the next clause

Colloquialism

informal words or expressions not typically accepted in formal writing

Coherence

logical connections between the text

Conceit

an extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage.

Connotation

implied or suggested meaning associated with a word beyond its actual meaning.

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word

Diction

the author's choice of words.

Didactic

intended to teach, specifically moral instruction as the main motive.

Enumeratio

a rhetorical device used for listing details or a process of amplification.

Expletive

a word/phrase added to fill out a sentence, add emphasis, usually unnecessary grammatically.

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

Exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

Extended metaphor

a comparison between two unrelated subjects that is developed over multiple lines, stanzas, or even an entire work, instead of just a single sentence.

Figurative language

the use of words and phrases beyond their literal meanings to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, and add layers of meaning to writing or speech.

Figure of speech

a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect.

Generic conventions

common, recognizable story elements—like character types, settings, plot points, themes, and symbols—that define and help classify a particular genre of literature, film, or other art form.

Genre

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Homily

a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction; a sermon.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Hypophora

rhetorical device where a speaker or writer asks a question and then immediately provides the answer.

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Inference

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

Irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect/ something that is known to the reader but not the characters

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Litotes

ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary

Loose sentence

a sentence that begins with its main (independent) clause and then continues to add modifying phrases or subordinate clauses that develop or elaborate on the main idea

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing.

Mood

a temporary state of mind or feeling (a suggestion of it in writing)

Narrative

a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

Onomatopoeia

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ).

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).

Paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Parallelism

the state of being parallel or of corresponding in some way/the use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose which correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc.

Parody

an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Pedantic

of or like a pedant (a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.)

Periodic sentence

a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause

Personification

giving human characteristics to non-human things.

Polysyndeton

the deliberate use of many conjunctions

Point of view

the perspective from which the story is told.

Predicate adjective

an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the subject.

Predicate nominative

A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject.

Prose

written or spoken in normal form, without metrical structure.

Repetition

repeated use of words for emphasis

Rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing

Rhetorical question

Sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

Satire

use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose flaws.

Semantics

the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning

Style

the way an author expresses ideas through word choice, literary devices, and sentence structure.

Subject complement

a word or group of words that follows a linking verb to identify or describe the subject of a sentence

Subordinate clause

a clause, typically introduced by a conjunction, that forms part of and is dependent on a main clause (e.g., "when it rang" in "she answered the phone when it rang").

Syllogism

an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion (e.g., all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs ).

Symbolism

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole.

Syntax

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

Theme

central topic or idea seen throughout the text.

Thesis

a statement or theory that is made to summarize the entire text that is maintained or proved.

Tone

the author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

Transition

a word or phrase that links different ideas.

Understatement

a figure of speech that makes something important look less important

Undertone

an implied meaning or feeling.

Wit

intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.