English Literary Devices

alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds (found at the beginning of the words)

Allusion

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art to enhance the meaning of a piece of writing

diction

word choice

end rhyme

a word at the end of one line rhymes with a word at the end of another line

foil characters

two characters that contrast each other

foreshadowing

where an author hints at or suggests future events that will occur later in the story

hyperbole

figurative language that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

imagery

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

internal rhyme

a poetic device in which a word in the middle of a line rhymes with a word at the end of the same metrical line

dramatic irony

occurs when the audience is aware of information that one or more characters in the story are not

situational irony

occurs when a situation develops in a way that is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate

verbal irony

when a speaker or writer says one thing but means the opposite

metaphor

a comparison of two unlike things without using the word like or as

monologue

a prolonged speech given by a single character, often expressing their thoughts, feelings, or ideas

mood

how the reader feels about the text while reading. Created by the author for the reader

onomatopoeia

a word that imitates the sound it represents

oxymoron

two contradictory terms are used side-by-side to create a specific effect or reveal a deeper meaning

Pun

a play on words. It exploits multiple meanings of a word or similar sounds for humor or language choices by author

rhyme scheme

a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem

rhyming couplet

a pair of successive lines that rhyme

sibilance

repetition of ‘s’ sounds

soliloquy

a speech delivered by a character in a play, typically when alone on stage, where they express their inner thoughts and feelings directly to the audience

symbolism

a technique where authors use objects, people, places, or ideas to represent something else beyond their literal meaning

tone

attitudes of the author that are revealed by their language choices