English 12 - Literary Devices

Literary Devices for Mrs. Ramirez

Allegory

Form of writing that uses fictional characters and events to symbolically represent a deeper meanings, usually moral or political message

Alliteration

Repetition of similar sounds or letters at the beginning of words

Allusion

Reference to something with which most people are familiar, either historical event, Bible, myth, or literature

Analogy

Comparison of ideas or objects that are essentially different, but similar in 1 significant way

Anaphora

The repetition of the same phrase at the beginning of sentences or line

Anecdotal evidence

A form of evidence that is often informal and takes the form of heresay or stories to prove a point

Anti-climax

Outcome to a situation that by contrast to what was anticipated, is disappointing, or even ridiculous

Antithesis

Placing contrasting elements side by side in parallel structure

Apostrophe

Figure of speech in which speaker addresses an inanimate object as if it were alive

Archaic language

Words and language structures that have become outdated and no longer used in common speech

Aside

Techniques in drama where a character speaks directly to the audience

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds

Ballad

Song or poem that is a narrative / story

Bias

Unfair preference or dislike of something / someone

Blank verse

Form of poetry that is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter: has 10 syllables per line that go up and down

Caesura

The brief pause or stop in the middle of a line of poetry, denoted by punctuation

Cacophony

Harsh, unpleasant, discordant sounds

Catatrasphone

In a drama, the concluding action following the climax that contains the resolution of the plot (usually tragedy)

Cause and effect

Organizing information by problem, cause, and outcomes

Chiasmus

When the second part of the phrase mirrors the first in reverse

Ex: Fair is fine and fine is fair

Chronological

Story presented in order from beginning to end

Climatic order

Ordering information from least important to most important

Cliche

Saying that has become overused

Climax

High point of tension or suspense; turning point in the story

Colloquialism

Way of expression that is informal or confined to a particular region

Comic Relief

Comic episode or element that lifts a heavy mood in an otherwise serious play or situation

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds near to each other in a line of poetry

Connotation

Emotional meaning attached to a word

Couplet

Two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are usually of equal length

Denotation

Dictionary definition of a word

Denouncement

Series of events that follows the climax and serves as the conclusion. Final resolution.

Dialect

Speech that is characteristic of a particular region, class, or group

Diction

Choice or use of words

Didactic

Piece of writing that is designed to be morally instructive

Dissonance

Combination of sounds unpleasant to hear

Drama

Intended to be outed out for presentation to an audience

Dramatic irony

When the audience knows something that the character is unaware of

Dramatic dialogue

More than conversational, it advances the plot and/or develops character

Dynamic character

The character develops throughout the story

Exposition

Characters, setting, and necessary information are introduced

External conflict

Problem with an outside force: character, nature, society, or fate

Editorial

Article that gives an opinion or perspective on a topic

Elegy

Poem that is mournful, often a lament for the dead

Emotional appeal

Deliberate attempt to stir and rouse a specific emotion with audience

Epic

Long, narrative poem recounted in an elevated style

Epiphany

Sudden understanding of the essential nature of something, usually associated with the divine

Epigram

Short saying or poem that is witty and often paradoxical

Epitaph

Inscription on a monument about that person represented

Euphemism

Mild or inoffensive expression use in place of something harsh or offensive

Euphony

Pleasing or harmonious quality of sounds

Expert testimony

Comments or opinions on a topic provided by a subject-matter expert

Expository

Non-fiction writing that explains a main idea or topic

Extended metaphor

Metaphor that is developed beyond 1-2 lines

Farce

Farm of fiction, usually a drama where humor is achieved through exaggerated situations or characters

Falling action

Effects of the climax on characters

Figurative language

Saying one thing and meaning something else

First person point of view

Narrator is speaking themselves, uses “I” and “me”

Flashback

Presents information that comes before the story

Flat character

Simple or one-sided

Foil character

A character that is used as a contrast to another character

Foreshadowing

Builds suspense by providing clues as to what will happen

Free verse

A poem with no clear rhyme or pattern

Hamartia

A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

Hyperbole

Exaggerating for emphasis

Iambic pentameter

Poetic rhythm consisting of 5 iambic feet: pairs of stressed, unstressed syllables

Idiom

Saying that is natural to native speakers of a language, but whose meaning may not be easily understood when taken literally

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to one or more of the senses

Irony

Difference between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected and what actually happens

Indeterminate ending

Ending where the central conflict is left unresolved

Indirect characterization

A character’s traits are implied through dialogue and action

Internal conflict

Struggle between a character’s values or personally and their goals. Occurs within a character’s mind.

Internal monologue

Internal thoughts or conversation of a character that only the audience is aware of

Internal rhyme

Rhyme that occurs with a line of poetry rather than at the end of a line

Direct characterization

How a character is directly described

Jargon

Specialized language often characteristic of a particular subject

Juxtaposition

Placement of two dissimilar things side by side to emphasize a contrast

Literal language

Word or phrase that means exactly what it says

Litotes

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

Lyric

Form of poetry that focuses on creating a mood or recalling a feeling

Malapropism

Incorrect words used in place or correct words

Melodrama

Characterized by extreme behaviors and emotions, often using stereotypes

Metaphor

Direct comparison

Metre

Rhythm created by a regular repetition of a similar accent patterns

Mood

Evoked feeling within the reader

Metonymy

Figure of speech based on the association of ideas

Monologue

Single actor speaks to the audience

Narration

Process of telling the story

Narrator

The one who tells the story; not usually the author unless it’s an autobiography

Objective

Without subjectivity or bias

Objective point of view

Story from an outsider’s perspective and does not reveal characters’ thoughts, emotions, or motives

Ode

Long, lyric poem that expresses an exalted or enthusiastic emotion

Omniscient point of view

Provides knowledge about all characters (their thoughts, emotions, motives, etc.); is all-knowing

Onomatopoeia

Pronunciation imitates the sound described

Oxymoron

Words in a phrase are contradictory

Paradox

First appears contradictory, but actually states a truth

Parallelism

Effective use of words or ideas that have a similar structure in order

Parody

Imitation of a more serious piece of literature of genre

Pathetic fallacy

The attribution of human sensations or feelings to animate objects (not personification); focuses on human emotions or personality traits

Pathos

Writing evokes pity or compassion

Periphrasis

Using more words than necessary to describe something as a way of avoiding the issue