Literary Devices

Satire

writing that seeks to arouse the reader’s disapproval of an object by ridicule; comedy that exposes errors with an eye to correct vice or folly

Frame story

literary technique that sometimes serves as a companion piece to a story within a story, leads readers from a first story into another one within it—sets the stage for a more emphasized second narrative within the text

Sarcasm

type of irony in which a person appears to be praising something but is actually insulting it—its purpose is to injure or hurt

Colloquial

everyday usage of words/language in a literary work, may include terms accepted in one particular group of people but not universally acceptable

Syntax

The ordering of words into patterns or sentences

Hyperbole

deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration

Irony

sharp discrepancy between the expected result and actual result

Polysyndetan

Use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some could be omitted

Aphorium

A brief, cleverly worded statement, that makes a wise observation about life

Anatrophe

A figure of speech in which syntactically correct order of subject, verb, and object is changed

Anaphra

Repeating the sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses

Editorialize

Narrator/Writer comments on story; in a way, instructs readers how to feel

Sentimentality

Contrived or excessive emotion

Poeticize

Writer uses an immoderately heightened and distended language to accomplish his effect; makes an excessively selective use of detail

Liotes

Form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negative form of its contrary (i.e., “She wasn’t a tall woman.”)

Free indirect style

Narrator adopts voice of character

Periodic

A sentence that ends with its main clause; subordinate clauses and phrases that precede build up to the main idea at the end of the sentence

Didactic

Literature which is intended primarily to teach a lesson

Flat

Character who shows one or two traits

In media res

Narrative technique of relating story from midpoint, rather than beginning

Chance

Event that has no apparent cause in previous events or in the predisposition of the character

Asyndeton

One/several conjunctions omitted from series of related clauses

Coincidence

Occurrence of two events that have peculiar correspondence

Round

Character who is complex and multilateral

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight particular qualities of the other character

Tone

Manner in which an author expresses his attitude

Cumulative

A sentence that begins with the main clause followed by a series of phrases and

subordinate clauses that gather details about the main clause

Dynamic

Character who undergoes a distinct change in the story

Dramatic irony

A character thinks one thing is true, but reader knows better

Stock

Character who is stereotyped and recurs in many pieces