Rhetorical Devices

Allegory

narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves; characters are usually personifications of abstract qualities

Allusion

a figure of speech which makes a brief, even casual, reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance with the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the character or object

Analogy

comparison of two things that are alike in some respects. Metaphors and similes are both types of analogies.

Anecdote

a brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature.

Aphorism

a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief.

Catharsis

purification or cleansing of the spirit through the emotions of pity and terror as a witness to a tragedy.

Didactic

intended for teaching or to teach a moral lesson.

Bildungsroman

a novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character.

Doppelganger

ghostly counterpart of a living person or an alter ego.

Epiphany

a sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience.

Epistolary

a piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters.

Eulogy

a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing; an oration in honor of a deceased person.

Expletive

a single word or short phrase intended to emphasize surrounding words.

In medias res

opening a story in the middle of the action, requiring filling in past details by exposition or flashback.

Juxtaposition

placing two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose.

Motif

recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or even.

Nostalgia

a desire to return in thought or fact to a former time.

Parody

a satirical imitation of a work of art for purpose of ridiculing its style or subject.

Propaganda

information or rumor deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, or institution.

Sarcasm

a sharp caustic remark. A form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitterly or harshly critical.