literary devices

Allegory

Allegory

A moral or political meaning hidden in a work of art, intended to teach readers a lesson while entertaining them.

Assonance

The repetition of the same vowel sounds in words which are adjacent or close.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words which are adjacent or close.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in words which are adjacent or close.

Connotation

An implied and commonly understood meaning that may differ from a word’s literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word, without room for interpretation.

Irony

When something has the opposite effect of what was effected

When the audience knows something that the characters don’t

When someone says something intending a different meaning than what was expected

situational, dramatic, verbal

Pun

A play on words that have multiple meanings, pronunciations, or homophones.

Allusions

An indirect, brief reference to a well-known person, place, thing, event, or other literary work.

Paradox

A self-contradictory statement or question that causes the reader to reflect on it.

Parallel Structure

A literary device where the structure of nouns/elements of a sentence are similar to each other.

Juxtaposition

Implies comparison or contrast to create a dramatic or ironic effect.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings.

Anecdote

A short story within a story providing detail about an event or character.

Anaphora

Repeating words or phrases at the beginning of sentences, phrases, or clauses for emphasis.

Imagery

Use of descriptive and figurative language to evoke a certain image in the mind of a reader.

Hyperbole

The use of exaggerated statements that are false or not meant to be taken literally.

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like its meaning to create a sensory experience.

Foreshadowing

Indicating or hinting future outcomes or events that are later to appear in the story.

Rhetorical Question

Asked for dramatic effect rather than to get an answer.

Pathetic Fallacy

Giving human emotions to non-human things, specifically in nature.

Archetypes

Universally recognized features across human culture that shape the structure of a story.

Diction

A way for the author to inform the reader about particular characteristics of the character through their specific way of speaking.

Euphemisms

A literary device used to “soften the impact” of what would have been a harsh statement.

Satire

Using humor, exaggeration, or irony to criticize or mock something to bring attention to a fault.

Personification

Giving human characteristics and actions to something nonhuman.