IB ENG LITERARY DEVICES

Tone

Attitude of the narrator or speaker

Diction

Word choice

Modality

Level of certainty of language (e.g. must, might, should, maybe)

Imperative language

An authoritative command

Voice

Perspective of the narrator or speaker: first, second, third person

Allusion

A reference to something outside of the text, e.g. history, literature, culture

Metaphor

Direct comparison of an object to something else

Simile

Indirect comparison of an object to something else (uses "like" or "as")

Personification

Human-like description of a non-human object

Pathetic fallacy

The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature; for example angry clouds; a cruel wind

Visual imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight

Auditory imagery

Details that appeal to the sense of sound

Olfactory imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell

Tactile imagery

Imagery for touch

Thermal imagery

Imagery for temperature

Gustatory imagery

Imagery for taste

Kinesthetic imagery

Language that creates a sense of motion

Symbol

Something that stands for an abstract idea

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds at the end or middle of words

Sibilance

Hissing sounds represented by s, z, sh

Rhyme

Repetition of sounds at the end of words

Cacophony

Harsh, jarring noise

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents

Repetition

Repeated use of words, phrases, or sounds for emphasis

Anaphora

Repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses

Listing

The use of commas or conjunctions to itemize details

Enjambment

A line of poetry runs into the next without a pause

Endstop

A line of poetry ending with punctuation

Caesura

A pause or break within a line of poetry

Verbal irony

Saying one thing but meaning another

Dramatic irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas or elements close together to highlight differences

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth

Oxymoron

A figure of speech where two contradictory terms are used together

Antithesis

A rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences

Syntax

The arrangement of words in a sentence

Asyndeton

The omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses

Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions

Rhetorical question

A question asked for effect without expecting an answer

Internal monologue

Private thoughts and emotions of a character

Dramatic monologue

A poem where a speaker addresses a silent listener

Foil character

A character who contrasts with another to highlight traits

Characterization

Revealing a character's personality through actions, dialogue, and description

Allegory

A literary work where characters and events symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning

Ambiguity

A word or situation that has multiple meanings or interpretations

Acronym

A group of abbreviations pronounced as a word, e.g., "UNESCO"

Acrostic

A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message

Amplification

Expanding on a word or idea to emphasize it

Anachronism

An element that does not belong in the time period where it is placed

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next

Anagram

Rearranging the letters of a word to form another word, e.g., "Tom Marvolo Riddle" -> "I am Lord Voldemort"

Antilogy

A contradictory or paradoxical statement within one sentence

Anthropomorphism

Giving human traits to animals or inanimate objects

Anecdote

A short account of a particular incident

Apostrophe

Addressing a non-living entity or absent person as if they could respond

Archaism

The use of an old-fashioned or outdated word or phrase

Bias

Promoting one specific viewpoint while excluding others

Cliche

An overused phrase or expression

Connotation

The implied or suggested meaning of a word beyond its literal definition

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word

Ellipsis

The omission of words for dramatic effect or to show hesitation (...)

Enumeration

A rhetorical device that lists items in a structured order

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered harsh or blunt

Euphony

Pleasant, harmonious sound

Exposition

Providing background information within a story

Figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech like metaphors, similes, or personification to create meaning beyond the literal

Hypophora

Asking a question and immediately answering it

Irony

A situation or statement where the opposite of what is expected occurs or is meant

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures in sentences or phrases

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize

Sensationalize

Exaggerating events or details to shock or engage the reader

Tricolon

A series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses

Understatement

Expressing something as less important than it actually is

Cadence

The rhythmic flow of a sequence of words or sounds

Chiasmus

Reversing the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases (e.g., "Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure")

Circumlocution

Using many words where fewer would do, often to be vague or evasive

Colloquialism

Informal language or slang used in everyday speech

Flashback

A shift in a narrative to an earlier event

Foreshadowing

A literary device used to hint at future events in the story

Free verse

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

Hamartia

A tragic flaw that leads to a character's downfall

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance leading to a character's downfall

Hypotyposis

A vivid description meant to create a striking visual in the reader's mind

Iamb

A metrical foot in poetry consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable

Idiom

A phrase where the meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of the words

Internal rhyme

Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry

Jargon

Specialized language understood by experts in a particular field

Lamentation

Expressing sorrow or grief in a literary form

Litotes

Understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite, e.g., "not bad"

Logos

A rhetorical appeal to logic and reason

Maxim

A brief statement of a general truth or principle

Meiosis

Deliberate understatement for emphasis or effect

Metonymy

Referring to something by the name of an associated object, e.g., "The White House" for the U.S. government

Monologue

A long speech by one character in a play or story

Mood

The emotional atmosphere created by a text

Motif

A recurring theme, subject, or idea in a literary work

Narrative

A spoken or written account of connected events; a story