Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies for Analyzing Texts

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Alliteration

repetition of the same sound at the beginning of multiple words

Allusion

brief reference to a person, place, event, or work of art

Ambiguity

words, phrases, or situations have an unclear or uncertain meaning, allowing for multiple possible interpretations

Anadiplosis

repetition of the last word of a preceding clause

Analogy

comparing two seemingly unrelated things and finding points of similarity

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of every clause

Anecdote

A brief story that provides insight for reader and is used to support a persuasive argument or illustrating a point

Antecedent

noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to.

Antithesis

opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction

Aphorism

a short statement of a general truth, insight, or good advice

Apostrophe

When the speaker addresses a dead person or inanimate object as if it were present

Asyndeton

the absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence

Atmosphere

the overall mood of a story or poem

Chiasmus

using a mirror image of your first choice, words repeated in reverse order

Clause

subject + verb

Conduplicatio

repetition of a word in various places throughout a paragraph

Colloquialism

the use of ordinary or familiar words or phrases

Coherence

the overall unity, logic, and smooth flow of ideas within a text

Conceit

A metaphor that compares two things that are not similar or incongruous.

Connotation

the implied meaning, feeling, or association a word or phrase evokes beyond its literal dictionary definition

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word, as it appears in a dictionary

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

Didactic

in a tone intended to preach a sermon or teach a lesson about life

Enumeratio

Listing details or items to make a text more clear and persuasive

Expletive

a filler word or phrase that emphasizes a sentence or profanity used to enhance realism or characterization

Euphemism

a mild or indirect expression is used to replace one that is too harsh, blunt, or offensive

Exposition

background information about a story's characters, setting, plot, or other elements, often at the beginning of a narrative

Extended metaphor

A lengthened version of a metaphor that is more complex and has other figurative devices embedded throughout, spread over multiple paragraphs or stanzas

Figurative language

words or expressions are used for their suggestive meaning rather than their literal meaning

Figure of speech

non-literal word or phrase that creates a unique, vivid, or intensified effect by deviating from straightforward language

Generic conventions

the familiar elements, characteristics, settings, characters, themes, and plot structures that define a specific genre, such as horror, romance, or westerns

Genre

category or type of artistic, literary, musical, or other work, defined by a particular style, form, content, or conventions that are expected by an audience

Homily

a discourse or sermon, given by a clergy member in certain Christian traditions, particularly Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches, that explains and applies the scripture readings from a Mass or service to the lives of the congregation

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Hypophora

speaker or writer asks a question and then immediately answers it

Imagery

Using senses to create an image in someone's mind

Inference

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

Invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

Irony

Where a statement or situation contrasts with what is expected or known

Juxtaposition

The use of two contrasting elements or ideas side-by-side to explore their similarities and differences or their relation to each other

Litotes

A form of irony which uses a negative statement to affirm a positive

Loose sentence

The main point is near the beginning is followed by explanatory material (front loaded)

Metaphor

directly compares two unlike things by stating that one is the other, without using 'like' or 'as'.

Metonymy

the name of an object or concept is replaced with a word closely related to or suggested by the original term

Mood

general atmosphere or emotional complexion, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader

Narrative

a story or an account of a series of events, facts, or experiences

Onomatopoeia

When words are used or created to imitate a certain sound

Oxymoron

combines two contradictory terms or words to create a new, complex meaning or a surprising effect

Paradox

a statement, idea, or situation that appears to contradict itself, but upon closer examination, may reveal a deeper or underlying truth

Parallelism

using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other grammatical elements to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence

Parody

a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule

Pedantic

characters, dialogue, or explanations that are overly concerned with minor details, formal rules, or displays of book learning, often to the point of being tedious, pompous, or irrelevant

Periodic sentence

sentence where the main clause is withheld until the end

Personification

giving human characteristics to nonhuman or inanimate things

Polysyndeton

repetition of a conjunction between words or phrases in a sentence

Point of view

perspective from which a story is told

Predicate adjective

adjective that follows a linking verb (such as 'is,' 'seems,' or 'appears') and modifies or describes the subject of the sentence or clause

Predicate nominative

noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb (like is, are, become) and re-names or identifies the subject of the sentence

Prose

ordinary, everyday language written in sentences and paragraphs

Repetition

word, phrase, or sound is deliberately repeated to achieve a specific effect, such as creating emphasis, rhythm, unity, or making a passage easier to remember

Rhetoric

the art and study of effective and persuasive communication

Rhetorical question

a question asked in order to make a statement that does not expect an answer

Sarcasm

using words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning, often to mock or insult

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize and mock people, organizations, or society

Semantics

study of meaning in language—how words, phrases, and sentences convey meaning and how that meaning is interpreted

Style

the distinctive and characteristic way an author uses language

Subject complement

a word that follows a linking verb (like be, seem, become) and provides more information about the subject of the sentence

Subordinate clause

dependent clause

Syllogism

three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which two premises are combined to arrive at a conclusion

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literary meaning

Synecdoche

a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

Syntax

the arrangement and order of words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence

Theme

central, unifying idea or message about life or human nature that a story conveys

Thesis

a central, arguable claim about a text (a thesis statement) or a formal, lengthy research paper written for an academic degree

Tone

the author's or narrator's attitude toward their subject or audience, expressed through word choice, sentence structure, style, and perspective

Transition

a word, phrase, sentence, or entire paragraph that connects two related ideas, sentences, or paragraphs, creating a smooth flow and coherence for the reader

Understatement

A statement that represents something as less important or less intense than it actually is

Undertone

an underlying, often unstated, idea, attitude, or emotional quality that suggests a secondary meaning beneath the surface of the text, influencing the reader's interpretation and feelings about the story

Wit

using clever statements such as sarcasm and irony to pass judgment and entertain the reader