Literary Devices and Techniques Overview

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (e.g., 'deafening silence').

Aphorism

A concise statement of a general truth or principle.

Episodic Novel

A narrative composed of loosely connected incidents.

Utopia/Dystopia

Fiction that explores idealized or oppressive societies.

Soliloquy

A speech where a character speaks their thoughts aloud.

Metaphor

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.'

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, event, place, or piece of literature.

Epithet

An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a characteristic of a person or thing.

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression in a text.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely connected words.

Setting

The time and place where a story occurs.

Epiphany

A sudden realization or insight.

Deus Ex Machina

An unexpected, improbable event or character that resolves the conflict.

Genre

A category of literature defined by style, form, or content.

Gothic/Grotesque

A style characterized by dark, mysterious, or eerie themes.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose perspective is biased or untrustworthy.

Intrusive Author

A narrator who interrupts the narrative to comment on it or address the reader.

Alter Ego

A character that represents another side of the author or protagonist.

Anti-Hero

A protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities.

Archetype

A typical character or symbol that represents universal patterns of human nature.

Iambic Pentameter

A line with five metrical feet, each consisting of an unstressed and stressed syllable.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

Sentimentality

Excessive or contrived emotion.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as.'

Personification

Attributing human qualities to non-human things or abstractions.

Apostrophe

A direct address to an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and details represent broader ideas or concepts.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where something is referred to by a related concept (e.g., 'the crown' for royalty).

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole (e.g., 'wheels' for a car).

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

Symbol

An object, character, or event that represents a deeper meaning or idea.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for effect.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to multiple interpretations.

Connotation

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

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences.

Euphemism

A polite or mild term used to avoid harsh or offensive language.

Epigram

A brief, witty, and often satirical statement.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds (e.g., 'buzz,' 'crash').

Antithesis

A contrast or opposition of ideas in a parallel structure.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures to create balance or rhythm.

Anaphora

The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive clauses.

Exposition

The introduction of background information, setting, and characters.

Rising Action

The series of events building tension and leading to the climax.

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces, driving the plot.

Theme

The central idea or message of a story.

Climax

The turning point of the story, often the moment of greatest tension.

Denouement

The resolution or conclusion of a story.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in a story.

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the narrative to depict past events.

In Medias Res

A narrative that begins in the middle of the action.

Epistolary Novel

A novel written in the form of letters or other documents.

Picaresque Novel

A story about the adventures of a roguish but likable protagonist.

Omniscient Narrator

A narrator who knows everything about all characters and events.

Persona

The voice or character adopted by the author in a work.

Doppelganger

A double or mirror image of a character, often symbolizing a hidden aspect of their personality.

Protagonist

The main character in a story.

Antagonist

The character or force opposing the protagonist.

Tragic Hero

A noble character who suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw.

Tragic Flaw

A character trait that leads to the protagonist's downfall.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Free Verse

Poetry without a regular rhyme or rhythm.

Explication

A detailed analysis of a poem's meaning and structure.

Scanning

Analyzing a poem's meter and rhythm.

Couplet/Heroic Couplet

Two consecutive rhyming lines; heroic couplets are in iambic pentameter.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme.

Meter

The rhythmic structure of a poem.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem.

Caesura

A pause in the middle of a line of poetry.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line.

Elegy

A poem lamenting death or loss.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting ideas or images close together for effect.

Aside

A comment made by a character for the audience, unheard by others on stage.

Monologue

A long speech by one character.

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not.

Situational Irony

When the outcome is opposite of what was expected.

Cosmic Irony

The idea that fate or the universe mocks human effort.

Dialect

The language or speech patterns of a specific region or group.

Synesthesia

Describing one sense in terms of another (e.g., 'loud colors').

Satire

A work that ridicules human folly or vice to provoke change.

Romantic Hero

A character guided by emotion, often in defiance of societal norms.

Occasional Poetry

Poetry written for a specific event or occasion.

Appeal to Logic

Persuasion through reasoning and evidence (logos).

Appeal to Emotion

Persuasion through evoking emotions (pathos).

Appeal to Authority

Persuasion through citing experts or authority figures (ethos).