Literary Devices

  • Alliteration

    • Definition: The repetition of certain letters or sounds at the start of words to produce an effect.

    • Example: "A big bug bit the little beetle, but the little beetle bit the big bug back."

  • Assonance

    • Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, creating internal rhyming.

    • Example: "The Rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."

  • Ellipsis

    • Definition: The use of three dots to indicate a pause, a thought, or an absence.

    • Example: "To live without fear…"

  • Free Verse

    • Definition: Poetry that does not adhere to regular patterns of rhyme or rhythm.

    • Example: "The moon, a lantern in the sky, A gentle glow like a beacon"

  • Metaphor

    • Definition: Figurative language that makes a comparison by stating something IS another.

    • Example: "Her laughter, a melody that paints the sky, Notes of joy and freedom soaring high."

  • Onomatopoeia

    • Definition: The use of words that imitate sounds related to the object or action being described.

    • Example: "Whispering winds, raindrops splatter, Buzzing bees, nature’s lively clatter."

  • Oxymoron

    • Definition: A figure of speech in which two opposing or contradictory ideas are combined.

    • Example: "Sunrise whispers, a quiet roar."

  • Personification

    • Definition: Giving human qualities to non-human entities or objects.

    • Example: "Upon the meadow, the sun does play, Kissing the flowers with warmth each day."

  • Pun

    • Definition: A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words.

    • Example: "In the bakery, the muffin said with cheer, 'I’m on a roll, I’ll rise, have no fear!'

  • Repetition

    • Definition: The intentional reiteration of words or phrases to emphasize a thought or theme.

    • Example: "Whispers in the breeze, a lullaby of trees..."

  • Rhyme

    • Definition: The use of matching sounds at the end of lines in poetry.

    • Example: "In a land of sweets, where candy dreams come true..."

  • Rhythm

    • Definition: The pattern of beats created by the arrangement of words and syllables in poetry.

    • Example: "Beneath the moon’s soft silver gleam..."

  • Simile

    • Definition: A figure of speech comparing two different things using 'like' or 'as'.

    • Example: "Her laughter bubbled like a sparkling stream, Bright as the sun’s rays, a joyful beam."