English Literary Devices (paper 1)

Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her smile was as bright as the sun").
Metaphor: A direct comparison without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Time is a thief").
Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human entities (e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees").
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., "I’ve told you a million times").
Understatement: Deliberately making a situation seem less important than it is (e.g., "It’s just a scratch" when referring to a large dent).
Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (e.g., "bittersweet").
Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., "Less is more").

Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words (e.g., "She sells seashells by the seashore").
Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within words (e.g., "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain").
Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (e.g., "The lumpy, bumpy road").
Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds (e.g., "buzz," "bang," "sizzle").
Rhyme: Repetition of similar sounding words, often at the end of lines in poetry.
Meter: The rhythmic structure of lines in a poem, determined by the number of syllables and the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Sentence Structure: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex).
Parallelism: The use of similar grammatical structures to create rhythm and balance (e.g., "She likes cooking, jogging, and reading").
Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (e.g., "I have a dream...").
Chiasmus: A rhetorical device in which words or concepts are repeated in reverse order (e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country").
Juxtaposition: Placing two contrasting ideas, characters, or settings close together to highlight their differences.
Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break in poetry.

Tone: The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience (e.g., sarcastic, solemn, playful).
Mood: The emotional atmosphere created by a text, influencing how the reader feels (e.g., tense, melancholic, joyful).

First Person: The narrator is a character in the story, using "I" or "we."
Second Person: The narrator addresses the reader directly using "you."
Third Person Limited: The narrator is outside the story but focuses on the thoughts and feelings of one character.
Third Person Omniscient: The narrator is outside the story and knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Symbol: An object, person, or event that represents a larger idea or concept (e.g., a dove symbolizing peace).
Motif: A recurring element, such as an image, theme, or idea, that has symbolic significance in a text.

Verbal Irony: Saying one thing but meaning the opposite (e.g., "What a beautiful day!" during a storm).
Situational Irony: A situation where the outcome is different from what was expected (e.g., a fire station burning down).
Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something that the characters do not (e.g., in a horror movie, the audience knows the killer is in the house, but the character does not).

Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, event, place, or work of art (e.g., "He has the patience of Job").

Diction: The choice of words and style of expression used by the author (e.g., formal, informal, colloquial).
Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word (e.g., "home" vs. "house").
Denotation: The literal or dictionary definition of a word.

Ethos: An appeal to ethics or credibility (e.g., "As a doctor, I recommend this treatment").
Pathos: An appeal to emotions (e.g., "Think of the children who suffer every day").
Logos: An appeal to logic or reason (e.g., "Studies show that this method is effective").
Rhetorical Question: A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer (e.g., "Isn’t it time for a change?").

Flashback: A scene that interrupts the present action to depict an earlier event.
Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
Stream of Consciousness: A narrative technique that presents thoughts and feelings as they occur in a character’s mind.

Direct Characterization: The author explicitly describes a character’s traits.
Indirect Characterization: The author reveals a character’s traits through their actions, speech, thoughts, and interactions with others.

Theme: The central idea or message of a text, often a universal truth or commentary on life (e.g., "The struggle for identity").

Allegory: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
Euphemism: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt (e.g., "passed away" instead of "died").
Satire: The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose societal flaws.
Pun: A play on words that produces a humorous effect by using a word that suggests two or more meanings (e.g., "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana").

Repetition: The repeated use of words, phrases, or structures for emphasis or effect.
Refrain: A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song.
Caesura: A pause or break in a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

Soliloquy: A speech in a play where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, often alone on stage.
Monologue: A long speech by one character in a play or story.
Aside: A remark made by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

Modernism: A literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by a break with traditional forms and a focus on individual experience.
Postmodernism: A literary movement that emerged after World War II, characterized by skepticism, fragmentation, and a focus on the nature of reality.
Romanticism: A literary movement that emphasized emotion, nature, and individualism, often in reaction to industrialization.

Historical Context: The historical events, social conditions, and cultural attitudes that influence a text.
Cultural Context: The cultural beliefs, values, and practices that influence a text.

Intertextuality: The relationship between texts, where one text references or is influenced by another.