literary devices
Allegory- an abstract idea understood after reading the whole passage
Imagery- descriptive words to create an image appealing to the senses
Oxymoron- contradicting words side by side
Setting- the time and place that events take place
Shift/Volta- change from realization
Alliteration- repeating consonant sounds at the beginning
Assonance- repeating vowel sounds, mostly stressed/accented
Cacophony- harsh unpleasant consonant sounds(b, g, d, k, p, s, t)
Euphony: musically pleasant sounds
Onomatopoeia- words that sound like their meaning
Rhyme- the repetition of sounds in 2 or more phrases that are close to each other
Allusion- reference to well known, mythological, literary, historical person, place, event
Ambiguity- words with more than one meaning
Analogy- comparison of two things by highlighting similarity
Apostrophe- speaking towards an imagined listener that can’t respond back
Hyperbole- exaggerated statements to make a point
Irony- contradiction from what’s actually happening
Metaphor- comparison by stating one is the other
Metonymy- a person, thing, place, referred to by something closely associated with it
Personification- giving human-like qualities to something nonhuman
Satire- writing that reveals fails of institutes, etc
Simile- comparison of two things using like or as
Symbol- using objects, events, animals, humans, to represent a meaning
Synecdoche- referring to something whole with a part of it
Anaphora- repetition of words or phrases at the beginning in consecutive lines
Contrast- difference between two things
Enjambment- continuation and allowing pauses or punctuation
Inversion- arranging sentences differently
Juxtaposition- to compare and contrast by placing more than 1 word side by side
Repetition- repeating words
Cliche- overuse of once clever phrases making them outdated
Connotation- how the word makes you feel
Denotation- the dictionary definition
Diction- usage of word to convey a meaning
Euphemism- specific choice of words to lessen impact/make them sound nicer
Pun- words with similar sounds that have different meaning
Sarcasm- saying that’s different from what’s actually happening(verbal irony)
Syntax- grammar structure of sentences/arrangement
Ballad- orally passed down songs
Blank verse- no rhyme but metered/tempo
Dramatic monologue- addresses imaginary speaker that doesn’t speak
Elegy- writing that relates to mourning
Free verse- no rules
Pastoral- idealizes natural world
Sonnet- specific lined poems or rhythm