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Literary Devices

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LITERARY DEVICES

Allegory

 An allegory is a story that is used to represent a more


general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or
events. It is typically an entire book, novel, play, etc.
 Aesop’s Fables. These fables were originally part of an
oral tradition in ancient Greece, and are credited to an
ancient Greek slave named Aesop. They are a collection of
fables, often aimed at children, that offer guidance on a
wide variety of social, political, and religions
topics. Aesop’s Fables are allegory in the form of
instructive lessons—stories that teach children how to
behave and what to value.
Alliteration

 Alliteration is a series of words or phrases that all


(or almost all) start with the same sound. These
sounds are typically consonants to give more
stress to that syllable. 

 Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled


peppers." In this tongue twister, the "p" sound is
repeated at the beginning of all major words.
Allusion

 Allusion is when an author makes an indirect


reference to a figure, place, event, or idea
originating from outside the text. Many allusions
make reference to previous works of literature or
art.

 Example: "Stop acting so smart—it’s not like


you’re Einstein or something." This is an allusion
to the famous real-life theoretical physicist Albert
Einstein.
Anachronism

 An anachronism occurs when there is an (intentional)


error in the chronology or timeline of a text. This could
be a character who appears in a different time period
than when he actually lived, or a technology that
appears before it was invented. Anachronisms are often
used for comedic effect.

 Example: A Renaissance king who says, "That’s dope,


dude!" would be an anachronism, since this type of
language is very modern and not actually from the
Renaissance period.
Anaphora

 Anaphora is when a word or phrase is repeated at the


beginning of multiple sentences throughout a piece of
writing. It's used to emphasize the repeated phrase and evoke
strong feelings in the audience.

 Example: A famous example of anaphora is Winston


Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech.
Throughout this speech, he repeats the phrase "we shall fight"
while listing numerous places where the British army will
continue battling during WWII. He did this to rally both
troops and the British people and to give them confidence
that they would still win the war.
Anthropomorphism
 An anthropomorphism occurs when something
nonhuman, such as an animal, place, or inanimate object,
behaves in a human-like way.

 Example: Children's cartoons have many examples of


anthropomorphism. For example, Mickey and Minnie
Mouse can speak, wear clothes, sing, dance, drive cars,
etc. Real mice can't do any of these things, but the two
mouse characters behave much more like humans than
mice.
assonance
 Resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby
words, arising particularly from the rhyming of two
or more stressed vowels, but not consonants

 (e.g. sonnet, porridge ), but also from the use of


identical consonants with different vowels
(e.g. killed, cold, culled ).

 "the use of assonance throughout the poem creates


the sound of despair"
Asyndeton

 Asyndeton is when the writer leaves out conjunctions


(such as "and," "or," "but," and "for") in a group of words
or phrases so that the meaning of the phrase or sentence is
emphasized. It is often used for speeches since sentences
containing asyndeton can have a powerful, memorable
rhythm.

 Example: Abraham Lincoln ends the Gettysburg Address


with the phrase "...and that government of the people, by
the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."
By leaving out certain conjunctions, he ends the speech on
a more powerful, melodic note.
Colloquialism
 Colloquialism is the use of informal language and
slang. It's often used by authors to lend a sense of
realism to their characters and dialogue. Forms of
colloquialism include words, phrases, and contractions
that aren't real words (such as "gonna" and "ain’t").

 Example: "Hey, what’s up, man?" This piece of


dialogue is an example of a colloquialism, since it uses
common everyday words and phrases, namely "what’s
up" and "man."
Epigraph

 An epigraph is when an author inserts a famous quotation,


poem, song, or other short passage or text at the beginning
of a larger text (e.g., a book, chapter, etc.). An epigraph is
typically written by a different writer (with credit given)
and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or
messages in the work.

 Example: At the beginning of Ernest Hemingway’s book 


The Sun Also Rises is an epigraph that consists of a
quotation from poet Gertrude Stein, which reads, "You are
all a lost generation."
Epistrophe

 Epistrophe is similar to anaphora, but in this case, the


repeated word or phrase appears at the end of
successive statements. Like anaphora, it is used to
evoke an emotional response from the audience.

 Example: In Lyndon B. Johnson's speech, "The


American Promise," he repeats the word "problem" in
a use of epistrophe: "There is no Negro problem. There
is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem.
There is only an American problem."
Euphemism

 Euphemism is when a more mild or indirect word or


expression is used in place of another word or phrase
that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant.

 Example: "I’m so sorry, but he didn’t make it." The


phrase "didn’t make it" is a more polite and less
blunt way of saying that someone has died.
Flashback

 A flashback is an interruption in a narrative that depicts


events that have already occurred, either before the
present time or before the time at which the narration
takes place. This device is often used to give the
reader more background information and details
about specific characters, events, plot points, and so
on.
Foreshadowing

 Foreshadowing is when an author indirectly hints at—


through things such as dialogue, description, or characters’
actions—what’s to come later on in the story. This device
is often used to introduce tension to a narrative.

 Example: Say you’re reading a fictionalized account of


Amelia Earhart. Before she embarks on her (what we know
to be unfortunate) plane ride, a friend says to her, "Be safe.
Wouldn’t want you getting lost—or worse." This line
would be an example of foreshadowing because it implies
that something bad ("or worse") will happen to Earhart.
Hyperbole

 Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that's not


meant to be taken literally by the reader. It is often
used for comedic effect and/or emphasis.

 Example: "I’m so hungry I could eat a horse." The


speaker will not literally eat an entire horse (and
most likely couldn’t), but this hyperbole
emphasizes how starved the speaker feels.
Imagery

 Imagery is when an author describes a scene, thing, or idea so


that it appeals to our senses (taste, smell, sight, touch, or
hearing). This device is often used to help the reader clearly
visualize parts of the story by creating a strong mental
picture.

 Example: Here’s an example of imagery taken from William


Wordsworth’s famous poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud":
 When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden Daffodils;
Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Irony

 Irony is when a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally
expressed by it. There are three types of irony in literature:
 Verbal irony: When someone says something but means the opposite (similar to sarcasm).
 Situational irony: When something happens that's the opposite of what was expected or
intended to happen.
 Dramatic irony: When the audience is aware of the true intentions or outcomes, while the
characters are not. As a result, certain actions and/or events take on different meanings for the
audience than they do for the characters involved.
 Examples:
 Verbal irony: One example of this type of irony can be found in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Cask
of Amontillado." In this short story, a man named Montresor plans to get revenge on another
man named Fortunato. As they toast, Montresor says, "And I, Fortunato—I drink to your long
life." This statement is ironic because we the readers already know by this point that Montresor
plans to kill Fortunato.
 Situational irony: A girl wakes up late for school and quickly rushes to get there. As soon as
she arrives, though, she realizes that it’s Saturday and there is no school.
 Dramatic irony: In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo commits suicide in order
to be with Juliet; however, the audience knows that Juliet is not actually dead—just asleep.
Juxtaposition

 Juxtaposition is the comparing and contrasting of two or more


different (usually opposite) ideas, characters, objects, etc. This
literary device is often used to help create a clearer picture of the
characteristics of one object or idea by comparing it with those of
another.

 Example: One of the most famous literary examples of juxtaposition


is the opening passage from Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two
Cities:
 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it
was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the
season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of
despair …"
Malapropism

 Malapropism happens when an incorrect word is used


in place of a word that has a similar sound. This misuse
of the word typically results in a statement that is both
nonsensical and humorous; as a result, this device is
commonly used in comedic writing.

 Example: "I just can't wait to dance the flamingo!"


Here, a character has accidentally called the flamenco
(a type of dance) the flamingo (an animal).
Metaphor/Simile

 Metaphors are when ideas, actions, or objects are described in non-literal terms. In
short, it’s when an author compares one thing to another. The two things being
described usually share something in common but are unalike in all other respects.

 A simile is a type of metaphor in which an object, idea, character, action, etc., is


compared to another thing using the words "as" or "like."
 Both metaphors and similes are often used in writing for clarity or emphasis.

 Examples:
 "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." In
this line from Romeo and Juliet, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun. However,
because Romeo doesn’t use the words "as" or "like," it is not a simile—just a
metaphor.
 "She is as vicious as a lion." Since this statement uses the word "as" to make a
comparison between "she" and "a lion," it is a simile.
Metonym

 A metonym is when a related word or phrase is


substituted for the actual thing to which it's referring.
This device is usually used for poetic or rhetorical
effect.

 Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword." This


statement, which was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
in 1839, contains two examples of metonymy: "the
pen" refers to "the written word," and "the sword"
refers to "military force/violence."
Mood

 Mood is the general feeling the writer wants the audience to have. The
writer can achieve this through description, setting, dialogue, and word
choice.

 Example: Here's a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit: "It had a


perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow
brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped
hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with
panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished
chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats -- the hobbit was
fond of visitors." In this passage, Tolkien uses detailed description to
set create a cozy, comforting mood. From the writing, you can see that
the hobbit's home is well-cared for and designed to provide comfort.
Onomatopoeia

 Onomatopoeia is a word (or group of words) that


represents a sound and actually resembles or
imitates the sound it stands for. It is often used for
dramatic, realistic, or poetic effect.

 Examples: Buzz, boom, chirp, creak, sizzle, zoom,


etc.
Oxymoron

 An oxymoron is a combination of two words that,


together, express a contradictory meaning. This device
is often used for emphasis, for humor, to create
tension, or to illustrate a paradox (see next entry for
more information on paradoxes).

 Examples: Deafening silence, organized chaos,


cruelly kind, insanely logical, etc.
Paradox

 A paradox is a statement that appears illogical or self-


contradictory but, upon investigation, might actually be
true or plausible.
 Note that a paradox is different from an
oxymoron: a paradox is an entire phrase or
sentence, whereas an oxymoron is a combination of
just two words.
 Example: "This statement is false." If the statement is
true, then it isn’t actually false (as it suggests). But if it’s
false, then the statement is true! Thus, this statement is a
paradox because it is both true and false at the same
time.
Personification

 Personification is when a nonhuman figure or other abstract


concept or element is described as having human-like qualities
or characteristics. (Unlike anthropomorphism where non-
human figures become human-like characters, with
personification, the object/figure is simply described as being
human-like.) Personification is used to help the reader create a
clearer mental picture of the scene or object being described.
 Example: "The wind moaned, beckoning me to come
outside." In this example, the wind—a nonhuman element—is
being described as if it is human (it "moans" and "beckons").
Repetition

 Repetition is when a word or phrase is written multiple


times, usually for the purpose of emphasis. It is often
used in poetry (for purposes of rhythm as well).

 Example: When Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the


score for the hit musical Hamilton, gave his speech at
the 2016 Tony’s, he recited a poem he’d written that
included the following line:
 And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is
love cannot be killed or swept aside.
Satire

 Satire is genre of writing that criticizes something, such


as a person, behavior, belief, government, or society.
Satire often employs irony, humor, and hyperbole to make
its point.
Soliloquy

 A type of monologue that's often used in dramas, a


soliloquy is when a character speaks aloud to himself
(and to the audience), thereby revealing his inner
thoughts and feelings.

 Example: In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s speech on the


balcony that begins with, "O Romeo, Romeo!
Wherefore art thou Romeo?" is a soliloquy, as she is
speaking aloud to herself (remember that she doesn't
realize Romeo's there listening!).
Symbolism

 Symbolism refers to the use of an object, figure, event,


situation, or other idea in a written work to represent
something else—typically a broader message or deeper
meaning that differs from its literal meaning.
 The things used for symbolism are called "symbols," and
they’ll often appear multiple times throughout a text,
sometimes changing in meaning as the plot progresses.
 Example: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great
Gatsby, the green light that sits across from Gatsby’s
mansion symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams.
Synecdoche

 A synecdoche is a literary device in which part of


something is used to represent the whole, or vice
versa. It's similar to a metonym (see above);
however, a metonym doesn't have to represent the
whole—just something associated with the word
used.

 Example: "Help me out, I need some hands!" In this


case, "hands" is being used to refer to people (the
whole human, essentially).
Tone

 While mood is what the audience is supposed to feel, tone


is the writer or narrator's attitude towards a subject. A good
writer will always want the audience to feel the mood they're
trying to evoke, but the audience may not always agree with the
narrator's tone, especially if the narrator is an unsympathetic
character or has viewpoints that differ from those of the reader.

 Example: In an essay disdaining Americans and some of the


sites they visit as tourists, Rudyard Kipling begins with the line,
"Today I am in the Yellowstone Park, and I wish I were dead."
If you enjoy Yellowstone and/or national parks, you may not
agree with the author's tone in this piece.
Characterization
 Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
personality of a character. 
 Characterization is revealed through:
 Direct characterization means the way an author or another
character within the story describes or reveals a character,
through the use of descriptive adjectives, epithets, or phrases.

 Indirect characterization is the process by which the writer


shows the character's personality through speech, actions and
appearance. When you watch a movie or television show, you can
usually gather what type of person the main character is based on
the character's actions and reactions in different situations.

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