Literary Devices

Literary Devices

Alliteration Allusion Catharsis Consonance Flashback Foil Foreshadowing Hamartia Hyperbole Imagery Irony Metaphor Onomatopoeia Oxymoron Paradox Pathetic Fallacy Personification Prose Pun Repetition Rhetorical Question Satire Simile Symbolism List of Literary Devices

Alliteration The repetition of the initial consonant sound in a series of words. It adds rhythm or emphasizes emotion. Example: The menacing Miss. Mistry created a monopoly.

Allusion A reference to a famous person, place, thing, pop-culture icon, or another work of literature.

Catharsis An event releases these powerful emotions which ultimately provides relief and gives the spectator a deeper, more powerful experience Example: The feeling one has after successfully writing an exam

Consonance The repetition of similar consonants within words. This is sometimes used as a literary technique in poetry. Eg. "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.“ – The Raven

Flashback A jump back to an event or scene that took place at an earlier point in a story. Writers use flashback to explain something that is presently occurring in the story. Flashbacks can also explain a character’s motivation and help to clear up any unanswered questions in the plot.

Foil Any person that through strong contrast underscores or enhances the distinctive characteristics of another.

Foreshadowing Subsequent actions or events that are suggested; a hint of what is to come. The hint, however, should not be too obvious to the reader because it will give the plot away and affect the suspense of the narrative.

Hamartia The tragic flaw of the tragic character. It is the error of judgment that leads to the hero’s destruction.

Hyperbole The obvious exaggeration of facts to show the intensity of feeling. Example: My heart is broken

Imagery Language that creates pictures in a reader’s mind to bring life to the experiences and feelings described in a poem or a story.

Irony The use of an idea, word, or phrase to elicit the opposite of its usual meaning. Three common types of irony are dramatic irony, situational irony, and verbal irony. ｷDramatic Irony – occurs when the audience knows something that the character does not. ｷSituational Irony – takes place when the circumstances turn out differently from what the reader expects or anticipates. ｷVerbal Irony – occurs when the intended meaning of a phrase or sentence differs from its actual meaning.

Metaphor A direct comparison between two unlike things. In addition to painting vivid pictures for the reader, metaphors help to make abstract ideas more concrete, add emotion, and show the writer’s feelings. Eg. All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances; -As You Like It

Onomatopoeia The sound of a word resembles its meaning. Hiss, thud, crash, hush, and twitter are examples of onomatopoeic words.

Oxymoron A figure of speech in which contradictory words or connotations are placed together for effect. Example: jumbo shrimp is an oxymoronic phrase.

Paradox An apparent contradiction or illogical statement but on closer examination, contains some truth. Example: "If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness.” (Alexander Smith)

Pathetic Fallacy When man’s actions are reflected in nature.

Personification Human qualities are attributed to inanimate objects. Example: The wind whispered through the pine trees.

Prose Regular, everyday language.

Pun A play on words based on the similarity of sound between two words with different meanings. Example: Opening a new funeral parlor can be quite an undertaking.

Repetition The repeating of words or phrases for emphasis. Example: English class is very, very, very fun!

Rhetorical Question A question asked by the writer that the reader is not expected to answer.

Satire Writing which makes fun of an idea, person, or type, sometimes in order to provoke change.

Simile A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”. Example: The fall leaves looked like monarch butterflies dancing on the ground.

Symbolism The use of definite objects to stand for complex ideas.

Literary Devices