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Literary devices
This list is made for you to practise your lite rary vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| alliteration | the repetition of the first sound in words |
| alliteration | Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August. Better butter makes a batter better. |
| allusion | a literary, mythological, or historical reference that the author assumes the reader will recognize |
| allusion | "When she lost her job, she acted like a Scrooge, and refused to buy anything unnecessary. |
| allusion | "He was a Good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the lady start her car." |
| assonance | vowels are repeated in words that are close to each other |
| assonance | "Men sell the wedding bells." |
| assonance | the same vowel sound of the short vowel "-e-" repeats itself in almost all the words |
| anaphora | the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses |
| anaphora | "I want my money right now, right here, all right?" |
| metaphor | a comparison between two unlike things |
| metaphor | Her voice is music to his ears. |
| simile | comparing two things usually formed with 'like' or 'as' |
| simile | Her cheeks are red like a rose. |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor |
| imagery | when the writer or speaker uses their descriptions to appeal to the senses of the reader of listener |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds within words |
| enjambment | a line break in the middle of a sentence to either emphasize a point or to create dual meanings |
| rhyme | when the end or final sound of two or more words are identical |
| rhythm | when the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud |
| onomatopoeia | when the words sound like what they mean |
| idiom | an accepted phrase or expression having a meaning different from the literal |
| personification | representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature |
| meter | a pattern of stressed or unstressed syllables in poetry |
| allegory | a story, play, or picture in which characters or settings are used as symbols or abstract ideas |
| slant rhyme | two words that have close but not exact correspondence of sounds |
| internal rhyme | rhyme that occurs within a line, rather than at the end |
| diction | a writer's or speaker's choice of words |
| oxymoron | an expression in which two words that contradict each other are put next to another |
| cacophony | loud, harsh, or disagreeable sounds |
| blank verse | poetic form with no rhymes usually written in iambic pentameter |
| free verse | poetic form that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme |
| ballad | a type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature |
| colloquial language | informal language; language that is "conversational" |
| euphemism | an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant |
| elegy | a sad or mournful poem, especially one mourning the dead |
| irony | a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens |
| foil | two characters that highlight each other by their differences |
| foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot |
| juxtaposition | placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast |
| monologue | a speech made by one actor or speaker |
| ode | a poem usually addressed to a person, object or event that has triggered deep feelings in the poet |
| paradox | an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth |
| pun | a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings |
| rhetorical question | a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer |
| sarcasm | harsh words intended to hurt someone |
| satire | a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision |
| symbol | something that stands for or represents something else |
| understatement | saying less than one means, for effect |
| wit | intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights |
| stream of consciousness | a style of writing which reproduces the flow of thoughts in the human mind |
| sonnet | fourteen-line poem usually written in iambic p. and which has one of several rhyme schemes |
| epiphany | a moment of sudden realization or insight |
| epitaph | an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there |
| atmosphere | the emotional mood created by a literary work |
Created by:
Miss DD
Popular Literature sets