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Literary Devices
Scholars' Bowl Literary Devices to Know
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| A story used to represent a more general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or events. George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" | Allegory |
| A series of words or phrases that all (or almost all) start with the same sound. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility | Alliteration |
| When an author makes an indirect reference to a figure, place, event, or idea originating from outside the text. "Stop acting so smart--it's not like you're Einstein." | Allusion |
| A more mild or indirect word or expression used in place of another word or phrase that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant. "I'm so sorry, but he didn't make it." | Euphemism |
| An interruption in a narrative that depicts events that have already occurred. Often used to give the reader more background information. Most of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" is this. | Flashback |
| When an author indirectly hints at-through things such as dialogue, description, or characters' actions- what's to come later on in the story. "Romeo & Juliet" / "Macbeth" | Foreshadowing |
| An exaggerated statement that's not meant to be taken literally by the reader. Often used for comedic effect. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." "I've asked you not to do that a thousand times." | Hyperbole |
| When a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally expressed by it. Three types: verbal, situational, dramatic Romeo and Juliet- Romeo kills himself to be with Juliet, even though she is only just asleep. | Irony |
| When ideas, actions, or objects are described in non-literal terms. He's buried in a sea of paperwork. There is a weight on my shoulder. | Metaphor |
| A figure of speech that compares two different things in an interesting way using the word "like" or "as." They fought like cats and dogs. Your explanation is as clear as mud. | Simile |
| A word (or group of words) that represents a sound and actually resembles or imitates the sound it stands for. Buzz, boom, chirp, creak, sizzle, zoom | Onomatopoeia |
| A combination of two words that, together, express a contradictory meaning. Organized chaos Deafening silent | Oxymoron |
| When a nonhuman figure is described as having human-like qualities or characteristics. The wind moaned, beckoning me to come outside. The engine gave one final protest before the car shuddered to a stop. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein | Personification |
| A type of monologue that's often used in dramas when a character speaks aloud to himself (and the audience) revealing his inner thoughts and feelings. | Soliloquy |
| A repetition of words, structure, or other grammatical elements that calls attention to the wording and can emphasize the phrase’s meaning. stupid is as stupid does today a reader, tomorrow a leader where there is smoke, there is fire | Parallelism |
| A statement that appears illogical or self-contradictory but, upon investigation, might actually be true or plausible. "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" Animal Farm | Paradox |
| A phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase. Piece of cake Raining cats and dogs Kill two birds with one stone Break a leg | Idiom |
| A figure of speech in which a term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa. She showed off her new wheels. Nice threads All hands on deck. | Syndecdoche (sin-neck-doe-key) |
| The grammatical structure of sentences. The format in which words and phrases are arranged to create sentences. | Syntax |
| A word, number, phrase, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward as forward. madam or racecar | Palindrome |
| A remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play. (shorter than a soliloquy) | Aside |
| A line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable. Pleasing to the ear and closely resembles the rhythm of everyday speech, or a heartbeat. Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 | Iambic Pentameter |
| Offers political and social commentary, using exaggeration, irony, humor, allegory, and more to make a point. Catch-22, The Colbert Report, and The Onion are examples. | Satire |
| A method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story. A writer is able to bring to life an entire world of characters and give them significant depth and meaning. Pride and Prejudice | 3rd person omission |
| The narrator tells the story from the perspective of a single protagonist, referring to them by name or using a third person pronoun such as they/she/he. Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L'Engle | 3rd person limited |
| The use of a word to suggest a different association than its literal meaning. For example, blue is a color, but it is also a word used to describe a feeling of sadness, as in: “She's feeling blue.” Can be either positive, negative, or neutral. | Connotation |
| A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened. | Epilogue |
| A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. "My father passed away." | Euphemism |
| An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. 1984 A Whole New World | Utopia |
| The placing of persons, events, objects, or customs in times to which they do not belong. : a person or a thing out of place in time and especially the present time. "The Great Gatsby" "Hamlet" "Macbeth" | Anachronism |
| The audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not. | Dramatic Irony |
Created by:
kkramer24
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