click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
literary devices
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alliteration | = The repetition of initial and stressed sounds at the beginning of words or in accented syllables. Example: tongue twisters (Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers). |
| Allusion | = A reference to a famous person, place, event or work of literature. An example of an allusion is a reference to Greek or Roman myth, the Bible or a well-known literary work. An allusion can also be topical or popular and refer to a current event. |
| Foreshadowing | = A suggestion of what is to come later in a work by giving hints and clues. |
| Hyperbole | = A figure of speech - an exaggeration or overstatement. |
| Imagery | = Used to describe the words or phrases which bring forth a certain picture or image in the mind of the reader. Imagery appeals to the senses- what can be seen, heard, felt, etc… |
| Irony | = Something is the opposite of what you would expect, often in a funny or unexpected way. There are three types: situational, dramatic and verbal. |
| Juxtaposition | = Placing two contrasting images, concepts, ideas next to each other for the purpose of comparison to highlight the differences |
| Metaphor | = A comparison between two subjects without using “like or “as.” |
| Mood | = The feeling or atmosphere the writer creates in the mind of the reader. |
| Personification | = A figure of speech in which human qualities are assigned to non-human things, or life is given to inanimate objects. |
| Pun | = A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings. |
| Repetition | = The repeating of a word or phrase to create a rhythm or emphasize a point. |
| Simile | = A comparison between two objects using the words “like” or “as”. |
| Symbol | = A device in literature where an object represents an idea. |
| Theme | = Main or central idea or message in a work of literature. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. |