Literary Devices

Pun

A pun is a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings. Humorous effects created by puns depend upon the ambiguities words entail. The ambiguities arise mostly in homophones and homonyms. For instance, in a sentence "A happy life depends on a liver", liver can refer to the organ liver or simply the person who lives. Similarly, in a famous saying "Atheism is a non-prophet institution" the word "prophet" is used instead of "profit" to produce a humorous effect.

Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that makes acomparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words "like" or "as". Therefore, it is a direct comparison. We can find simile examples in our daily speech. We often hear comments like "John is as slow as a snail." Snails are notorious for their slow pace and here the slowness of John is compared to that of a snail. The use of "as" in the example helps to draw the resemblance. Some more examples of common similes are given below. Common Examples of Simile Our soldiers are as brave as lions.Her cheeks are red like a rose.He is as funny as a monkey.The water well was as dry as a bone.He is as cunning as a fox. Simile inputs vividness into what we say. Authors and poets utilize comparisons to convey their sentiments and thoughts through vivid word pictures like a simile.

Allegory

Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events. It can be employed in proseand poetry to tell a story with a purpose of teaching an idea and a principle or explaining an idea or a principle. The objective of its use is to preach some kind of a moral lesson.

Alliteration

Alliteration is derived from Latin's "Latira". It means "letters of alphabet". It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. Consider the following examples: But a better butter makes a batter better.A big bully beats a baby boy. Both sentences are alliterative because the same first letter of words (B) occurs close together and produces alliteration in the sentence. An important point to remember here is that alliteration does not depend on letters but on sounds. So the phrase not knotty is alliterative, butcigarette chase is not.

Allusion

Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects thereader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text. For instance, you make a literary allusion the moment you say, "I do not approve of this quixotic idea," Quixotic means stupid and impractical derived from Cervantes's "Don Quixote", a story of a foolish knight and his misadventures.

Ambiguity

Ambiguity or fallacy of ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. Ambiguous words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentionalhumor. For instance, it is ambiguous to say "I rode a black horse in red pajamas," because it may lead us to think the horse was wearing red pajamas. The sentence becomes clear when it is restructured "Wearing red pajamas, I rode a black horse." Similarly, same words with different meanings can cause ambiguity e.g. "John took off his trousers by the bank." It is funny if we confuse one meaning of "bank" which is a building, to another meaning, being "an edge of a river". Context usually resolves any ambiguity in such cases.

Analogy

An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Metaphors and similes are tools used to draw an analogy. Therefore, analogy is more extensive and elaborate than either asimile or a metaphor. Consider the following example: "Structure of an atom is like a solar system. Nucleus is the sun and electrons are the planets revolving around their sun." Here an atomic structure is compared to a solar system by using "like". Therefore, it is a simile. Metaphor is used to relate the nucleus to the sun and the electrons to the planets without using words "like" or "as'. Hence, similes and metaphors are employed to develop an analogy.

Aphorism

Aphorism is a statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. To qualify as an aphorism, it is necessary for a statement to contain a truth revealed in a terse manner. Aphoristic statements are quoted in writings as well as in our daily speech. The fact that they contain a truth gives them a universal acceptance. Scores of philosophers, politicians, writers, artists and sportsman and other individuals are remembered for their famous aphoristic statements. Aphorisms often come with a pinch ofhumor, which makes them more appealing to the masses. Proverbs, maxims, adages and clichés are different forms of aphoristic statements that gain prevalence from generation to generation and frequently appear in our day-to-day speech. Common Aphorism Examples Let us look at some aphorism examples: Youth is a blunder; Manhood a struggle; Old age regret. [Benjamin Disraeli]Pride hath fall. [Proverb]The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. [William Faulkner]Life's Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late. [Benjamin Franklin]Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream. [Khalil Gibran]The simplest questions are the hardest to answer. [Northrop Frye]A proverb is no proverb to you till life has illustrated it. [John Keats]Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. [Rudyard Kipling]

Connotation

Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations. For instance, "Wall Street" literally means a street situated in Lower Manhattan but connotatively it refers to "wealth" and "power". Positive and Negative Connotations Words may have positive or negative connotations that depend upon the social, cultural and personal experiences of individuals. For example, the words childish, childlike and youthful have the same denotative but different connotative meanings. Childish and childlike have a negative connotation as they refer to immature behavior of a person. Whereas, youthful implies that a person is lively and energetic.

Denotation

Denotation is generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrastto its connotative or associated meanings. Let us try to understand this term with the help of an example. If you search for meaning of the word "dove" in a dictionary, you will see that its meaning is "a type of pigeon, a wild and domesticated bird having a heavy body and short legs." In literature, however, you frequently see "dove" referred to as a symbol of peace.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning "over-casting" is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, "Ages have passed since I last saw you". You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word "ages" exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below. Common Examples of Hyperbole My grandmother is as old as the hills.Your suitcase weighs a ton!She is as heavy as an elephant!I am dying of shame.I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

Imagery

Imagery means to use figurative languageto represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds. The word imagery is associated with mental pictures. However, this idea is but partially correct. Imagery, to be realistic, turns out to be more complex than just a picture. Read the following examples of imagery carefully: It was dark and dim in the forest. - The words "dark" and "dim" are visual images.The children were screaming and shouting in the fields. - "Screaming" and "shouting" appeal to our sense of hearing or auditory sense.He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee. - "whiff" and "aroma" evoke our sense of smell or olfactory sense.The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric. - The idea of "soft" in this example appeals to our sense of touch or tactile sense.The fresh and juicy orange are very cold and sweet. - " juicy" and "sweet" when associated with oranges have an effect on our sense of taste or gustatory sense.

Archetype

In literature, an archetype is a typicalcharacter, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. An archetype, also known as universalsymbol, may be a character, a theme, a symbol or even a setting. Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work. Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued thatthe root of an archetype is in the "collective unconscious" of mankind. The phrase "collective unconscious" refers to experiences shared by a race or culture. This includes love, religion, death, birth, life, struggle, survival etc. These experiences exist in the subconscious of every individual and are recreated in literary works or in other forms of art.

Mood

In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as theatmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional situation that surrounds the readers. Mood is developed in a literary piece through various methods. It can be developed throughsetting, theme, tone and diction. Let us see how writers use the afore-mentioned elements in their literary works to create a particular mood.

Irony

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is adifference between the appearance and the reality.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. In literature, juxtaposition is a useful device for writers to portray their characters in great detail to create suspense and achieve a rhetorical effect. It is a human quality to comprehend one thing easily by comparing it to another. Therefore, a writer can make readers sense "goodness" in a particular characterby placing him or her side by side to a character that is predominantly "evil". Consequently, goodness in one character is highlighted by evil in the other character. Juxtaposition in this case is useful in the development of characters.

Litotes

Litotes, derived from a Greek word meaning "simple", is a figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions. For example, using the expression "not too bad" for "very good" is an understatement as well as a double negative statement that confirms a positive idea by negating the opposite. Similarly, saying "She is not abeauty queen," means "She is ugly" or saying "I am not as young as I used to be" in order to avoid saying "I am old". Litotes, therefore, is an intentional use of understatement that renders an ironical effect.

Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hiddencomparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics. In simple English, when you portray a person, place, thing, or an action as being something else, even though it is not actually that "something else," you are speaking metaphorically. "He is the black sheep of the family" is a metaphor because he is not a sheep and is not even black. However, we can use this comparison to describe an association of a black sheep with that person. A black sheep is an unusual animal and typically stays away from the herd, and the person you are describing shares similar characteristics.

Motif

Motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work.

Onomotopoeia

Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. For instance, saying, "The gushing stream flows in the forest" is a more meaningful description than just saying, "The stream flows in the forest." The reader is drawn to hear the sound of a "gushing stream" which makes the expression more effective. In addition to the sound they represent, many onomatopoeic words have developed meanings of their own. For example, "whisper" not only represents the sound of people talking quietly, but also describes the action of people talking quietly.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron, plural oxymora, is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings e.g. "cruel kindness" or "living death". However, the contrasting words/phrases are not always glued together. The contrasting ideas may be spaced out in a sentence e.g. "In order to lead, you must walk behind." Difference between Oxymoron and Paradox It is important to understand thedifference between a paradox and an oxymoron. A paradox may consist of a sentence or even a group of sentences. An oxymoron, on the other hand, is a combination of two contradictory or opposite words. A paradox seems contradictory to the general truth but it does contain an implied truth. An oxymoron, however, may produce a dramatic effect but does not make sense.Examples of oxymoron are found both in casual conversations and in literature. Common Examples of Oxymoron Open secretTragic comedySeriously funnyAwfully prettyFoolish wisdomOriginal copiesLiquid gas The above oxymoron examples produce a comical effect. Thus, it is a lot of fun to use them in your everyday speech.

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say, "The sky weeps" we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality. Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the given sentence. Common Examples of Personification Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn't it so?The wind whispered through dry grass.The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.Time and tide waits for none.The fire swallowed the entire forest. We see from the above examples of personification that this literary devicehelps us relate actions of inanimate objects to our own emotions.

Flashback

Remembering something that occurred in the past.

Satire

Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption. A writer may point a satire toward a person, a country or even the entire world. Usually, a satire is a comical piece ofwriting which makes fun of an individual or a society to expose its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters by overcoming their weaknesses.

Foreshadowing

Something that foreshadows the future or if something is going to happen.

Symbol

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, "smile" is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you. Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. "A chain", for example, may stand for "union" as well as "imprisonment". Thus, symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood by when, where and how it is used. It also depends on who reads them.

Paradox

The term Paradox is from the Greek word "paradoxon" that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over an idea in innovative way. Examples of Paradox Your enemy's friend is your enemy.I am nobody."What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." - George Bernard ShawWise foolTruth is honey which is bitter."I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde From the above examples of paradox, we can say that paradox creates a humorous effect on the readers because of its ridiculousness.

Idiom

The term refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words. An interesting fact regarding the device is that the expression is not interpreted literally. The phrase is understood as to mean something quite different from what individual words of the phrase would imply. Alternatively, it can be said that the phrase is interpreted in a figurative sense. Further, idioms vary in different cultures and countries. Idiom Examples Example #1 "Every cloud has its silver lining but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint." The statement quoted above uses "silver lining" as an idiom which means some auspicious moment is lurking behind the cloud or the difficult time.

Tone

Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject. Every written piece comprises a centraltheme or subject matter. The manner in which a writer approaches this theme and subject is the tone. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, and cheerful or it may be any other existing attitudes. Consider the followingexamples of tone: "I want to ask the authorities what is the big deal? Why do not they control the epidemic? It is eating up lives like a monster.""I want to draw the attention of the concerned authorities toward damage caused by an epidemic. If steps were not taken to curb it, it will further injure our community"