50 Literary Devices (Definitions)

free verse

poetic form that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

blank verse

poetic form written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

satire

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

epitaph

an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there

simile

comparing two unlike things usually formed with 'like' or 'as' He's as happy as a clam. Her cheeks are red like a rose.

sarcasm

harsh words intended to hurt someone

colloquial language

informal language; language that is "conversational"

wit

intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights

rhythm

when the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud

elegy

A sad or mournful poem, especially one mourning the dead

sonnet

Fourteen-line poem that is usually written in iambic pentameter and has one of several rhyme schemes.

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by a literary work

metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things Her voice is music to his ears. The assignment was a breeze. The skies of his future began to darken.

irony

a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens

hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor You always get to go first! I never get the answer right.

epiphany

a moment of sudden realization or insight

meter

a pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in poetry

pun

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings

ode

a poem usually addressed to a particular person, object or event that has stimulated deep and noble feelings in the poet

rhetorical question

a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer

allusion

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize "When she lost her job, she acted like a Scrooge, and refused to buy anything that wasn't necessary." "He was a Good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the lady start her car."

lyric

a short poem of songlike quality

monologue

a speech made by one actor or speaker

allegory

a story, play, or picture in which characters or settings are used as symbols or abstract ideas

stream of consciousness

a style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind

ballad

a type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature

diction

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

idiom

an accepted phrase or expression having a meaning different from the literal

paradox

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

oxymoron

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

euphemism

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

cacophony

loud, harsh, or disagreeable sounds

juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

personification

representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature

end rhyme

rhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry

internal rhyme

rhyme that occurs within a line, rather than at the end

understatement

saying less than one means, for effect

symbol

something that stands for or represents something else

tone

the attitude a writer takes towards a subject, character, or the reader

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses "I want my money right now, right here, all right?"

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words

alliteration

the repetition of the first sound in words Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August. Better butter makes a batter better.

foreshadowing

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

foil

two characters that highlight each other by their differences

slant rhyme

two words that have some sound in common but do not rhyme exactly

assonance

vowels are repeated in words that are close to each other "Men sell the wedding bells." The same vowel sound of the short vowel "-e-" repeats itself in almost all the words

rhyme

when the end or final sound of two or more words are identical

onomatopoeia

when the words sound like what they mean

enjambment

when the writer uses line breaks meaningfully and abruptly to either emphasize a point or to create dual meanings

repetition

when the writer or speaker knowingly repeats a word or group of words for effect

imagery

when the writer or speaker uses their descriptions to access the senses of the reader of listener