Literary Devices

Anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode, frequently personal or biographical. (Ex - A character recounts a memory for his/her past in order to help the other characters/reader better understand him/her.)

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical (like referring to Abraham Lincoln), literary (like referring to West Egg from The Great Gatsby), religious (like referring to Noah and the flood), or mythical (like referring to Achilles). There are, of course, many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusions.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. (Ex - Oh! Gah! Whoa!)

Personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes. Personification is used to make these abstractions, animals or objects appear more vivid to the reader. Pathetic fallacy: A subdivision of personification, which refers specifically to the technique of assigning human emotion to a concept (usually based in nature) to reflect a character's moo (Ex - After a break up scene in a movie, the character walks outside, and it is raining.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, a personified abstraction, or sometimes an inanimate object. (Ex - Love songs that refer to a nonspecific "baby" or "sweetheart")

Simile

A figure of speech that draws parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things, people, beings, places and concepts. Similes are marked by the use of the words 'as' or 'such as' or 'like'.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using an implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. (Ex - "Henry was a lion on the battlefield". This sentence suggests that Henry fought so bravely that he embodied all the traits we attribute to the ferocious animal.)

Caricature

A grotesque likeness of striking characteristic in persons or things. (Ex - Mickey Mouse is a caricature of the animal mouse.)

Euphemism

A more agreeable or less unpleasant substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. (Ex - He is just *big boned*.)

Extended metaphor

A more agreeable or less unpleasant substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. (Ex - He is just *big boned*.)

Epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary word that is suggestive of the theme. (Ex - The epigraph for Maus is a quote from Hitler.)

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. The comparison is often between two things in which the complex is explained in terms of the simple, or something unfamiliar is associated with something more familiar. Similes and metaphors are types of analogies. (Ex - In the same way as one cannot have the rainbow without the rain, one cannot achieve success and riches without hard work.)

Paradox

A statement or situation that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer inspection contains an acceptable and often profound meaning. (Ex - "Success is counted sweetest by those who never succeed" & Time travel is usually a paradox.)

Anticlimax

A sudden drop from the dignified or important in thought or expression to the commonplace or trivial, often for humorous effect.

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (Ex - "Life is like a box of chocolates.")

Foreshadow

A warning or indication of a future event

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style of content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. (Ex - All the Scary Movies, they mock all the elements of traditional horror films.)

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions fro reform or ridicule. (Ex - Planet of the Apes)

Hyperbole

Figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Not intended literally, hyperbole may be humorous or serious. (Ex - "There were a million people at my house yesterday.")

Symbol/symbolism

Generally, anything that represents, stands for, something else. Usually a symbol is something concrete, such as an object, character, action or scene, that represents something more abstract. However, symbols and symbolism can be much more complex. (Ex- The phrase "a new dawn" does not talk only about the actual beginning of a new day but also signifies a new start, a fresh chance to begin and the end of a previous tiring time.)

Bombast

Inflated language; the use of high-sounding language for a trivial subject.

Sarcasm

Involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. Sarcasm is a type of verbal irony.

Abstract language

Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. The observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language.

Stream of consciousness

The attempt of an author to reproduce the unembellished flow of thoughts in the human mind with its feelings, judgments, associations, and memories.

Irony

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what it really means; the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. Verbal irony: When a phrase holds a different meaning than expected. (Ex - I enjoyed that movie as much as I enjoy a root canal.) Situational irony: When the outcome differs from the expectation. (Ex - An ambulance truck runs over someone on the way to rescue another person.) Dramatic irony: When the reader or audience has more knowledge about the situation than the characters in the story. (Ex - In Shrek, we know Fiona turns into a ogre at night and Shrek doesn't.)

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. (Ex - Edgar Allen Poe's descriptions of settings in his poetry)

Persona

The fictional voice (or mask) that a writer adopts to tell a story. (Ex - The Grinch portrays the persona of being mean and heartless, but he is kind and warmhearted in the end.)

Meiosis

The ironic minimizing of face; understatements present something as less significant than it is. The effect frequently can be humorous and emphatic. (It is the opposite of hyperbole).

Mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect mood, as well as diction. (Ex - The mood of The Lion King switches dramatically after Simba's father dies.)

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (Ex - "She sells sea shells by the seashore.")

Colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. (Ex - Y'all rather than you all."

Antithesis

a balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses. (Ex - "You're hot then you're cold; you're yes then you're no.")

Imagery

the author uses words and phrases to create "mental images" for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize and therein more realistically experience the author's writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.