literary devices
Storytelling craft elements
Literary devices are techniques writers use to create effects beyond literal meaning—metaphor, irony, foreshadowing, alliteration, and dozens more.
The term appears most often in educational contexts: The teacher asked students to identify literary devices in the poem.
Some definitions include only figurative language; others extend to narrative structures like flashback or unreliable narration.
Implied identity comparison
- simileComparison via "as"
- personificationAttributing humanity to non-humans
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
- onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
oxymoron · paradox · synecdoche · metonymy · anaphora · epithet · euphemism · zeugma
Storyline or land parcel
- protagonistStory's central figure
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- narratorOne who tells events
- point of viewOne's particular outlook
foreshadowing · flashback · characterization · conflict · climax · resolution · denouement · exposition
Related to perception
- visualOf or concerning sight
- auditoryOf or relating to hearing
- tactileOf the touching sense
- olfactoryOf the sense detecting odors
gustatory · kinesthetic · vivid · evocative · atmospheric · descriptive · cinematic · picturesque
Representational mark or sign
- motifRecurring thematic element
- archetypeOriginal model for copies
- allusionIndirect reference to something
- emblemRepresentational sign or device
leitmotif · foreshadowing · totemic · representational · color symbolism · biblical allusion · intertextuality
Device that measures usage
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- prosodyStudy of verse rhythm
- scansionAnalyzing verse rhythm patterns
- iambicVerse rhythm type
trochaic · dactylic · anapestic · pentameter · hexameter · stressed · unstressed · caesura
Vowel sound repetition
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
- rhymeMatching terminal sounds
- slant rhymeApproximate sound correspondence
internal rhyme · euphony · cacophony · sibilance · repetition · echo · musicality · resonance
metaphor
Implied identity comparison
- simileComparison via "as"
- personificationAttributing humanity to non-humans
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
onomatopoeia · oxymoron · paradox · synecdoche · metonymy · anaphora · epithet · euphemism · zeugma · chiasmus
plot
Storyline or land parcel
- protagonistStory's central figure
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- narratorOne who tells events
point of view · foreshadowing · flashback · characterization · conflict · climax · resolution · denouement · exposition · dialogue
sensory
Related to perception
olfactory · gustatory · kinesthetic · vivid · evocative · atmospheric · descriptive · cinematic · picturesque · concrete
symbol
Representational mark or sign
- motifRecurring thematic element
- archetypeOriginal model for copies
- allusionIndirect reference to something
emblem · leitmotif · foreshadowing · totemic · representational · color symbolism · biblical allusion · intertextuality
meter
Device that measures usage
iambic · trochaic · dactylic · anapestic · pentameter · hexameter · stressed · unstressed · caesura · enjambment
assonance
Vowel sound repetition
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
- rhymeMatching terminal sounds
slant rhyme · internal rhyme · euphony · cacophony · sibilance · repetition · echo · musicality · resonance · dissonance
- literaturebooks, book, fiction, poetry, stories
- writingwriting, drafting, authors, author, books
- language artsreading comprehension, grammar rules, vocabulary building, phonics, spelling bees
- poetrypoem, poems, poetry, verse, verses
- literary analysischaracter analysis, book review, plot, critical analysis, analysis
- literary devicesmetaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia
literary devicesgrammar rules
Language structure standards
punctuation rules · syntax · grammar · syntax rules · mechanics
literary devicesplain language
Easily understood communication
plain speech · denotation · natural language · spontaneous speech · everyday language
device, devise, literature, literary, allegory, antithesis, ellipsis, alliteration, litotes