Literary Devices

1. Literary Devices

2. Onomatopoeia • Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. • Examples: Boom, Buzz, Crack

3. Personification • It gives a thing, an idea or an animal human qualities. • The flowers are dancing beside the lake. • Have you see my new car? She is a real beauty!

4. Simile • A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things using “like” or “as.”

5. Metaphor • A figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are opposites but have some characteristics common between them.

6. Hyperbole • It is deliberate exaggeration of actions and ideas for the sake of emphasis. • Your bag weighs a ton! • I have got a million issues to look after!

7. Apostrophe • In literature, apostrophe is a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O.”

8. Alliteration • It refers to the same consonant sounds in words coming together. • Better butter always makes the batter better. • She sells seashells at seashore.

9. Anaphora • In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as Anaphora.

10. Palindrome • The term palindrome is derived from two Greek words “palin” means again and “dromos” means way or direction. It is defined as a number, a word, a sentence, a symbol or even signs that can be read forward as well as backward or in reserve order with the same effects and meanings.

11. Oxymoron • Oxymoron, plural oxymora, is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. • e.g. “cruel kindness” or “living death.”

12. Assonance • When two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds. • Men sell the wedding bells.

13. Cliché • Cliché refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty. • A cliché may also refer to actions and events which are predictable because of some previous events.

14. 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.

15. Imagery • The use of figurative language to create visual representations of actions, objects and ideas in our mind in such a way that they appeal to our physical senses. • The room was dark and gloomy. • The river was roaring in the mountains.

16. Allusion • Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.

17. Epistrophe • Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect. • Ex: Lincoln's “of the people, by the people, for the people”