Literary Devices

Literary Devices
A literary device is any specific aspect of literature, or a particular work, which we can
recognize, identify, interpret and/or analyse.

1. Alienation Effect
A term used to describe attempts by author or director to prevent the reader or
audience from identifying with, trusting, or taking for granted what is happening in
the text or on stage: such devices can include narrative interventions, disruptions of
mood and sequence, and introduction of non‐realistic effects.
Examples of such techniques include explanatory captions or illustrations projected
on a screen; actors stepping out of character to lecture, summarize, or sing songs; and
stage designs that do not represent any locality but that, by exposing the lights and
ropes, keep the spectators aware of being in a theatre.
2. Allegory
Allegory is a more or less symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a secondary
meaning (or meanings) not explicitly set forth in the literal narrative. Parables, myths,
and fables are all considered types of allegories. One example of an allegory is the
novel Animal Farm by George Orwell because it uses animals as main characters with
human characteristics.
3. Allusion
According to the Poetry Foundation, an allusion is a “brief, intentional reference to a
historical, mythic, or literary person, place, event, or movement.” Some common
allusion examples include: To my dog, our neighbourhood park is the Garden of
Eden. (alludes to the Christian Bible) I'm Juliet to your Romeo.
4. Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of an initial consonant sound in words that are in close
proximity to each other. By “close proximity,” we mean words that can be—but don't
have to be—consecutive. Perhaps the easiest way to recognize alliteration is to see it
in action, so take a look at these examples: Leapin' lizards!
5. Ambiguity
Ambiguity refers to the quality of being open to multiple interpretations. In literature,
ambiguity may occur with a character, word or phrase, plot point, image, trope, or
situation that can be understood in two or more possible ways.
6. Analogy
An analogy is a comparison between two things with the goal to make a larger point.
For example, “Life is like a mountain”.
7. Aphorism
An aphorism is a concise saying that's used to express a customary truth, such as
“imitation is the highest form of flattery.” Aphorisms are often used to communicate
negative connotations, like the saying “you made your bed, now you have to lie in it.”
8. Atmosphere
 Atmosphere refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys to a reader
through the description of setting and objects. In the Harry Potter tales, J.K. Rowling
spins a suspenseful and whimsical atmosphere.
9. Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, or intentions
to nonhuman entities or objects. For example, the anthropomorphic animals in The
Jungle Book have their own personalities, thoughts, and emotions.
10. Antagonist
In writing, an antagonist is defined as the character or force that opposes the
protagonist. This pushback creates conflict in the story and builds tension. An
antagonist can be anything opposing the protagonist: another character, the status quo,
forces of nature, or even the protagonist them self. Voldemort is an exceptional
example of an antagonist as he personifies the opposite of everything that Harry
stands for. Voldemort is scared of death and will do anything to achieve the goal of
immortality, including splitting his soul, killing innocent people, and showing no
mercy to anyone that gets in his way.
11. Apostrophe
As a literary device, apostrophe refers to a speech or address to a person who is not
present or to a personified object, such as Yorick's skull in Hamlet. It comes from the
Greek word apostrephein which means "to turn away."
12. Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together in a
sentence or verse. For example, “His tender heir might bear his memory” (William
Shakespeare, “Sonnet 1”). The “eh” sound in “tender,” “heir,” “bear,” and “memory”
is an assonant sound.
13. Anaphora
Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses,
sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect. Lincoln's "we cannot
dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground" is an example of
anaphora.
14. Anastrophe
Anastrophe is a literary device where the writer will rearrange the normal word order
to create a new effect with the sentence, saying, or idea. A basic example is putting the
object of the sentence before the subject or verb ("A chance will I take").
15. Anecdote
An anecdote is a short narrative, usually personal in nature. Someone might tell an
anecdote on a first date as a way to break the ice and get to know their partner.
Members of a family might share anecdotes about a family member who has died as a
way to process emotions and reminisce.
16. Antimetabole
In rhetoric, antimetabole the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in
transposed order; for example, "I know what I like, and I like what I know".
17. Antithesis
Antithesis is a literary device that positions opposite ideas parallel to each other.
Think heroes and villains, hot and cold, bitter and sweet. More light and light, more
dark and dark our woes!' (Act 3 Scene 5, line 36). This setting of word against word
(e.g. 'light' versus 'dark ') is one of Shakespeare's favourite language devices.
18. Apposition
An appositive is a noun phrase that comes after another noun phrase (its antecedent)
to provide extra information about it. For example, in the sentence “my wife, Dorothy,
enjoys musical theatre,” “Dorothy” is the appositive, with the antecedent “my wife.”
19. Asyndeton
An asyndeton is a literary device in which conjunctions—such as and, but, and or—
between words, phrases, or clauses are intentionally omitted while maintaining proper
grammar. They are used to add emphasis to what's being said, underline themes or
emotions, and speed up the rhythm. The most famous asyndeton example was said by
Julius Caesar following a quick battle his army won: “Veni, vidi, vici,” which
translates in English to “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
20. Antihero
An antihero is not your typical hero because he doesn't always possess purely good
qualities or personality traits. For example, while a hero is courageous in the face of
battle, an antihero might be afraid.
21. Ballad
All a ballad is, is a story accompanied by music: so a literary ballad could also be
defined as a narrative poem. A literary ballad is a poem that tells a tale without
music. ... In written form, Oscar Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a good
example.
22. Blank Verse
Blank verse is a category of poetry based on unrhymed lines and a definite meter,
usually of iambic pentameter, examples of which can be found in Shakespeare,
William Cullen Bryant, and Robert Frost.
23. Balance
Writers often balance similar words, phrases, and clauses to emphasize particular
ideas and create pleasing rhythms (e.g., To err is human, to forgive divine). In a
balanced sentence, phrases or clauses parallel each other by virtue of their likeness of
structure, meaning, or length.
24. Burlesque
A literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration
or comic imitation. A burlesque of Victorian society, mockery usually by caricature.
25. Chiasmus
Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the
following phrase, such that two key concepts from the original phrase reappear in the
second phrase in inverted order. The sentence "She has all my love; my heart belongs
to her," is an example of chiasmus.
26. Caricature
A caricature is a character with exaggerated features and traits. Think of the “wicked
stepmother” in the story Cinderella (1637) as an example of an intentional
stereotypical caricature.
27. Chorus
A chorus is part of a song or poem that is repeated following each verse. The Chorus
of a song or poem is the part where you repeat a verse or a phrase. There are various
patterns of repeat. For example, in Euripedes' tragedy Medea, the chorus is made up
of the women of Corinth (the city where the story takes place).
28. Chronicle
Chronicle, a usually continuous historical account of events arranged in order of time
without analysis or interpretation. Examples of such accounts date from Greek and
Roman times, but the best-known chronicles were written or compiled in the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance.
29. Catharsis
Catharsis is the use of strong feelings in literature to engage the reader in a type of
emotional purification. Often, tragedies like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Oedipus
the King are high-stakes and emotionally powerful enough to leave the audience
feeling purged of those emotions by the end of the play.
30. Character
A character is any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work. Characters
are essential to a good story, and it is the main characters that have the greatest effect
on the plot or are the most affected by the events of the story.
31. Circular Story
A Circular or Chain Story is a story that begins and ends in the same place, such
as Where the Wild Things Are or If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
32. Climax
The climax in a short story is the turning point where the protagonist confronts the
main conflict, creating the most intense moment. For example, in "The Lottery," the
climax occurs when Tessie discovery that she had "won" the lottery and was to be
stoned to death.
33. Conflict
A conflict is a literary device that presents the struggle between two sides due to a
disagreement in values, desires, motivations etc. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by
Margaret Atwood is an example of an external conflict of character vs. society.
34. Creative License
Creative (or "artistic") license is generally understood to mean the freedom artists
may take when handling factual material. From William Shakespeare to Peter Shaffer
(Amadeus) and beyond, history has inspired, but not controlled, artists.
35. Cacophony
Cacophony is a literary term that describes a blend of inharmonious sounds. It's used
often in poetry, usually to emphasize disorder, harshness, or violence with examples
 including the Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll or even popular tongue twisters like, 'She
sells seashells down by the seashore. '
36. Catalogue
A catalogue is a collection of people, objects, ideas, and other elements in list form
within poetry or prose. A writer can use this literary device when they want to list out
multiple things for a single purpose.
37. Characterization
Characterization can be defined as a literary device that writers use to describe and
provide information about specific characters in their work. Characterization can be
used to assess what a character's motivations are, what characters desire, fear, love,
and dislike.
38. Conceit
A conceit in literature is a type of figurative language in which the writer establishes a
comparison between two very different concepts or objects. Conceit is a specific use
of extended metaphor. Conceits in literature often use multiple metaphors,
juxtapositions, or similes to create and enhance the comparison. Example of Conceit
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far
more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be
wires, black wires grow on her head.”
39. Connotation
A connotation is a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main
meaning (the denotation). Often, a series of words can have the same basic
definitions, but completely different connotations—these are the emotions or
meanings implied by a word, phrase, or thing.
40. Consonance
Consonance is a literary device that occurs when two words have the same consonant
sound following different vowel sounds. For example, the words 'same' and 'home'
have the same 'm' sound, but the vowel sounds before it are different.
41. Convention
In literature, conventions are the defining characteristics, or must-haves, of a given
genre. Any aspiring gumshoe worth their weight in magnifying glasses will tell you
that detectives, suspects, and a hearty dose of foreshadowing are all conventions of
the mystery genre, for example.
42. Cliché
A cliché is a phrase or idea that has been used to the extent that it has lost its original
meaning—and its allure. “All that glitters is not gold.” If you've heard an expression
like this a thousand times, it is probably a cliché.
43. Colloquialism
Colloquialism is everyday language used by people of a certain region. In the UK,
you might leave your “flat” to go to the “football” game, while in the US, you'd leave
your “apartment” to go to the “soccer” game. Colloquial language is casual and
conversational.
44. Comedy
Comedy is a genre that places characters in amusing situations for the sake of humour.
Comedy is often placed in opposition to tragedy. Some of the famous Shakespearean
comedies include Much Ado About Nothing (1598–99), Twelfth Night (1601–02), and
The Tempest (1611).
45. Couplet
A couplet is two lines of poetry that usually rhyme. Here's a famous couplet: "Good
night! Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow / That I shall say good night till it be
morrow."
46. Confessional Poetry
It has been described as poetry of the personal or "I", focusing on extreme moments
of individual experience, the psyche, and personal trauma, including previously and
occasionally still taboo matters such as mental illness, sexuality, and suicide, often set
in relation to broader social themes. A very famous example is Sylvia Plath's
Confessional Poem 'Daddy' (1965). In the poem, she compares her father to a Nazi
and herself to a Jew during the Holocaust. She openly discusses a hatred for her father
and speaks of her own suicide attempts.
47. Denouement
The denouement of the story is the ending. It is the point where all conflicts have been
resolved and leave the reader with closure. Denouement directly follows the climax
and falling action of a story. Sometimes, it may be combined with the climax, though
most often it takes place after an event. For example, the denouement of William
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet comes just after Romeo and Juliet take their own
lives.
48. Diction
Diction is best described as the selection of words an author uses to create a specific
impact or tone in their writing. Word choice is an important part of diction — the
words an author selects and incorporates in their work can change how a reader
experiences a piece.
49. Drama
Drama is a mode of representing fictional or non-fictional narratives through a
performance before an audience. They are meant to be seen and heard, not read. A
notable example of a drama in literature is Macbeth (1623) by William Shakespeare.
50. Dialect
In literature, “dialect” means a form of writing that shows the accent and way people
talk in a particular region.
51. Didactic
Didacticism is defined as the type of literature that is meant to instruct or teach
something. John Milton's epic Paradise Lost and Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man
are famous examples.
52. Diatribe
 A diatribe also known less formally as rant, is a lengthy oration, though often reduced
to writing, made in criticism of someone or something, often employing humour,
sarcasm, and appeals to emotion.
53. Effusion
An effusion is an explosion of something, usually words, ideas, or emotions. A
popular singer might inspire an effusion of cheers from her devoted fans. Mozart is
known for the effusion of notes he could produce at a moment's notice — and all
without erasing.
54. Episode
An episode is a series of actions or events that take place at one time in a work of
literature. It was a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work. He tried to forget
the whole embarrassing episode. a painful episode from my childhood Millions of
people are expected to watch the show's final episode.
55. Event
In literature, events are what happens in the story. Events involve actions. The main
events are the most important events in the story, while the plot is the main events
presented in order.
56. Exposition
The literary term 'exposition' refers to the background information about a story's
main characters and setting. For example, when we first meet Bilbo Baggins in The
Hobbit, we understand that his family has lived in The Hill forever and has never had
any adventures.
57. Enjambment
Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For
example, the poet John Donne uses enjambment in his poem "The Good-Morrow"
when he continues the opening sentence across the line break between the first and
second lines: "I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I / Did, till we loved?
58. Epigram
Epigrams often include a twist at the end, which adds humour or irony to the
statement or turns it into satire. For example, this quote from Albert Einstein is a well-
known epigram: “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its
limits.” The epigram is brief, clever, and a little snarky.
59. Epitaph
An epitaph is an inscription on a gravestone. Famous for his comedic jabs at the City
of Brotherly Love, writer W.C. Fields once said he wanted "I'd rather be living in
Philadelphia" as the epitaph on his tombstone.
60. Euphony
Euphony is a literary term that refers to the combining of words to create a pleasing
sound. It can be found in poetry, literature, songs, and every day speech.
Shakespeare's language is a good example of euphony: pleasant, musical sounds in
harmony, as with “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow / Creeps in this petty
pace from day to day.”
61. Elegy
An elegy is a poem, and it has a particular kind of emotion driving it. That emotion is
lament, meaning to feel and express sorrow, and to mourn for something — and, yes,
elegies are very often about someone who has died, but it might also be something
that has died, say, a feeling, or a relationship. The most well-known form of elegy; "O
Captain My Captain" (for Abraham Lincoln) and "Lycidas" (for John Milton's friend)
are dedicated to the loss of one person.
62. Epanalepsis
Epanalepsis is a figure of speech in which the beginning of a clause or sentence is
repeated at the end of that same clause or sentence, with words intervening.
63. Epic
Epic is a long, often book-length, narrative in verse form that retells the heroic
journey of a single person or group of persons. The ancient Babylonian priest, Sin-
leqi-unninni, recorded the tale of Gilgamesh, the story of a young hero who gains
wisdom through his adventures.
64. Epistrophe
Epistrophe is the repetition of the final element of a structure. This could be the
repetition of a single word or an entire clause or sentence. For example, in the poet
Walt Whitman's Song of Myself (1855), the final three words are repeated at the end
of each line.
65. Epithet
Adjective or phrase that is used to express a characteristic of a person or thing, such
as Ivan the Terrible. In literature, the term is considered an element of poetic diction,
something that distinguishes the language of poetry from ordinary language.
66. Essay
An essay is a nonfiction composition that explores a concept, argument, idea, or
opinion from the personal perspective of the writer.
67. Euphemism
A euphemism is a word or phrase that softens an uncomfortable topic. It uses
figurative language to refer to a situation without having to confront it. For example,
if someone was recently fired, they might say they are between jobs, a common
euphemism for being unemployed.
68. End Stop
End-stopped refers to a metrical line containing a complete phrase or sentence, or a
poetic line ending with punctuation. The punctuation could be internal (e.g. comma,
semi-colon, colon, em dashes), or external (e.g. period, exclamation mark, question
mark). In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day!
69. Figurative Speech
Figurative language is a literary. device that uses words or phrases for effect,
humorous, or exaggeration. purposes, instead of their literal translation. It is
commonly used to create. an emotional reaction, especially in fiction, and to make
reading more. If you say “that news hit me like a ton of bricks,” you are using
 figurative language; listeners understand the news you got was deeply moving, and
also know that you were not actually hit by 2000 pounds of bricks (because if you had
been you would be dead).
70. Foot
A poetic foot is “a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. Poetic
feet are based on the number of syllables in each foot. Two of the most common feet
in English poetry are the iamb and the trochee. Both are made up of just two syllables.
71. Free Verse
Free verse is a poetic style that does not feature a set meter or rhyme scheme.
Parallelism, or repeated grammatical structures, is a common feature of free verse
poems, as are creative line breaks. William Carlos Williams's short poem “The Red
Wheelbarrow” is written in free verse.
72. Fable
The fable definition in literature is a brief, simplistic tale told to convey a moral, or
lesson to the reader about how to behave in the world. The characters in fables are
often animals, but sometimes they are also inanimate objects. Examples include ''The
Tortoise and the Hare'' and ''The Country Mouse and the City Mouse.
73. Farce
A farce (FARSS) is a literary work that contains ridiculous plots, exaggerated
characters, and over-the-top situations for comedic effect. Farces are most associated
with theatre; many comedic plays, from antiquity to the modern day, are farces
because of their overstated humour and buffoonery. Films like The Three Stooges
(2012), the Home Alone movies (1990–1997), The Pink Panther movies (1963–
1993), and The Hangover movies (2009–2013) can be called farces.
74. Flashback
Flashbacks in literature are all about discovering a character's past to help build the
story. Take this flashback example: The backfiring of the bus sent the older man
spiralling back to his youth. He could hear the guns firing and his comrades shouting.
75. Foil
A foil character is a literary element that serves as a contrast to the main character, or
the protagonist. The foil's personality traits, attributes, values, or motivations serve to
highlight the traits of the protagonist. If the protagonist is brave, the foil is timid.
Hamlet's foils are Claudius, Laertes, Horatio, Polonius, Ophelia, and Fortinbras.
76. Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device that alludes to a later point in the story. For
example, if a character mentions offhandedly that bad things always happen to them
in autumn, then the observant reader will be alert when the leaves in the story begin to
fall.
77. Falling Action
Falling action is the period of time in a story that follows the climax and leads to the
resolution. It can be used to clarify the events of the climax, ease any built-up tension,
or wrap up loose ends. It is followed by the resolution, which provides the final
 conclusion to the story. During the falling action of "Little Red Riding Hood," a
woodsman hears Red's cries and rescues her from the wolf.
78. Flash Forward
In literature, film and television, a flash-forward is a short scene in which the action
jumps ahead to the future of the narrative. It takes a narrative forward in time from its
current action.
79. Genre
Genre is the classification of a literary work by its form, content, and style into
categories such as poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. From there, literature can be
further classified into subgenres.
80. Gothic
The term Gothic novel broadly refers to stories that combine elements from horror
and romanticism. The Gothic novel often deals with supernatural events, or events
occurring in nature that cannot be easily explained or over which man has no control,
and it typically follows a plot of suspense and mystery. For example, the novel The
Castle of Otranto is set in a castle with mysterious, supernatural events and an
innocent female victim.
81. Hyperbole
Hyperbole in literature is a device in which an author creates an over-exaggerated
situation or image for emotional effect. A famous example is Jonathan Swift's "A
Modest Proposal," in which Swift uses the hyperbole of suggesting that poor Irish
citizens eat or sell their children to solve their poverty problems.
82. Hubris
It means arrogance and excessive pride. This can be something a character feels
internally, but it usually translates to the character's actions. A modern, real-life
example of hubris might be a politician who thinks he's too beloved to lose an election
and chooses to skip campaigning.
83. Hype
To advertise or praise something a lot in newspapers, on television, online, etc. in
order to make people excited about it and want to buy or try it: Over-enthusiastic
followers hyped this company to the moon and now sales are failing to match those
heady expectations.
84. Hamartia
Hamartia is a literary term with two definitions: a fatal mistake (usually used in the
context of Greek tragedies) or a fatal flaw (more common in literary works written
after the advent of Christianity). A hamartia is something that causes a character's
downfall. The clearest example of hamartia is Oedipus Rex.
85. Imagery
In literature, imagery refers to words that trigger the reader to recall images, or mental
pictures, that engage one of the five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch.
Imagery is one of the strongest literary techniques because it connects to the personal
experiences, or memories, of the reader.
86. Inference
An inference is a conclusion you reach by applying logic to the evidence you are
given. Making inferences while reading is a strategy that will help you learn,
remember, and apply what you have read. When you make inferences you are
"reading between the lines". A famous example of a poem that uses inference is 'The
Eagle' by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
87. Internal Rhyme
A rhyme involving a word in the middle of a line and another at the end of the line or
in the middle of the next. I went to town to buy a gown. / I took the car, and it wasn't
far. I had a cat who wore a hat. / He looked cool but felt the fool.
88. Irony
Irony in literature is a situation where there is a contrast between reality and
expectations. The powerful literary device, irony, occurs when the actual meaning of a
word is the opposite of what is stated, thereby showing an incongruity, that is, a
situation at odds with what is true or real. The novel Pride and Prejudice is an
example of irony. Verbal irony is when someone uses one word to mean the opposite
of the literal meaning of a word. Sarcasm is an example of verbal irony. Situational
irony occurs in a story when the outcome is opposite of what is expected. Dramatic
irony is when the audience or reader knows something that the characters don't.
89. Iambic Pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a rhythmic pattern that consists of ten syllables per line, with
alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. The pattern that emerges sounds like
this: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.
90. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition means placing two unrelated things next to each other to highlight their
differences. This technique is a subtle way to encourage the reader to compare and
contrast two or more elements in a story: characters, settings, events, moods, and
more. All's fair in love and war. ' - Love and war aren't opposites, but there are many
obvious differences between the two.
91. Litotes
A Litotes is a rhetorical device that always makes an affirmative statement by
expressing the negative of its contrary, often (but not always) by using negative words
like ''not'' or ''can't.” From Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Elizabeth Bennett: “He
looks miserable, poor soul.” Charlotte Lucas: “Miserable he may be, but poor he most
certainly is not.” What they mean: He's plenty wealthy.
92. Local Colour
Local colour refers to clothes, mannerisms, customs, and language that define a
particular place or time. Local Colour novels are an offshoot of regionalism literature
that sentimentalizes history. Local Colour fiction was influenced by Southwest
humour, Down East humour, and Romanticism. Examples of local colour in literature
include: Ramona (1884) written by Helen Hunt Jackson. The Luck of Roaring Camp,
and Other Sketches (1870) written by Bret Harte.
93. Loose Sentence
A loose or cumulative sentence is one in which the main idea (independent clause)
comes first, followed by dependent clauses and phrases; therefore, a loose sentence
makes complete sense if brought to a close before the actual ending: e.g., “We reached
Edmonton that morning after a turbulent flight and some exciting experiences, tired
but still exhilarated, full of stories to tell our friends and neighbours.”
94. Lyric Poem
Lyric poetry is one of the major types of poetry. It typically focuses on presenting the
thoughts, feelings, and emotions of an individual. It is often presented from the first-
person view of the speaker of the poem or from the point of view of another character.
Lyric verse is frequently but not always told in present tense. Common characteristics
of lyric poetry include the use of figurative language such as metaphors and similes,
and intense descriptions of emotions, experiences, and observations.
95. Ludic
It can refer to architecture that is playful, narrative that is humorous and even satirical,
and literature that is light. Ludic is ultimately from the Latin noun ludus, which refers
to a whole range of fun things—stage shows, games, sports, even jokes.
96. Magic Realism
Magical realism portrays fantastical events in an otherwise realistic tone. It brings
fables, folk tales, and myths into contemporary social relevance. Fantasy traits given
to characters, such as levitation, telepathy, and telekinesis, help to encompass modern
political realities that can be phantasmagorical.
97. Metafiction
Metafiction occurs in fictional stories when the story examines the elements of fiction
itself. For example, a story that explores how stories are made by commenting on
character types, how plots are formed, or other aspects of storytelling is engaged in an
example of metafiction.
98. Meter
Meter describes the rhythm (or pattern of beats) in a line of poetry. Meter is a
combination of the number of beats and the arrangement of stressed and non-stressed
syllables in each line. Iambic pentameter is a primary example of meter.
99. Metaphor
Metaphor is a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. With
metaphor, the qualities of one thing are figuratively carried over to another. For
example, the metaphor “you are a clown” is not literal but rather used to emphasize a
specific, implied quality (in this case, “foolishness”).
100. Motif
A motif is any distinctive feature or idea that recurs across a story; often, it helps
develop other narrative elements such as theme or mood. In Shakespeare's
play Macbeth, he uses a variety of narrative elements to create many different
motifs. Imagistic references to blood and water are continually repeated. The phrase
"fair is foul, and foul is fair" is echoed at many points in the play, a combination that
 mixes the concepts of good and evil. The play also features the central motif of
the washing of hands, one that combines both verbal images and the movement of the
actors.
101. Metonymy
Metonymy figure of speech in which the name of an object or concept is replaced
with a word closely related to or suggested by the original, as “crown” to mean “king”
(“The power of the crown was mortally weakened”) or an author for his works (“I’m
studying Shakespeare”).
102. Mood
In literature, mood is the emotional response that a writer wants to give the reader in a
creative, persuasive or personal piece of writing. It's all about feeling, and is strangely
hard to put into words for that reason. It creates an atmosphere, and tells the reader
how to feel about what they are reading.
103. Melodrama
Melodrama is a literary or dramatic genre in which standard tropes and elements are
exaggerated to elicit emotional responses from audiences or readers. Usually, in
melodramas, characters exhibit overly emotional behaviours, and events are
extremely sensationalised, creating a kind of outlandish and unrealistic tone. For
example, The Pursuit of Happyness is often described as a Melodrama. The film is
undoubtedly emotional but it doesn't qualify because the story of the film is based on
a true story and unfolds with a realistic plot with realistic characters.
104. Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is one way a poet can create sounds in a poem. An onomatopoeia is a
word that actually looks like the sound it makes, and we can almost hear those sounds
as we read. Here are some words that are used as examples of onomatopoeia: slam,
splash, bam, babble, warble, gurgle, mumble, and belch.
105. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words (as in Shakespeare's line
from Romeo and Juliet, "Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!"). A paradox is a
statement or argument that seems to be contradictory or to go against common sense,
but that is yet perhaps still true—for example, "less is more."
106. Ode
An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an idea, or an event. In ancient
Greece, odes were originally accompanied by music—in fact, the word “ode” comes
from the Greek word aeidein, which means to sing or to chant. A famous example is
John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Apparently, Keats was really into urns.
107. Parallel Story
Parallel storylines – also called parallel narratives or parallel plots – are story
structures where the writer incorporates two or more separate stories. They're usually
linked by a common character, event, or theme. Finding Nemo is a great example.
You have Marlin's story of trying to find his son and the story of Nemo trying to
 escape from the dentist's fish aquarium. Both stories run parallel and, of course,
connect at key points, especially when they meet up into one plot at the end.
108. Paradox
Paradox, apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is
revealed only by careful scrutiny. The purpose of a paradox is to arrest attention and
provoke fresh thought. The statement “Less is more” is an example.
109. Parody
Parody, in literature, an imitation of the style and manner of a particular writer or
school of writers. Parody is typically negative in intent: it calls attention to a writer's
perceived weaknesses or a school's overused conventions and seeks to ridicule them.
110. Personification
Personification is defined as “the attribution of human characteristics to things,
abstract ideas, etc., as for literary or artistic effect”, and “the representation of an
abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc., as in art and literature”,
according to the Collins Dictionary. The stars winked in the night sky. Stars, having
no eyes, cannot wink. But when you see this phrase, you know that they're twinkling.
111. Plot
Early 20th-century English novelist E. M. Forster described plot as the cause-and-
effect relationship between events in a story. According to Forster, "The king died,
and then the queen died, is a story, while The king died, and then the queen died of
grief, is a plot." A linear plot is one told from beginning to end in order. An episodic
plot is one with various smaller stories all telling part of a larger narrative. A
flashback plot is one where the main action is told via memories or retellings. A
parallel plot is one where two or more storylines occur simultaneously as part of the
narrative.
112. Poetic Justice
Poetic justice in literature describes a literary device in which evil characters are
punished or brought to justice for their actions, and good characters are rewarded.
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles: A play that follows the King of Thebes, Oedipus, as he
seeks out the murderer of Laius, the previous king. The story takes on an ironic
manner as Oedipus eventually discovers that he is the murderer and gouges out his
own eyes as justice for his actions.
113. Point of View
The term point of view, or POV, refers to who is telling or narrating the story. The
three ways a story can be narrated are first person, second person, or third person
point of view. First person narrators are inside the story and refer to themselves with
'I' or 'me.
114. Pun
A pun is a joke based on the interplay of homophones — words with the same
pronunciation but different meanings. It can also play with words that sound similar,
but not exactly the same. The joke’s humour (if any) comes from the confusion of the
two meanings. I can’t remember which state my wife wanted to visit for our next
 vacation — it’s OK, Alaska. Read the joke out loud: “Alaska” sounds like “I’ll ask
her.”
115. Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character in a work of literature or movie. The reader
identifies with the protagonist, and the protagonist brings a resolution to the conflict
in the story. Protagonists not only seek resolution, but they undergo some sort of
change as well.
116. Parable
A parable is a short tale that illustrates a universal truth; it is a simple narrative. It
sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It may sometimes be
distinguished from similar narrative types, such as the allegory and the apologue. The
parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Prodigal Son are just two
examples of the many parables attributed to Jesus, as recorded in the four gospels.
117. Picaresque
A picaresque novel is defined as a type of adventure fiction story focusing on a rogue
character who travels from place to place. These novels are usually written in a first-
person narrative perspective, are episodic in nature, and may involve romantic
elements. Picaresque novels originated in Spain in 1554. Examples of English
picaresque novels are The Pickwick Papers, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and
The Adventures of Augie March.
118. Periodic and Loose Sentence
Periodic sentences are sentences that place the main clause at the end of a sentence.
Loose sentences place the main clause of a sentence at the beginning of a sentence.
Together, periodic and loose sentences help writers control the emotional pace of a
piece of writing.
119. Quatrain
A quatrain is a four-line stanza of poetry. It can be a single four-line stanza, meaning
that it is a stand-alone poem of four lines, or it can be a four-line stanza that makes up
part of a longer poem.
120. Pathetic Fallacy
Pathetic fallacy is the attribution of human emotion to inanimate objects, nature, or
animals. Writers use the pathetic fallacy to evoke a specific mood or feeling that
usually reflects their own or a character's internal state. Pathetic fallacy examples The
sun was smiling down upon him. The raindrops wept around her.
121. Repetition/Refrain
Refrain is a repeated word, line, or phrase in a poem. The part of a refrain that is
repeated and that is a single word is called the 'repetend'. Refrain is typically found at
the end of a line in a stanza of a poem. The effect of refrain is that the repetition of a
word, line or phrase emphasises a chosen idea.
122. Realism
Realism is a literary genre that presents ordinary day-to-day experiences. Realism
often focuses on middle and lower class members of society. The purpose of literary
 realism is to tell truthful stories of everyday people and their day-to-day lives, and it
does so without dramatizing or romanticising these stories.
123. Rhyme
A rhyme is the repetition of sounds between two words, usually the sounds after the
final stressed syllable of each word. Cat-hat, rotten-forgotten, and heard-bird are
examples of rhyming pairs of words; their sounds match after the last stressed
syllable.
124. Rhetoric
Rhetoric refers to the study and uses of written, spoken and visual language. It
investigates how language is used to organize and maintain social groups, construct
meanings and identities, coordinate behaviour, mediate power, produce change, and
create knowledge.
125. Rhetorical Question
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a rhetorical question as “a
question asked for the sake of persuasive effect rather than as a genuine request for
information, the speaker implying that the answer is too obvious to require a reply”.
Famous example of rhetorical questions comes from Shakespeare's The Merchant of
Venice. If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you
poison us, do we not die?
126. Romance
In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that
involves a mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line where the focus is on a
quest that involves bravery and strong values, not always a love interest.
127. Resolution
Resolution is the final part of a story's plot structure. The plot structure is divided
between the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. In literary
works, a resolution in the plot occurs when the conflict is resolved and loose end have
been tied up. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Hamlet is seeking revenge on his father's
death. Hamlet learns it is his uncle, Claudius, that murdered his father. The resolution
is brought about when he finally murders Claudius.
128. Rising Action
The rising action is a series of events that ratchets up the tension until a pivotal
moment. In Freytag's model, the climax occurs at the story's midpoint and marks the
end of the rising action. An example of this would be when Romeo kills Tybalt in
the third act of Romeo and Juliet.
129. Setting
Setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. Following are some examples:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis takes place in an old, English
mansion during World War II and in a fantasy world called Narnia, which is caught in
perpetual winter.
130. Simile
 A simile is a rhetorical device used to compare two things (typically using the words
“like,” “as,” or “than”). Many common expressions are similes, including: “as quiet as
a mouse,” “as strong as an ox,” and “as fit as a fiddle.”
131. Sentimental
The sentimental novel, also known as the novel of sentimentality, is a literary genre
that focuses on the exploration of emotions, particularly those associated with
sentiment, sympathy, and sensibility. This genre often portrays characters who are
highly sensitive and prone to intense emotional experiences. The various examples of
the sentimental novel include Samuel Johnson's Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded, and
Oliver Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield.
132. Symbolism
In literature, symbolism is the use of any person, situation, or object to represent an
idea of some sort. Symbolism can come in a variety of formats: water as a
symbolization of rebirth, fall representing time change and growth, or the colour
yellow as a representation of happiness are all common examples.
133. Structure
The definition of literary structure is that it is the organization of a story's various
elements, including plot, characters, and themes. It forms a frame that helps a reader
understand how a story's elements tie together. An example of structure in western
literature is the three-act structure. It arranges various elements of plot (exposition,
rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement) and setting into three distinct
acts of a beginning, middle, and end.
134. Satire
Satire is the use of humour, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or
someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but
satirists can take aim at other targets as well—from societal conventions to
government policies. Gulliver's Travels is an example of satire.
135. Sibilance
Sibilance is a type of literary device and figure of speech wherein a hissing sound is
created in a group of words through the repetition of 's' sounds. For example, “Sarah's
silly sister swallowed her sweet.” Sibilance can also include more than just 's' sounds.
136. Style
Style in literature is the literary element that describes the ways that the author uses
words — the author's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and
sentence arrangement all work together to establish mood, images, and meaning in the
text.
137. Soliloquy
A soliloquy is when a character in a dramatic work speaks directly to the audience,
expressing their inner thoughts. A soliloquy is a literary device that allows audience
members to know what a character thinks or believes, providing an audience a way to
better understand a character. In Shakespeare's plays, for example, there are many
 speeches that begin with a character saying something like “Now I am alone.” And
you know you are about to experience a soliloquy.
138. Suspense
In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or
conflict (which may be heightened by a violent moment, stressful scene, puzzle,
mystery, etc.), particularly as it affects a character for whom the audience feels
sympathy.
139. Syllogism
A syllogism is a three-part logical argument, based on deductive reasoning, in which
two premises are combined to arrive at a conclusion. So long as the premises of the
syllogism are true and the syllogism is correctly structured, the conclusion will be
true. An example of a syllogism is "All mammals are animals.
140. Synecdoche
Synecdoche refers to a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for
the whole (as hired hand for "worker"), or less commonly, a whole represents a part
(as when society denotes "high society").
141. Syntactic Fluency
Syntactic fluency (also known as syntactic maturity or syntactic complexity) refers
to the ability to manipulate a variety of sentence structures effectively.
142. Syntactic Permutation
Sentence structures that are extraordinarily complex and involved. They are often
difficult for the reader to follow. “They were ready to go to church; the beautiful
bride, Mr. Lorry, and Miss Pross – to whom the event, through a gradual process of
reconcilement to the inevitable, would have been one of absolute bliss, but for the yet
lingering consideration that her brother Solomon should have been the bridegroom.”
Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
143. Speaker
The speaker in poetry refers to the voice adopted by the author. The literary definition
of a speaker encompasses the author's persona or perspective; that is, the point of
view from which the author is expressing the poem's message. It is important to note
that the speaker may be separate from the author.
144. Sarcasm
Sarcasm refers to the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to
say, especially in order to insult someone, or to show irritation, or just to be funny.
For example, saying "they're really on top of things" to describe a group of people
who are very disorganized is using sarcasm.
145. Sonnet
The sonnet is a strict poetic form with fourteen lines consisting of an octave and
sestet. Often, sonnets make use of iambic pentameter and a specific rhyme scheme.
Whether examining love or hate, politics or religion, everyday beauty or ugliness,
poets can use the sonnet form's framework to create a remarkable poem.
146. Stanza
 In poetry, a stanza is used to describe the main building block of a poem. It is a unit of
poetry composed of lines that relate to a similar thought or topic—like a paragraph in
prose or a verse in a song.
147. Theme
A theme is the inferred stance taken on the central topic or message of a story. Think
love for example: love may be the topic, but learning to love yourself may be the
theme. Themes are used to communicate important ideas and messages about issues
that face the characters and the setting of a narrative.
148. Tone
In writing, tone reveals the narrator's attitude as conveyed by their specific word
choice. For instance, you could show your characters attending a party and have the
tone be excited, depressed, sarcastic, frightened, or hopeful. These communicate the
way the narrator feels about the situation.
149. Tall Tale
Tall tales are stories about extraordinary characters compared to people in real life.
They are usually funny and entertaining. The main characters in a tall tale are
extraordinary with physical attributes that are not comparable with the average
human. These tales are considered exaggerations. The following are examples of tall
tales: Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Calamity Jane, Casey Jones,
Daniel Boone and Jim Bowie.
150. Tragedy
Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or
terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. By extension the term
may be applied to other literary works, such as the novel. A tragic hero is the
protagonist of a tragic story or drama, in which, despite their virtuous and sympathetic
traits and ambitions, they ultimately meet defeat, suffering, or even an untimely end.
They are often imperfect or wounded with some sort of fraught experience, and
typically have some sort of fatal flaw.
151. Tricolon
This could be how long each portion is, the syllables, or the words used in the phrase.
One famous example comes from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who is credited
with: “Be sincere, be brief, be seated.” This is a great example of how the third part of
a tricolon can surprise the reader.
152. Trait
Character traits are often shown with descriptive adjectives, like patient, faithful, or
jealous. A character trait might also have something to do with the way character
looks: they might be tall, or short, wear a heavy coat, or maybe never wear a coat, but
don't forget a character trait is also how a character acts.
153. Understatement
An understatement is a literary device used to downplay a situation as less serious,
less significant, or smaller than it really is. Understatements are typically used to
emphasize the very quality they downplay. For example, if someone says, "It seems to
 be raining a little," in the middle of a hurricane, that would be an understatement; the
speaker thereby draws attention to the rain by downplaying the amount falling. The
opposite of an understatement is hyperbole.
154. Unity
Unity means that each paragraph has only one main idea (expressed in the topic
sentences) and that all other sentences and details in that paragraph revolve around
that main idea. If a sentence or detail does not adhere closely to the central idea
expressed in the topic sentence, it does not belong in that paragraph.
155. Versification
Something that has been written in the form of a poem, especially one whose lines
have a regular rhythm: The Aeneid is an epic versification of the myth of Aeneas. His
poems and humorous versifications were later published.
156. Vernacular
Vernacular is a term for the commonalities of casual speech shared by a particular
group of people. Slang and regionally specific words are two examples of vernacular.

Writing Movements and Styles To Know

1. Impressionism
A nineteenth-century movement in literature and art which advocated a recording
of the artist’s personal impressions of the world, rather than a strict representation
of reality.
2. Modernism
A term for the bold new experimental styles and forms that swept the arts during
the first third of the twentieth century.
3. Naturalism
A nineteenth century literary movement that was an extension of realism and that
claimed to portray life exactly as it was.
4. Plain Style
Writing style that stresses simplicity and clarity of expression (but will still utilize
allusions and metaphors), and was the main form of the Puritan writers.
5. PURITANISM
Writing style of America’s early English-speaking colonists. emphasizes
obedience to God and consists mainly of journals, sermons, and poems.
6. RATIONALISM
A movement that began in Europe in the seventeenth century, which held that we
can arrive at truth by using our reason rather than relying on the authority of the
past, on the authority of the Church, or an institution. ALSO CALLED
NEOCLASSICISM AND AGE OF REASON
7. REALISM
A style of writing, developed in the nineteenth century, that attempts to depict life
accurately without idealizing or romanticizing it.
8. REGIONALISM
Literature that emphasizes a specific geographic setting and that reproduces the
speech, behaviour, and attitudes of the people who live in that region.
9. ROMANTICISM
A revolt against Rationalism that affected literature and the other arts, beginning
in the late eighteenth century and remaining strong throughout most of the
nineteenth century.
10. SURREALISM
In movement in art and literature that started in Europe during the 1920s.
Surrealists wanted to replace conventional realism with the full expression of the
unconscious mind, which they considered to be more real than the “real” world of
appearances.
11. SYMBOLISM
A literary movement that originated in late nineteenth century France, in which
writers rearranged the world of appearances in order to reveal a more truthful
version of reality.
12. TRANSCENDENTALISM
A nineteenth century movement in the Romantic tradition , which held that every
individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends
reasons and sensory experience.

TIME LINE:
Puritanism 1620 - 1770s
Neoclassic 1770s - early 1800s
Romanticism early 1800s - 1870s
Realism 1850s -early 1900s
Regionalism 1884 - early 1900s
Naturalism - late 1800s - mid 1900s
Modernism - 1920s - [1945]
[Post-Modernism - 1945 - ]