Literary
Devices
Alliteration: the repetition of the same
sound at the start of several words. For example, “my mother makes marvelous
muffins.”
Imagery: descriptive language involving
multiple senses to make a word picture. For example, “The sharp crack of the
frost shattered the inky night air.”
Irony: when a statement or situation means
something different from (or even opposite of) what is expected.
Metaphor: an implied comparison of two things
that are not alike. The comparison suggests that they do share a common
quality. For example, “Her words were a knife to my heart.”
Mood: The feeling that the author wants the
reader to have.
Onomatopoeia: words that imitate
sounds. For example, Bang!
Oxymoron: a device that combines contradictory
words for dramatic effect, for example, jumbo shrimp.
Personification: When objects, ideas, or
animals are given human qualities. For example, “The sun smiled down on me.”
Simile: A direct comparison between unlike
things using the word “like” or “as” to connect them. For example, “Potatoes
are like apples of the earth.”
Stereotypes: an oversimplified
picture, usually of a group of people, giving them all a set of
characteristics, without consideration of individual differences.
