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Literary
devices
 INTRODUCTION
Literary devices are ways of taking writing beyond its
straightforward, literal meaning. In that sense, they are
techniques for helping guide the reader in how to read the
piece.

Central to all literary devices is a quality of connection: by

establishing or examining relationships between things.
 Analogy
An author who expects results
The word “analogy” comes from the from a first novel is in a position
Greek, roughly translated to mean similar to that of a man who
“proportional.” Analogies argue that drops a rose petal down the
two seemingly different items are Grand Canyon of Arizona and
“proportional” and, in doing so, build listens for the echo. —Cocktail
an argument about a larger issue. Time by P. G. Wodehouse

“A is to B as C is to D”
 Metaphor
Metaphors (by Sylvia Plath)

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,

Metaphors, also known as An elephant, a ponderous house,
indirect comparisons, are one A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
of the most common literary This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
devices. A metaphor is a Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
statement in which two I've eaten a bag of green apples,
objects, often unrelated, are Boarded the train there's no getting off.
compared to each other.
 Simile
Similes, also known as direct [you fit into me]
By Margaret Atwood
comparisons, are similar in
construction to metaphors, but they you fit into me
imply a different meaning. Like like a hook into an eye
metaphors, two unrelated objects are a fish hook
being compared to each other. an open eye

Unlike a metaphor, the comparison

relies on the words “like” or “as.”
Simile vs. Metaphor vs. Analogy Venn Diagram
 Irony
Irony is when the writer describes
something by using opposite As a real-life example, if
language. someone is having a bad day,
they might say they’re doing
“greaaaaaat”, clearly
It is a literary technique, originally used implying that they’re actually
in Greek tragedy, by which the full doing quite un-greatly.
significance of a character's words or
actions is clear to the audience or
reader although unknown to the
character
 Hyperbole
refers to any sort of exaggerated
description or statement.
"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Exercise : you can try writing a poem
or short piece about something Till China and Africa meet,
mundane, using more and more And the river jumps over the mountain
hyperbolic language with each line
or sentence. And the salmon sing in the street."

Hyperbole is just a dramatic word for

being over-dramatic
 Personification
Giving human attributes to "The moon played hide and
nonhuman objects. Also known as seek with the clouds."
anthropomorphism, personification is
a powerful way to foster empathy in "That piece of cake is calling
readers. my name"

It's often used to create more vivid

descriptions, set a mood, or convey
emotions.
 SYMBOLISM
A symbol is the use of an object to represent a
concept—it’s kind of like a metaphor, except more
concise

Symbolism makes the core ideas of writing concrete,

and also allows the writer to manipulate ideas. If a
rose represents love, what does a wilted rose or a
rose on fire represent?
A few very commonly used symbols include:

“Peace” represented by a white dove

“Love” represented by a red rose
“Conformity” represented by sheep
“Idea” represented by a light bulb switching on
JUXTAPOSITION
JUXTAPOSITION “All’s fair in love and war.”

“You're making a mountain

out of a molehill.”

Juxtaposition is an act or
instance of placing two
opposing elements close
An example of juxtaposition
together or side by side. This
are the quotes "Ask not what
is often done in order to your country can do for you;
compare/contrast the two, to ask what you can do for your
show similarities or country", and "Let us never
differences, etc. negotiate out of fear, but let
us never fear to negotiate”.
Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
where consecutive words in a
sentence or phrase begin with the And the silken, sad, uncertain
same consonant sound rustling of each purple curtain...

It's often used to create rhythm,

emphasize particular words, or
make phrases more memorable. It
enhances the flow of language,
making it more engaging and
persuasive
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a literary device "The Bells" by Edgar Allan
where a word imitates the natural Poe:
sound of a thing.
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
It helps create a vivid sensory In the icy air of night!
experience for the reader or
listener by bringing sounds to life
through text. It enhances the
expressiveness of language,
making descriptions more lively
and realistic.
 Pun
Pun is a form of wordplay that "Richard III" by William
exploits multiple meanings of a Shakespeare:
word, or words that sound alike but
have different meanings, to create Now is the winter of our
a humorous or rhetorical effect. discontent Made glorious
summer by this sun of York.
Puns are used to add humor, wit, or
cleverness to language. They can
lighten the tone of a conversation
or text, engage the audience, and
make the message more
memorable
 Oxymoron
Oxymoron is a figure of speech "Romeo and Juliet" by
where two contradictory terms are William Shakespeare:
combined to create a paradoxical
effect. "Parting is such sweet
sorrow."
They can add depth to
descriptions, convey irony, or
evoke curiosity by presenting
conflicting ideas that challenge the
reader's or listener's expectations
 Anaphora
Anaphora is a rhetorical device
that involves the repetition of a
"If" by Rudyard Kipling
word or phrase at the beginning of
successive clauses or sentences.
If you can keep your head
when all about you Are
This technique is used to
losing theirs and blaming it
emphasize a particular idea and
on you,
create a rhythmic effect. It is used
If you can trust yourself
to create emphasis, build
when all men doubt you...
momentum, and evoke emotional
responses. It makes the message
more powerful and memorable by
drawing attention to the repeated
phrases.
 Refrain
Refrain is a repeated line or group
of lines in a poem or song, typically
"Do Not Go Gentle into That
at the end of a stanza.
Good Night" by Dylan
Thomas:
It acts like a chorus, reinforcing the
theme or mood of the piece.
Do not go gentle into that
Refrains are used to emphasize
good night, Old age should
key ideas, create rhythm, and make
burn and rave at close of
the text or song more memorable.
day; Rage, rage against the
They also help to unify the
dying of the light.
structure of the work, providing a
sense of continuity and reinforcing
the emotional or thematic impact
Meter 'twas the night before
Pattern of stressed and unstressed/accented christmas, when all
and unaccented syllables in poetry
Requires systematic arrangement of grammar through the house
to give rhythm and flow
Often employed unconsciously
Meter in poetry follows a pattern
Feet in Meters - links of the chain not a creature was
Iamb Trochee stirring, not even a
Anapest Dactyl
mouse;
Synecdoche “mouths to feed”
Figure of speech “lend a hand”
Refer to an entity by addressing part of it
Very similar to Metonymy where referred part “hands on deck”
is the focus of the entity
Can be found in imagery and metaphors as “new shiny wheels”
well
“The world is too much with us” - World “the Crown’s powers”
references society and their possessions
“lend your ears”
“A wave of boots” - metaphor with synecdoche to
create the image of many soldiers
Zeugma (and Syllepsis)
“Here Thou, great
Grammatical device joins two objects Anna! whom three
Used to omit mentioning verb/preposition
twice Realms obey,
“He works his work, I mine" - “Ulysses”
Same verb for both objects omitted for latter Dost sometimes Counsel
Syllepsis is a subset for different meanings
“Mr Pickwick took his hat and his leave." take – and sometimes
Different phrases from same preposition

Since most commonly quoted examples of Zeugma

Tea."
are Syllepsis, meanings are close enough now to
use Zeugma for Syllepsis
Allusion “This is the way the
Reference to well-known world ends
event/person/phenomena/place
Offer shorter explanation by comparison to Not with a bang but a
something well-recognizes

“I randomly learnt about Pagani the automobile

whimper.”
company and then spent too much time reading up
on their history without realising how much time I
Pre-WW2 poem
had spent doing so”
VS
alludes to death of
“I went down a rabbit hole with Pagani”
civilisations
 What Allusion is not
ILLUSION ALLEGORY METAPHOR

Similar spellings but An entire work with Comparison to other

illusions are physical symbolism and imagery to common phenomena by
phenomena and associated compare to another mentioning said
with deceit phenomenon phenomena to draw direct
connection
 Conceit
A conceit is, essentially, an if we were to use ‘matchsticks’
extended metaphor. as a metaphor for love, we
could explore love in all its
In order for a metaphor to be a intensity: love as a stroke of
conceit, it must run through the luck against a matchbox strip,
entire poem and be the poem’s love as wildfire, love as
central device. Conceit ranks different matchbox designs,
among the most powerful literary love as phillumeny, etc.
devices in poetry.
 Apostrophe
Don’t confuse this with the
punctuation mark for possessive
Apostrophe is often employed
nouns—the literary device in admiration or longing, as we
apostrophe is different. often talk about things far away
in wistfulness or praise
Apostrophe describes any instance
when the speaker talks to a person
The word "apostrophe" comes
or object that is absent from the
from the Greek word
poem. Poets employ apostrophe
apostrephein, which means "to
when they speak to the dead or to a
turn away".
long lost lover,
 Epistrophe
Epistrophe is a literary device that from Shakespeare's The
involves repeating words or phrases Tempest, Prospero says:
at the end of sentences, clauses, or "Their whispers go unnoticed,
poetic lines. their tears go unnoticed, their
pain goes unnoticed."
The word comes from an ancient
Greek word meaning "turning back
upon". It can also be called epiphora The sky was dark, the forest
or antistrophe. was dark, and my thoughts
were dark."
 Sibilance
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's
The Rime of the Ancient
involves the repetition of soft Mariner:
consonant sounds, most commonly "The silken, sad, uncertain
"s," "sh," "ch," and "z." This repetition rustling of each purple
creates a hissing or whispering curtain..."
sound, often evoking a sense of
smoothness, serenity, or even
menace, depending on the context. The repeated "s" sounds mimic
the gentle rustling of curtains,
Sibilance is frequently used in poetry creating a soft and mysterious
to enhance the auditory experience atmosphere. The sibilance adds a
of the reader and to create a mood layer of auditory imagery that
or tone enhances the eerie tone of the
poem.
 Metonymy
“the pen is mightier than the
A metonymy is when the writer sword”
replaces “a part for a part,”
choosing one noun to describe a The pen is a metonymy for
different noun writing and the sword is a
metonymy for fighting.
In this sense, metonymy is very
similar to symbolism, because the
The word that replaces the
pen represents the idea of writing.
original one is called a
metonym. The word
The difference is, a pen is directly
"metonymy" comes from the
related to writing, whereas symbols
Greek word metōnymía, which
are not always related to the
means "change of name"
concepts they represent.
 Synecdoche Synecdoche: a part for a whole

Metonymy and synecdoche are Describing the car as “a nice

very similar poetic devices. set of wheels”

Synecdoche is a form of metonymy, Calling a laptop an “overpriced

but instead of “a part for a part,” sound system.”
the writer substitutes “a part for a
whole.” In other words, they
represent an object with only a
distinct part of the object.
 Synecdoche Synecdoche: a part for a whole

Since metonymy and synecdoche “And as imagination bodies forth

are forms of symbolism, they The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
appear regularly in poetry both Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.”
contemporary and classic.

Take, for example, this passage

from Shakespeare’s A Midsommar Shakespeare makes it seem like the poet’s
Night’s Dream: pen gives shape to airy wonderings, when in
fact it’s the poet’s imagination. Thus, the pen
becomes metonymous for the magic of
poetry—quite a lofty comparison, which only
a bard like Shakespeare could say.
 IMAGERY
Imagery can be both literal and figurative,
and it relies on the interplay of language
and sensation to create a sharper image in
your brain.

However, imagery doesn’t just involve

visual descriptions; the best writers use
imagery to appeal to all five senses.
 Visual Imagery
The most common type of imagery, which
describes what can be seen in the mind's
eye, such as colors, brightness, shape, and
movement.

"The sky was a clear azure, dotted with

fluffy, white clouds".
 Auditory imagery
Helps readers hear what is being described,
such as sounds.

"The leaves rustled in the wind,

whispering secrets as we passed"
 Olfactory imagery

Appeals to the reader's sense of smell.

"The sickly sweet smell of honeysuckle

blossom hung heavy in the air"
 Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery describes taste. It often

works hand in hand with olfactory imagery
(what’s taste without smell after all?)

‘As he bit into the juicy burger, a variety

of spices danced upon his tongue.’
 Tactile Imagery

Aappeals to the reader's sense of touch

and help them understand the textures and
sensations.

"The grass tickled her feet like soft

velvet"
420
EUPHEMISM
Euphemism is a polite or gentle way of saying something
that might be harsh, embarrassing, or unpleasant.
Instead of using a word that might offend or upset
someone, a nicer or softer word or phrase is used.

She left this world at dawn's soft She walked with grace and quiet
light, care,
To join the stars in endless night. Her figure full, yet light as air.
100
EMBJAMBMENT
Enjambment is a poetic technique where the thought or
clause flows from one line to the next without a terminal
punctuation mark, creating a sense of continuation and
often enhancing the poem's rhythm or meaning

The river flowed with stories untold,

The sky was dark and full of stars,
Carving its path through the ancient
As the night quietly whispered dreams.
stone.
100
INVERSION

Inversion, also known as "anastrophe," is when the

normal word order in a sentence is flipped around.

Bright is the moon that lights the night, In the garden blooms a rose so fair,
Calm are the winds that carry flight. Under the sky, it grows with care.
THANK YOU!