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What is a literary device?
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Literary devices and terms are the techniques and elements—from figures of speech to narrative devices to poetic meters—that writers use to create narrative literature, poetry, speeches, or any other form of writing.
- read full acrostic explanation with examples
The acrostich typically bears a special meaning in relation...
- read full allegory explanation with examples
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually...
- read full alliteration explanation with examples
Alliteration Definition. What is alliteration? Here’s a...
- read full anadiplosis explanation with examples
Anadiplosis Definition. What is anadiplosis? Here’s a quick...
- read full analogy explanation with examples
A cognitive scientist or a lawyer would have a different...
- read full anaphora explanation with examples
Anaphora Definition. What is anaphora? Here’s a quick and...
- read full antagonist explanation with examples
Antagonist Definition. What is an antagonist? Here’s a quick...
- read full antanaclasis explanation with examples
Here Pistol uses two meanings of the word "steal." In the...
- read full anthropomorphism explanation with examples
Anthropomorphism Definition. What is anthropomorphism?...
- read full antimetabole explanation with examples
Antimetabole Definition. What is antimetabole? Here’s a...
- read full acrostic explanation with examples
- What Are Literary devices?
- Literary Devices List: 14 Common Literary Devices
- 16–27. Common Literary Devices in Poetry
- 28–37. Common Literary Devices in Prose
- 38–48. Repetition Literary Devices
- 49–57. Dialogue Literary Devices
- 58–67. Word Play Literary Devices
- 68–72. Parallelism Literary Devices
- 73–112. Rhetorical Devices
- Master These Common Literary Devices with Writers.Com!
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, literary devices encourage the reader to perceive an...
There are a lot of literary devices to cover, each of which require their own examples and analysis. As such, we will start by focusing on common literary devices for this article: literary devices that can be found in both poetry and prose. With each device, we’ve included examples in literature and exercises you can use in your own creative writi...
The following 12 devices apply to both poetry and prose writers, but they appear most often in verse. Learn more about: 1. Anaphora 2. Conceit 3. Apostrophe 4. Metonymy/Synecdoche 5. Enjambment 6. Zeugma 7. Repetition 8. Rhyme 9. Alliteration 10. Consonance/Assonance 11. Euphony/Cacophony 12. Meter
The following 10 devices show up in verse, but are far more prevalent in prose. Learn more about: 1. Parallel Plot 2. Foil 3. Diction 4. Mood 5. Foreshadowing 6. In Media Res 7. Dramatic Irony 8. Vignette 9. Flashback 10. Soliloquy
Though they have uncommon names, these common literary devices are all forms of repetition. 1. Anadiplosis 2. Anaphora (prose) 3. Antanaclasis 4. Antimetabole 5. Antistrophe 6. Chiasmus 7. Epanalepsis 8. Epimone 9. Epizeuxis 10. Polyptoton 11. Symploce
While these literary elements pertain primarily to dialogue, writers use euphemisms, idioms, and neologisms all the time in their work. 1. Colloquialism 2. Vernacular 3. Dialect 4. Slang 5. Jargon 6. Idiom 7. Euphemism 8. Proverb 9. Neologism
The following literary devices push language to the limits. Have fun with these! 1. Anthimeria 2. Double Entendre 3. Kenning 4. Malapropism 5. Metalepsis 6. Oxymoron 7. Palindrome 8. Paraprosdokian 9. Portmanteau 10. Spoonerism
Parallelism is a stylistic device where a sentence is composed of equally weighted items. In essence, parallel structure allows form to echo content. Learn all about this essential stylistic literary device below. 1. Grammatical parallelism 2. Rhetorical parallelism 3. Synthetic parallelism 4. Antithetical parallelism 5. Synonymous parallelism
Rhetorical devices are literary devices intended to persuade the reader of something. You might have heard of ethos, pathos, and logos, but do you know your aposiopesis from your hyperbaton? Many literary devices can also be considered rhetorical devices. After all, a metaphor can convince you of something just as well as a syllogism. Nonetheless, ...
The instructors at Writers.com are masters of literary devices. Through masterful instruction and personal expertise, our instructors can help you add, refine, and improve your literary devices, helping you craft great works of literature. Check out our upcoming courses, and join our writing community on Facebook!
- Allegory. Allegories are narratives that represent something else entirely, like a historical event or significant ideology, to illustrate a deeper meaning.
- Alliteration. Alliteration is the literary technique of using a sequence of words that begin with the same letter or sound for a poetic or whimsical effect.
- Allusion. An allusion is an indirect reference to another figure, event, place, or work of art that exists outside the story. Allusions are made to famous subjects so that they don’t need explanation—the reader should already understand the reference.
- Amplification. Amplification is the technique of embellishing a simple sentence with more details to increase its significance. Example: “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly.
- Allegory. An allegory is a story that is used to represent a more general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or events. It is typically an entire book, novel, play, etc.
- Alliteration. Alliteration is a series of words or phrases that all (or almost all) start with the same sound. These sounds are typically consonants to give more stress to that syllable.
- Allusion. Allusion is when an author makes an indirect reference to a figure, place, event, or idea originating from outside the text. Many allusions make reference to previous works of literature or art.
- Anachronism. An anachronism occurs when there is an (intentional) error in the chronology or timeline of a text. This could be a character who appears in a different time period than when he actually lived, or a technology that appears before it was invented.
A literary device is a writing technique that writers use to express ideas, convey meaning, and highlight important themes in a piece of text. A metaphor, like we mentioned earlier, is a famous example of a literary device. These devices serve a wide range of purposes in literature.
- What are literary devices?Literary devices are techniques that writers use to express their ideas and enhance their writing. Literary devices highlight important concepts in...
- 10 of the most common literary devices1. Simile 2. Metaphor 3. Imagery 4. Symbolism 5. Flashbacks 6. Foreshadowing 7. Motif 8. Allegory 9. Juxtaposition 10. Point of view
- What is an Allegory?An allegory is a type of narrative that uses characters and plot to depict abstract ideas and themes. In an allegorical story, things represent mor...
- What is Alliteration?Alliteration describes a series of words in quick succession that all start with the same letter or sound. It lends a pleasing cadence to prose and...
- What is Allusion?An allusion is a passing or indirect descriptive reference to something. You probably allude to things all the time in everyday speech, without eve...
- What is an Anachronism?Anachronism is when something happens or is attributed to a different era than when it actually existed. This is usually a mistake, such as an auth...
- What is Anaphora?Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a series of clauses or sentences. It’s often seen in poetry and speeches, intend...
- What is Anastrophe?Anastrophe is a figure of speech wherein the traditional sentence structure is reversed. So a typical verb-subject-adjective sentence such as “Are...
- What is Anthropomorphism?To anthropomorphize is to apply human traits or qualities to a non-human thing such as objects, animals, or the weather. But unlike personification...
- What is an Aphorism?An aphorism is a universally accepted truth stated in a concise, to-the-point way. Aphorisms are typically witty and memorable, often becoming adag...
Mar 24, 2024 · Literary devices are tools and techniques writers use to create depth and meaning in our work. From novels to poetry, essays to screenplays, these devices give writing texture, nuance, and resonance. They encompass many things, from language choices to structural patterns, and each serves a unique purpose in shaping the reader’s experience.
In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary device. Typically, these devices are used for an aesthetic purpose – that is, they’re intended to make the piece more beautiful. However, it’s a very broad term and isn’t strictly limited to this meaning.
