Search results
Concise definitions, usage tips, and lots of examples for 136 literary devices and terms.
- read full acrostic explanation with examples
The Wikipedia Page on Acrostic: A somewhat technical...
- read full allegory explanation with examples
Allegory Examples Allegory in Literature. Allegory is one of...
- read full alliteration explanation with examples
Alliteration Definition. What is alliteration? Here’s a...
- read full allusion explanation with examples
Allusion vs. Similar Terms. Allusion is similar to several...
- read full anachronism explanation with examples
For instance, if a novel set in Medieval England featured a...
- read full anadiplosis explanation with examples
Anadiplosis Examples in Children's Stories and Songs ....
- read full analogy explanation with examples
Despite the term's broad usage, this guide will focus solely...
- read full anapest explanation with examples
The light rhythm of the anapest lends itself to...
- 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 acrostic explanation with examples
Ever feel a bit lost when other writers start flinging literary terms around? Don't stress. We've got a list of the must-know terminology, with crystal-clear definitions, examples, and even a few tips for putting these concepts to work in your own writing.
- Abi Wurdeman
Searches related to examples of literary terms novel fiction books and stories 5th class
- Allegory
- Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance
- Allusion
- Analogy
- Anthropomorphism
- Aside
- Caricature
- Connotation and Denotation
- Dialect and Diction
- Double Entendre
In an allegory, the writer uses one thing to stand in for another. In other words, what seems like a simple tale has a much deeper, hidden meaning. Allegories are often used for political or moral commentary. Example: George Orwell’s Animal Farmappears to be a story about farm animals rebelling against the farmer. But Orwell was actually writing ab...
Source: The Hyperbolit School These examples of literary devices all refer to the sounds of words. In alliteration, all or most of the words begin with the same sound (usually a consonant), while in assonance, they use the same vowel sound throughout. Consonance is the repeated use of similar sounds throughout words—think tongue twisters! Examples:...
An allusion is a way to call something to mind without stating it directly. It requires the reader to have shared background knowledge with the writer. Allusions are often historical, mythological, literary, or religious in nature. Example: “He never wants to spend money on anything. He’s such a Scrooge!” This allusion requires the reader to be fam...
An analogy shows how two seemingly dissimilar things are actually alike, to help illustrate a larger point. It’s similar to a metaphor or simile, but usually more complex. Writers often use an analogy to help a reader understand a difficult topic by relating it to something they already know. Example: Perhaps the easiest analogy for students to und...
When an author uses anthropomorphism, they give human characteristics to non-human beings or objects. It’s similar to personification, but in anthropomorphism, the being or object generally actually acts like a human. Examples: Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, is the story of a horse’s life, narrated by the horse just a like a person writing their aut...
When a character shares their thoughts directly with the audience, that’s known as an “aside.” (This is sometimes known as “breaking the fourth wall” since the character is acknowledging that the audience exists.) This is most commonly used in plays, but you’ll also find it in third-person narration, when the narrator expresses an opinion about the...
You’re probably familiar with a caricature drawing, in which a person’s most identifying (and often worst) qualities or features are emphasized. In writing, caricature is similar. A writer emphasizes a character’s qualities, often for humorous effect. Example: Many Disney villains are caricatures, such as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Gaston is p...
Source: Storyboard That These examples of literary devices refer to a word’s meaning. A denotation is the dictionary definition of a word, while connotation refers to the cultural and emotional associations of a word. Words can have positive and negative connotations. Example: Wall Street’s denotation is a street in lower Manhattan where the New Yo...
Two more examples of literary devices that are often taught together are dialect and diction. Dialect is the word usage, syntax, and grammar of a specific group of people, while diction refers to the way they pronounce words. These groups could be by region (Southern American English), class (British cockney), or other cultural differences. Use of ...
This French phrase (pronounced “ahn-TAHN-druh”) translates to “double meaning,” and it describes a word or phrase that has just that—more than one meaning. These can often be a little risqué or off-color. Example: In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” the title itself is a double entendre. “Game” can refer to both the creature being hunted ...
- Allegory. A literary work in which nearly all of the characters, events, settings, and other literal elements of the story have a second, symbolic meaning.
- Alliteration. The repetition of an initial consonant sound in words that are close together, such as within a single sentence or line of poetry. The third stanza of Emily Dickinson’s “A narrow Fellow in the Grass” uses alliteration in both the second and third lines
- Allusion. An indirect reference to something outside the text, usually a person, place, thing, or idea that is generally familiar to the intended audience.
- Anachronism. An historically inaccurate detail in a literary work, included by the author either unintentionally or deliberately. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the characters refer to a clock striking three.
- Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. I’m starting off with my favorite! Jeremy wants the trendy shoes that everyone has (aka insert the latest anything), but they are too expensive.
- The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah. I use this book to teach so much, especially theme and story elements. In writing, I love to use this book for the lead and ending as a mentor text in narrative writing.
- The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane & Herm Auch. This book is such a fun way to teach the story elements from the writer’s perspective. Blurb: Henrietta loves to read.
- Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. You can’t go wrong with Janet Stevens! Blurb: Once a upon a time, there was a lazy Bear and a clever Hare. Bear had lots of money and lots of land but all he wanted to do was sleep.
Jul 23, 2021 · FICTION. In literature, fiction is defined as stories that are made up, though they may be based on a true situation. Fictional works primarily take the form of novels, short stories, plays, movies, and TV shows. EXAMPLE OF FICTION: The Harry Potter series is an example of a popular work of fiction.
People also ask
What are literary devices and terms?
What are literary terms?
How many common literary terms are there?
What literary devices are taught together?
Example: George Orwell's dystopian book Animal Farm is an allegory for the events preceding the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist era in early 20th century Russia. In the story, animals on a farm practice animalism, which is essentially communism.
