What Literary Device Is This? Discover the power of literary devices and enhance your writing skills with this comprehensive guide brought to you by WHAT.EDU.VN. Whether you’re a student, writer, or simply curious, unlock the secrets of figurative language, imagery, and symbolism. Elevate your understanding of literature with these artistic tools!
1. What Are Literary Devices?
Literary devices are techniques used by writers to convey meaning beyond the literal. They guide readers in how to interpret a piece of writing by creating connections and adding layers of depth. These devices establish relationships between elements, encouraging new perspectives and interpretations. Literary devices enrich the reader’s experience, adding layers of meaning beyond the surface narrative.
One key aspect of literary devices is comparison. For example, metaphors and similes draw parallels between different things. A metaphor directly equates two unlike objects (“the world is a stage”), while a simile makes an indirect comparison using “like” or “as” (“the world is like a stage”). These comparisons enable readers to perceive familiar things in a new light. Literary devices also use imagery, alliteration, or figurative language. Unlock your creative potential with literary devices, also known as rhetorical devices, figures of speech, and stylistic devices, only at WHAT.EDU.VN.
By connecting elements beyond the literal, literary devices empower literature.
These connections enrich literature with layers of sound, sense, emotion, and narrative. They distinguish literature and give it a unique power.
Here’s an in-depth analysis of common literary devices.
2. Literary Devices List: 14 Common Literary Devices
This section focuses on literary devices found in both poetry and prose. Each device includes examples from literature and exercises to inspire your creative writing. You can find common literary devices in storytelling, creative writing, and rhetorical effect.
2.1. Metaphor
Metaphors make direct comparisons between two often unrelated objects.
Metaphor Example: The internet is an information superhighway.
The internet isn’t literally a highway, but the metaphor conveys its vastness and ability to transport information quickly. This comparison is more impactful than a direct description. The metaphor suggests a dynamic and interconnected network.
2.2. Simile
Similes make indirect comparisons between two unrelated objects, using “like” or “as.”
Simile Example: The internet is like an information superhighway. OR: The internet acts as an information superhighway.
2.2.1. Simile vs. Metaphor
The main difference is that similes use “like” or “as,” while metaphors don’t. The use of “like” or “as” creates a degree of separation between the compared elements. Similes serve as supporting devices, whereas metaphors form the core of the meaning you are trying to convey.
Metaphors are not necessarily better than similes. Consider this example: “The silence was like a heavy blanket, but it was also the voice of the earth itself.” The simile and metaphor both enhance the description and share the same effect.
2.2.2. Simile and Metaphor Writing Exercise: Tenors and Vehicles
Most metaphors and similes have two parts: the tenor (the subject being described) and the vehicle (the image used to describe the tenor).
In the metaphor “the internet is an information superhighway,” the tenor is the internet, and the vehicle is “information superhighway.”
To practice, create two lists. The first list should contain concept words (love, hate, peace, war, happiness, anger). The second list should contain concrete objects (trees, clouds, the moon, New York brownstones, uncut sapphires).
Your concepts are your tenors, and your concrete objects are your vehicles. Randomly pair a tenor with a vehicle, then explain your metaphor or simile. For instance:
“Peace, like an uncut sapphire, gleams with labor.”
Have fun and write interesting literary devices.
2.3. Analogy
An analogy is an argumentative comparison that argues that two unlike things have equal weight. Because analogies work on comparison, they are a form of metaphor.
For example:
Learning a new language is as easy as learning the alphabet.
This analogy argues that learning a new language and learning the alphabet are equally easy. The structure “A is as B” or “A is to B” is common.
Another common structure is “A is to B as C is to D.” For example:
A programmer is to code as a writer is to words.
Analogies are useful in argumentative writing and can be powerful in creative writing.
2.3.1. Analogy Writing Exercise
Write down the first four nouns that come to mind, using concrete, visual nouns. Then, write down a verb that two of the nouns can perform.
Your list might look like this:
Verb: Grow Nouns: Seed, plant, concrete, idea
An analogy could be: “An idea grows in the mind as a seed grows in the earth.”
Your analogy might be silly, poetic, strange, or evocative. Connecting disparate items hones your writing skills.
2.4. Imagery
Imagery uses figurative language to create a sharper image in the reader’s mind and relies on the interplay of language and sensation.
Imagery involves using figurative language to describe something.
Imagery uses visual descriptions and appeals to all five senses. By appealing to the reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, your writing will create a vibrant world for readers to live and breathe in.
The best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses.
Let’s use imagery to describe the internet:
Sight imagery: The internet spreads its vast, interconnected web.
Sound imagery: The internet hums with the quiet buzz of data.
Touch imagery: The internet feels as smooth as glass.
Taste imagery: The internet tastes like an endless buffet of information.
Smell imagery: The internet smells crisp and precise.
Organic imagery describes internal sensations, while kinesthetic imagery describes motion and movement.
Organic imagery: The internet felt its servers surge with activity.
Kinesthetic imagery: Data packets rushed across the network.
Notice how literary devices often overlap. Because imagery depends on the likeness of objects to other objects, imagery relies on comparison.
2.4.1. Imagery Writing Exercise
Describe an object using the five senses. Choose an object, image, or idea, and describe it using the five senses.
Then, combine these images until your object is sharp and clear in the reader’s head.
Imagery is an essential literary device.
2.5. Symbolism
Symbolism uses an object to represent a concept, similar to a metaphor but more concise.
Symbols are common in the English language and are often used without realizing it. Common examples of symbolism include:
- “Hope” represented by a rising sun
- “Freedom” represented by an open road
- “Knowledge” represented by an open book
- “Greed” represented by gold
These symbols are widely used. Symbols are often contextually specific. A wedding ring symbolizes a lasting bond in many Western cultures.
Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete.
Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete and allows you to manipulate your ideas. If a rose represents love, what does a wilted rose represent?
2.5.1. Symbolism Writing Exercise
Write a poem or story centered around a symbol. Choose a random object and make that object represent something. For example, make a mirror represent truth.
Write your piece with that symbol at the center:
The mirror reflected her true self, unvarnished and honest.
The goal is to associate the object with the concept and make the reader feel the same way about your symbol.
2.6. Personification
Personification, giving human attributes to nonhuman objects, is a powerful way to foster empathy in your readers.
Personification gives human attributes to nonhuman objects. Also known as anthropomorphism, personification fosters empathy.
Think of personification as a type of imagery. Describe a nonhuman object through the five senses, giving it human descriptions. Impute thoughts and emotions to a nonhuman or nonliving thing. We’ll give human attributes to the internet.
Personification (using sight): The internet never sleeps.
Personification (using sound): The internet whispered secrets.
Personification (using touch): The internet offered a warm embrace.
Personification (using taste): The internet tasted knowledge.
Personification (using smell): The internet smelled like fresh ideas.
Personification (using mental events): The internet remembered every query.
We don’t directly say the internet is like a human. We describe it using human behaviors. Personification exists at the intersection of imagery and metaphor, fostering empathy and unique descriptions.
2.6.1. Personification Writing Exercise
Choose a random object and personify it through the five senses. Find a concrete noun and describe it like a human.
Here are two examples:
The old computer groaned under the weight of its workload.
My phone buzzed with the insistent demands of a social life.
Now start writing your own descriptions. The goal is to foster empathy in the reader’s mind by giving the object human traits.
2.7. Hyperbole
Hyperbole refers to exaggerated descriptions or statements.
We use hyperbole all the time. You’ve probably heard things like:
- I’m so hungry I could eat a planet
- This takes a million years to download
- I have a million things to do today
- He is the greatest coder in the world
None of these examples should be interpreted literally. Hyperbole allows us to compare our emotions to something extreme, giving the reader a sense of intensity.
Coming up with crazy, exaggerated statements that convey the intensity of the speaker’s emotions can add a personable element to your writing.
2.7.1. Hyperbole Writing Exercise
Express your emotions as extremely as possible. If you’re feeling tired, write that you could sleep for a century. If you’re feeling excited, write that your heart is about to explode.
As a specific exercise, write a poem or short piece about something mundane, using more and more hyperbolic language with each line or sentence. Here’s an example:
It was a tragically slow internet connection. Waiting for a download felt like waiting for the dinosaurs to come back. I’m downloading data at the speed of light in slow motion. (…and so on )
A well-written hyperbole helps focus the reader’s attention on your emotions and allows you to play with new images.
2.8. Irony
Irony describes something using opposite language.
For example, if someone is having a bad day, they might say they’re doing “greaaaaaat,” implying the opposite. Or a story’s narrator might write:
Like most hackers, he had a deep respect for computer security and privacy.
Irony highlights the difference between “what seems to be” and “what is.” Irony can describe dialogue or ironic situations. In The Matrix, humans are living in a simulated reality, which is ironic.
2.8.1. Irony Writing Exercise
For verbal irony, write a sentence that gives something the exact opposite qualities that it actually has:
The virus protection software was incredibly effective at making my computer more vulnerable.
For situational irony, imagine a plot for a sitcom, starting with “She installed the latest security update to protect herself.” What would be the most ironic way for that situation to be resolved? (The update contained a virus that exposed her data.) Have fun with it!
2.9. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition places contrasting ideas next to each other to produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect.
In poetry, juxtaposition builds tension or highlights contrast. The poem “Bright Lights, Big City” juxtaposes the city’s allure and the speaker’s inner turmoil.
Juxtaposition accomplishes something similar in prose. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen juxtaposes the Bennet sisters’ different personalities and approaches to marriage.
2.9.1. Juxtaposition Writing Exercise
Find two things that you think are polar opposites. They can be concepts, such as order & chaos, or they can be people, places, objects, etc. Juxtapose your two selected items by starting your writing with both of them—for example:
Across the street from the bustling tech conference, a homeless man begged for change.
The programmer stared at the code, then at the blank canvas.
Then write a poem or short story that explores a “gray area,” relationship, commonality, or resonance between these two objects or events—without stating as much directly. If you can accomplish what Austen accomplishes with her juxtapositions, then you, too, are a master!
2.10. Paradox
A paradox is a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that reveals a deeper truth. Paradoxes are powerful tools for deconstructing binaries and challenging the reader’s beliefs.
A paradox example comes to us from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Often, “equal” and “more equal” are assumed to be opposing forces. How is it possible for the animals to be both equal and not equal? Orwell doesn’t answer this, but the statement is a powerful paradox. The paradox asks the reader to consider the nature of equality, since it is not applied equally to all animals.
Another paradox example comes from Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.
“The only way to stay sane is to act crazy.”
Here, “sane” and “crazy” are conflicting ideas. Despite these contrasting ideas, Heller exposes a deeper truth: in a world of war, to survive you must act against your own self-preservation.
Note: paradox should not be confused with oxymoron. An oxymoron is a statement with contrasting ideas, but a paradox is assumed to be true, whereas an oxymoron is merely a play on words (like the phrase “organized chaos”).
2.10.1. Paradox Writing Exercise
Paradox operates very similarly to literary devices like juxtaposition and irony. To write a paradox, juxtapose two binary ideas. Try to think outside of the box here. Another idea could be the binaries “connected and isolated.”
Now, situate those binaries into a certain situation, and make it so that they can coexist. Imagine a scenario in which both elements of your binary are true at the same time. How can this be, and what can we learn from this surprising juxtaposition?
2.11. Allusion
Allusion is a literary reference, where a writer directly or indirectly refers to another piece of art or literature.
The most frequently-alluded to work is probably Greek mythology. Many themes and images from Greek myths present themselves in popular works, as well as throughout Western culture. Any of the following ideas, for example, are Greek mythological allusions:
- Referring to a strong person as Herculean
- Describing a challenging task as Sisyphean
- Calling a wise mentor an oracle
- Warning someone to “beware the Ides of March”
Of course, allusions aren’t just Greek mythological. You might describe a politician as Machiavellian, or you might call a leader as inspiring as Martin Luther King Jr.
Why write allusions? Allusions appeal to common experiences, as we understand what it means to describe a strong person as Herculean.
Like other literary devices, allusions are often metaphors, images, and/or hyperboles. Allusions also have their own sub-categories.
2.11.1. Allusion Writing Exercise
See how densely you can allude to other works and experiences in writing about something simple. Go completely outside of good taste and name-drop like crazy:
Allusions (way too much version): I wanted to build a website like Google, because I want to change the world. But still, “the medium is the message”—it’s just code, and “the best things in life are free.”
From this frenetic style of writing, trim back to something more tasteful:
Allusions (more tasteful version): I wanted to build a website like Google, because I wanted to change the world– but “the best things in life are free.”
2.12. Allegory
An allegory is a story whose sole purpose is to represent an abstract concept or idea. Allegories are sometimes extended allusions.
For example, The Matrix is an allegory for the search for truth and the struggle against oppression. The film explores themes of reality versus illusion, free will versus determinism, and the power of knowledge. The Matrix is an allegory for the human condition.
Allusion (excerpt from The Matrix):
“Neo: What is the Matrix? Trinity: The answer is out there, Neo, and it’s looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to.”
Allegories are not always allusions. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” represents the idea of enlightenment and could be closer to an extended symbol than an extended allusion.
2.12.1. Allegory Writing Exercise
Pick a major trend going on in the world. In this example, let’s pick the growing use of artificial intelligence as our “major trend.”
Next, what are the primary properties of that major trend? Try to list them out:
- Increased automation
- Ethical concerns
- Impact on employment
- Potential for misuse
Next, is there something happening at–or that could happen at–a much smaller scale that has some or all of those primary properties? This is where your creativity comes into play.
Well… what if elementary school students not only started using AI to write their essays, but were now expected to use AI? Let’s try writing from inside that reality:
I know Jennifer McMahon used AI to write her essay about how much she loves her family. The AI generated text was way too perfect and neat. Anyway, everyone loved it. They photocopied it all over the bulletin boards and they even read it over the PA, and Jennifer got two extra brownies at lunch.
Try your own. You may find that you’ve just written your own Black Mirror episode.
2.13. Ekphrasis
Ekphrasis refers to a poem or story that is directly inspired by another piece of art. Ekphrastic literature often describes another piece of art, such as Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh.
“O, swirling canvas, night ablaze,
Stars like suns in cosmic haze,
Brushstrokes dance in frenzied flight,
A world of dreams in darkest night.”
Ekphrasis can be considered a direct allusion because it borrows language and images from other artwork.
2.13.1. Ekphrasis Writing Exercise
Try your hand at ekphrasis by picking a piece of art you really enjoy and writing a poem or story based off of it. For example, you could write a story about Mona Lisa having a really bad day, or you could write a black-out poem created from the lyrics of your favorite song.
All art inspires other art, and by letting ekphrasis guide your next poem or story, you’re directly participating in a greater artistic and literary conversation.
2.14. Onomatopoeia
Flash! Bang! Wham! An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the noise it describes. Conveying both a playfulness of language and a serious representation of everyday sounds, onomatopoeias draw the reader into the sensations of the story itself.
Onomatopoeia words are most often used in poetry and in comic books, though they certainly show up in works of prose as well. Some onomatopoeias can be found in the dictionary, such as “murmur,” “gargle,” “rumble,” “click,” and “vroom.” However, writers make up onomatopoeia words all the time, so while the word “ptoo” definitely sounds like a person spitting, you won’t find it in Merriam Webster’s.
Here’s an onomatopoeia example:
The server crashed with a loud thud. The network hummed with a constant buzz. The keyboard clacked as the programmer typed furiously.
The onomatopoeias have been highlighted in italics. These literary devices help make your writing fresh, interesting, and vivid, creating a sonic setting that the reader can fall into.
2.14.1. Onomatopoeia Writing Exercise
Onomatopoeias are fun literary devices to use in your work, so have fun experimenting with them. In this exercise, take a moment to listen to the noises around you. Pay close attention to the whir of electronics, the fzzzzzzz of the heater, the rumbling of cars on the street, or the tintintintintin of rain on the roof.
Whatever you hear, convert those sounds into onomatopoeias. Make a list of those sounds. Try to use a mix of real words and made up ones. The way you represent noise in language can have a huge impact on your writing style.
Do this for 5 to 10 minutes, and when you have a comprehensive list of the sounds you hear, write a poem or short story that uses every single word you’ve written down.
2.15. Pun
If you were a programmer who loves wordplay, would you be coding for chuckles?
A pun is a literary device that plays with the sounds and meanings of words to produce new, often humorous ideas. For example, let’s say you used too many lines of code in your program, and it ruined the execution. You might joke that you were “outside the paradigm of error,” which is a play on the words “margin of error.”
Puns have a rich literary history, and famous writers like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, as well as famous texts like The Bible, have used puns to add depth and gravity to their words.
2.15.1. Pun Writing Exercise
Jot down a word or phrase that you commonly use. If you’re not sure of what to write down, take a look at this list of English idioms. For example, I might borrow the phrase “hit the nail on the head,” which means to get something exactly right.
Take any saying, and play around with the sounds and meanings of the words in that saying. Then, incorporate the new phrase you’ve created into a sentence that allows for the double meaning of the phrase. Here’s two examples:
If I play with the sound of the words, I might come up with “hit the nail on the headset.” Then, I would put that into a sentence that plays with the original meaning of the phrase. Like: “Did you hear about the programmer who was always online? He really hit the nail on the headset.”
Or, I might play with the meanings of words. For example, I might take the word “hit” literally, and write the following: “someone who hammers a nail into their head is hitting the nail on the head.”
Searching for ways to add double meanings and challenge the sounds of language will help you build fresh, exciting puns.
3. Common Literary Devices in Poetry
These devices apply to both poetry and prose writers but appear most often in verse.
- Anaphora
- Conceit
- Apostrophe
- Metonymy/Synecdoche
- Enjambment
- Zeugma
- Repetition
- Rhyme
- Alliteration
- Consonance/Assonance
- Euphony/Cacophony
- Meter
4. Common Literary Devices in Prose
These devices show up in verse but are far more prevalent in prose.
- Parallel Plot
- Foil
- Diction
- Mood
- Foreshadowing
- In Media Res
- Dramatic Irony
- Vignette
- Flashback
- Soliloquy
5. Repetition Literary Devices
These common literary devices are all forms of repetition, though they have uncommon names.
- Anadiplosis
- Anaphora (prose)
- Antanaclasis
- Antimetabole
- Antistrophe
- Chiasmus
- Epanalepsis
- Epimone
- Epizeuxis
- Polyptoton
- Symploce
6. Dialogue Literary Devices
Writers use euphemisms, idioms, and neologisms all the time in their work, while these literary elements pertain primarily to dialogue.
- Colloquialism
- Vernacular
- Dialect
- Slang
- Jargon
- Idiom
- Euphemism
- Proverb
- Neologism
7. Word Play Literary Devices
The following literary devices push language to the limits. Have fun with these.
- Anthimeria
- Double Entendre
- Kenning
- Malapropism
- Metalepsis
- Oxymoron
- Palindrome
- Paraprosdokian
- Portmanteau
- Spoonerism
8. Parallelism Literary Devices
Parallelism is a stylistic device where a sentence is composed of equally weighted items. In essence, parallel structure allows form to echo content.
- Grammatical parallelism
- Rhetorical parallelism
- Synthetic parallelism
- Antithetical parallelism
- Synonymous parallelism
9. Rhetorical Devices
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 following rhetorical/literary devices will sharpen your style, argumentation, and writing abilities.
- Kairos
- Ethos
- Logos
- Pathos
- Anacoluthon
- Antithesis
- Asyndeton
- Hypallage
- Hyperbaton
- Hypotaxis
- Parataxis
- Polysyndeton
- Synesis
- Accismus
- Anecdote
- Antanagoge
- Aporia
- Bdelygmia
- Enthymeme
- Hypophora
- Procatalepsis
- Reductio ad Absurdum
- Syllogism
- Adynaton
- Amplification
- Antiphrasis
- Asterismos
- Litotes
- Meiosis
- Metanoia
- Paralipsis
- Overstatement
- Tmesis
- Adnomination
- Aposiopesis
- Circumlocution
- Dysphemism
- Ellipsis
- Isocolon
- Pleonasm
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