LITERARY DEVICES

ALLITERATION

repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence.// the special effect resulting from the repetition of consonants, particularly at the beginning of words and at the beginning of stressed syllables.

ANAPHORA

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or lines, to express similarity between the structures for the sake of emphasis. (identical)

ANTITHESIS

Contrasting ideas sharpened by the use of opposite or noticeably different meanings.

APOSTROPHE

a sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction absent or present, sometimes represented by exclamation “O”

ASSONANCE

the special effect resulting from the juxtaposition of identical or closely similar vowel sounds.

ASYNDETON

lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.

CAESURA

A break or pause in a line of poetry dictated by the natural rhythm of the language and/or enforced by punctuation. A line may have more than one caesura' or none at all.

CHIASMUS or SYMMETRY

a reversal of grammatical structures in succesive phrases or clauses. Two corresponding pairs arranged in inverted order (a-b-b-a), also known as "reverse parellelism".

CLICHÉ

A trite, over-used expression which is lifeless. // a phrase that has become stale or boring due to its overuse. This phrase may be anything – a proverb, a metaphor, a simile (a comparison with the words like or as), an idiom, or even a single word.

CONCEIT or EXTENDED/ SUSTAINED METAPHOR

an extended or sustained comparison making use of similes and metaphors in specially unexpected, surprising, or fantastic ways. An intellectual element is predominant, and is made the source of powerful emotion.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE

a remark that is intended by the speaker to be interpreted in two different ways by different hearers (literally or ironically/metaphorically).

ELISION

the removal of an unstressed syllable, consonants, or letters from a word or phrase to decrease the number of letters or syllables in order to mix words together. The missing letter is replaced by an apostrophe.

END-STOPPED LINES

when caesura comes at the end of a line

EPISTROPHE or ANTISTROPHE

Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is repeated one or more times at the end of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases.

EUPHEMISM

Polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant.

HYPERBATON

transposition or rearrangement of the cannonical word order in a major way. (Syntactic fronting or inversion)

HYPERBOLE

exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect.

IMAGERY

the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.

INCREMENTAL REPETITION

a device of repetition commonly found in ballads. It involves the repetition of lines or stanzas with small but crucial changes made to a few words from one to the next, and has an effect of narrative progression or suspense.

INNUENDO

a veiled remark which is polite and innocent on the surface, but indirectly hints at an insult or rude comment, a dirty joke, or even social or political criticism.

INTERWEAVING RHYME

abab

IRONY

expression which implies the opposite of what is actually said. It may be as concentrated as a single epithet, or as extended as a kind of pervading spirit through the tone of a whole passage or a complete poem.

LITOTE

a figure of speech which contains an understatement for emphasis in which a thing is affirmed by stating the negative of its opposite.

METAPHOR

a statement of identity by which a thing or action or quality is directly or by implication affirmed to be some other unlike thing, action or quality.

METONYMY

a thing or concept is called by the name of something associated in meaning with it

ONOMATOPOEIA

A general name for the expression of meaning by the imitation of a sound whether in a single word or group of words.

OVERSTATEMENT

the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts

OXYMORON

apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another.

PARADOX

an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it.// An apparently self-contradictory (even absurd) statement which, on closer inspection, is found to contain a truth reconciling the conflicting opposites.

PARALLELISM or PARALLEL STRUCTURES

The repetition of sounds, meanings, and structures that balance one element with another of equal importance and similar wording and serves to order, emphasize, and point out relations. It may be inverted for stronger emphasis.

PATHETIC FALLACY

the projection of human emotions and actions onto plants, animals or objects to reflect the narrator’s own emotional state. (a type of personification)

PERSONIFICATION

attribution of personality traits to an impersonal thing that is not actually acting in a human way.

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

the attribution of human characteristics and qualities to animals or deities. It involves imagining an animal or deity actually displaying human traits such as speaking or wearing clothing

PLEONASM

a redundant and tautological phrase or clause, used for stylistic reasons, such as for emphasis or to keep a meter constant.

POLYSINDETON

a stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions are used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect.

PUN (paronomasia)

word play that suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.

REFRAIN

a phrase, line, or group of lines repeated at intervals throughout a poem, generally at the end of the stanza. A refrain may be an exact repetition, or it may exhibit slight variations in meaning or form.

CHORUS

a kind of refrain which is recited by more than one person

BURDEN

a kind of refrain in which a whole stanza is repeated

REPETEND

a kind of refrain in which the words are repeated erratically throughout the poem.

RHETORICAL QUESTION

a question that is asked not to get an answer, but instead to emphasize a point. Though no answer is necessary for rhetorical questions, they are often used to elicit thought and understanding on the part of the listener or reader.

RUN-ON LINES (ENJAMBEMENT)

lines in which the sense runs on into the next line

SARCASM

the activity of saying or writing the opposite of what you mean, or of speaking in a way intended to make someone else feel stupid or show them that you are angry

SIMILE

an explicit comparison between two unlike things or actions or qualities using 'like' or 'as'. Its purpose is to make something unknown clearer or more familiar by likening it, or some significant aspect of it, to something already known.

SUBSTITUTION

when one or more feet depart from the established pattern of the line. The kind of foot that is in the majority gives its name to the line. The purpose of substitution is to slow up the speed of the line and bring the rhythm into harmony with its meaning.

SYMBOL

using an object or action that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone.

SYNECDOCHE

understanding one thing with another; the use of a part for the whole, or the whole for the part. (A form of metonymy)

TRUISM

a statement that is based on self-evidence or factual evidence and is accepted as an obvious truth in a way that further proof is not considered necessary.

UNDERSTATEMENT

A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.

KENNING

a poetic compound, made up of two or more nouns (joined by hyphen) standing for another noun. It has a metaphorical meaning

PATRONYMIC

a kind of epithet that links a person to his/her father; an adjective derived from the name of its bearer or ancestor.

PERIODIC SENTENCE

the tensest possible syntax. It delays the closure of information and the key idea until the period which ends the sentence itself. It consists of many interrupting elements, and is used for shocks and reversals.

BALANCED OPENERS

(a kind of parallelism) the repetition of similar structures at the beginning of successive phrases or lines for the sake of emphasis.

RHYME

The repetition of vowel and consonantal sounds. The beginning sound of rhyming syllables must be different than but middle (vowel) sound and the ending (consonant) sound must be the same.

CONSONANTAL RHYME

the rhyming of consonants but not vowels

END RHYME

a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of verses

INTERNAL RHYME

rhyme that occurs within a single line of verse, or between internal phrases across multiple lines.

EYE RHYME

a similarity between words in spelling but not in pronunciation.

PERFECT RHYME

A monosyllabic rhyme whose vowel sounds produce precisely the same effect on the ear; last consonant is the same; and consonant that precedes the rhyme, to prevent monotony, is different.

IMPERFECT RHYME

rhyme based upon an approximation of vowel sounds.

MASCULINE RHYME

When the rhyme falls on a single stressed syllable

FEMENINE OR DOUBLE RHYME

When the rhyme falls upon a stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable

TREBLE RHYME

triple rhyme