Literary Devices – Definitions and Examples
Metaphor
Definition: A direct comparison between two unrelated things to suggest they are alike.
Example: Her voice was music to his ears.
Simile
Definition: A comparison using “like” or “as.”
Example: He was as brave as a lion.
Imagery
Definition: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
Example: The scent of freshly baked bread filled the warm, sunlit kitchen.
Personification
Definition: Giving human qualities to non-human objects or ideas.
Example: The wind whispered through the trees.
Onomatopoeia
Definition: A word that imitates a natural sound.
Example: The bees buzzed near the blooming flowers.
Hyperbole
Definition: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Example: I’ve told you a million times.
Juxtaposition
Definition: Placing two contrasting elements side by side to highlight their differences.
Example: A wealthy businessman stepping over a homeless person.
Contrast
Definition: Highlighting differences between two or more elements.
Example: The dark sky contrasted with her bright yellow dress.
Paradox
Definition: A seemingly self-contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
Example: Less is more.
Oxymoron
Definition: Two contradictory words placed next to each other.
Example: Deafening silence.
Anaphora
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Example: We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…
Repetition
Definition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
Example: Alone, alone, all, all alone.
Anastrophe
Definition: Inversion of the typical word order in a sentence.
Example: Powerful you have become.
Synecdoche
Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or vice versa.
Example: All hands on deck.
Apostrophe
Definition: Addressing someone absent, dead, or an inanimate object as if it were present or
capable of understanding.
Example: O Death, where is thy sting?
Alliteration
Definition: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
Example: She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
Assonance
Definition: Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.
Example: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.
Consonance
Definition: Repetition of consonant sounds, often at the end of words.
Example: Pitter-patter, drip-drop.
Allusion
Definition: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art/literature.
Example: He met his Waterloo.
Rhyme Scheme
Definition: The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines in a poem (e.g., ABAB, AABB).
Irony
Definition: A contrast between appearance and reality, often highlighting unexpected
outcomes.
Example: A fire station burns down.
Anachronism
Definition: Something out of place in time.
Example: A character in a Shakespearean play checks a wristwatch.
Symbolism
Definition: Using objects, characters, or actions to represent deeper meanings or abstract
ideas.
Example: A dove often symbolizes peace.
