Literary Devices Glossary

Name: _________________________  Class: ______  Literary Devices Glossary

Literary Device	Definition	Example from text	Your own example
Simile	comparison of unlike things using like or as
Metaphor	comparison of unlike things; stating that something is something else
Allusion	subtle and indirect reference to an example in literature, film, music, mythology, art, news, and other aspects of culture and society without having to cite the source it is from
Stanza	a division or thoughtfully organized part of a poem; similar to a paragraph in prose
Rhyme	similar sounding words; there are different kinds: end rhyme - found at end of lines; internal rhyme - found within a line; near or slant rhyme - words that look alike but don’t necessarily sound alike
Rhythm	pattern of accents or stresses; this creates a steady beat
Onomatopoeia	words that imitate sounds
Personification	giving nonhuman or nonliving creatures human-like characteristics
Alliteration	repetition of beginning, consonant sounds in consecutive words
Imagery	specific, vivid descriptions of the five senses
Irony	when what happens in a text contrasts or seems to contradict what you would expect to happen. Verbal irony: characters say the opposite of what they mean Dramatic irony: the audience knows something someone in the text does not know Situational irony: the opposite of what is expected occurs
Symbol	an object, action, or person that represents a greater importance in a text; it often recurs and/or is emphasized in some way
Speaker	the voice or narrator of the poem; the poem is not always told from the voice of the poet; just as in stories, a poem can be told from different points of view and from fictional or real characters’ perspectives
Apostrophe	addressing or speaking to a person or object that is dead or absent; addressing something as if it were alive and present
Line break	where a line ends; is usually intentional; it affects the meaning and rhythm. One type of line break is end-stopped line: ending a line where you would naturally pause or use punctuation. Enjambment: a run-on line of poetry that does not necessarily follow grammatical sense; used to emphasize particular meaning
Hyperbole	an exaggeration of an emotion, thought, or idea
Oxymoron	putting opposite, seemingly contradictory words together
Tone and mood	tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject; ex. admiring, sorrowful, etc. mood is the overall emotions
Free verse	poetry without a regular pattern of meter or rhyme

·         See http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-terms for more literary terms

Examples of Allusions:

"Bruce Lee of loose leaf" - from "Monster" by Eminem

Name: _________________________  Class: 808 Literary Devices Glossary

Literary Device	Definition	Example from text	Your own example
Simile	comparison of unlike things using like or as
Metaphor	comparison of unlike things; stating that something is something else
Allusion	subtle and indirect reference to an example in literature, film, music, mythology, art, news, and other aspects of culture and society without having to cite the source it is from
Stanza	a division or thoughtfully organized part of a poem; similar to a paragraph in prose
Rhyme	similar sounding words; there are different kinds: end rhyme - found at end of lines; internal rhyme - found within a line; near or slant rhyme - words that look alike but don’t necessarily sound alike
Rhythm	pattern of accents or stresses; this creates a steady beat
Onomatopoeia	words that imitate sounds
Personification	giving nonhuman or nonliving creatures human-like characteristics
Alliteration	repetition of beginning, consonant sounds in consecutive words
Imagery	specific, vivid descriptions of the five senses
Irony	when what happens in a text contrasts or seems to contradict what you would expect to happen. Verbal irony: characters say the opposite of what they mean Dramatic irony: the audience knows something someone in the text does not know Situational irony: the opposite of what is expected occurs
Symbol	an object, action, or person that represents a greater importance in a text; it often recurs and/or is emphasized in some way
Speaker	the voice or narrator of the poem; the poem is not always told from the voice of the poet; just as in stories, a poem can be told from different points of view and from fictional or real characters’ perspectives
Apostrophe	addressing or speaking to a person or object that is dead or absent; addressing something as if it were alive and present
Line break	where a line ends; is usually intentional; it affects the meaning and rhythm. One type of line break is end-stopped line: ending a line where you would naturally pause or use punctuation. Enjambment: a run-on line of poetry that does not necessarily follow grammatical sense; used to emphasize particular meaning
Hyperbole	an exaggeration of an emotion, thought, or idea
Oxymoron	putting opposite, seemingly contradictory words together
Tone and mood	tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject; ex. admiring, sorrowful, etc. mood is the overall emotions
Free verse	poetry without a regular pattern of meter or rhyme