literary devices refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her messages in a simple manner to the readers. When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work. Below is a list of literary devices with detailed definition and examples.
Literary terms have the power to create serious, comedic, or whimsical moods via tools of persuasion, poeticism, and wordplay. When to use Literary Terms. This depends. The variety of uses for literary terms spans across genres and is remarkably wide-ranging based on the goals or needs of the writer. Below we have categorized this vast subject.
Glossary of Literary Terms When writing a literary analysis or a poetic explication, the student’s job is to ask how the writer says what he or she is saying and why. Examining the how and why is analysis and the process involves reading closely to see which ‘tools’ the writer has purposely employed to develop a specific effect or meaning.
Literature is a rich and complex field that offers profound insights into human experiences, emotions, and cultures. To fully appreciate and analyse literary works, English literature students must familiarise themselves with literary terms. These terms are the building blocks of literary analysis, enabling readers to dissect and interpret texts with precision and depth. This article...
Glossary of Common Literary Terms Allegory: an allegory is a narrative in which the characters often stand for abstract concepts. An allegory generally teaches a lesson by means of an interesting story. Alliteration: the repetition at close intervals of consonant sounds for a purpose. For example: wailing in the winter wind. Allusion
Literary devices and terms are the techniques and elements—from figures of speech to narrative devices to poetic meters—that writers use to create narrative literature, poetry, speeches, or any other form of writing.
In literature, an imitation of another literary work that mocks, critiques, or makes light of the original. “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls,” by Christopher Durang, is a one-act parody of The Glass Menagerie, caricaturing the overbearing Southern mother and exaggerating the idiosyncrasies of the other three characters. Personification
In the strict definition, an ode is a classical poem that has a specific structure and is aimed at an object or person. In the loose definition, an ode is any work of art or literature that expresses high praise. Onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia refers to words whose pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe. A dog’s bark sounds like “woof ...
This glossary of literary terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in the discussion, classification, analysis, and criticism of all types of literature, such as poetry, novels, and picture books, as well as of grammar, syntax, and language techniques.
Literary Terms; Term Definition; Allegory: Simply put, an allegory is a narrative that has a symbolic meaning. That is, the whole story, its plot, characters and often setting, are all elements that signify a second correlated narrative. Alliteration
Glossary of Literary Terms When writing a literary analysis or a poetic explication, the student’s job is to ask how the writer says what he or she is saying and why. Examining the how and why is analysis and the process involves reading closely to see which ‘tools’ the writer has purposely employed to develop a specific effect or meaning.
emerges from a literary work’s treatment of its subject-matter; or a topic recurring in a number or literary works” (Baldick 258). Themes in literature tend to differ depending on author, time period, genre, style, purpose, etc. Tone: A way of communicating information (in writing, images, or sound) that conveys an attitude.
Literary devices glossary. Literary device. Definition. allegory. a literary work in which the characters and events represent particular qualities or ideas relating to morals, politics or religion. alliteration. words that begin with the same sound (often the repetition of letters) placed closely together.
INTERPRETATION: The general explanation of the meaning of a literary work. Interpretation may take into account any of the other terms in this glossary, especially theme. When applied to poetry, interpretation may also be called "explication." The most familiar example of interpretation is literary criticism.
As the title of this article promises, I’m about to hit you with over 91 common literary terms. You’re going to get definitions, examples, and—in most cases—links to articles that go into more depth on each concept. But first, let’s be real with each other. You probably learned about some of these literary devices in school.