Literary devices are approaches used by writers to express themselves and improve their work. Literary devices assist readers connect with characters and ideas by emphasizing key concepts in a book, strengthening the narrative, and emphasizing key concepts in a text. In literature, these devices fulfill a variety of functions. They may provide information about the world or the mind of the author, help the reader understand complex ideas, tell stories, evoke emotion, etc.
Some examples of common literary devices include: metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, metonymy, synecdoche, and oxymoron.
Metaphor is the use of one thing (the "metaphor") to stand for another (usually something larger or more important). Metaphors can be explicit, such as "cold fury" to describe anger, or they can be implied through context. For example, when Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," he was using a metaphor to explain that Christianity is the only way to heaven. God is love, so to say that Jesus is the truth and life is to say that he is who we need him to be.
Similes and metaphors allow writers to make important ideas easier to understand by comparing them to other things that are similar or related to them.
Stylistic devices are written words that convince the reader to take action on a certain issue. A literary device is a mechanism that, when utilized in creative writing, has an impact that increases awareness of the topic, problem, or insight being communicated. For example, foreshadowing is used by authors to alert readers about events to come through description or implication rather than explicitly stating them. Foreshadowing can be accomplished through imagery, allusion, and metaphor.
Stylistic devices include: parallelism, simile, metaphor, irony, understatement, and indirection. Literary devices include: analogy, asyndeton (the use of zero articles), anaphora (repeating words or phrases), apodosis (last sentence of a paragraph or section), chiasmus (like-with-like pattern), connotation (secondary meaning), desinence (use of shortened forms of verbs), ellipsis (omitting words), enigma, epigraph, exergasia (incorporation of material from elsewhere into one's work), extasis (overwhelming joy or pleasure), hyperbole (exaggerated statement), image (mental picture produced by words or images), metonymy (substitution of a part for the whole), parable, paradox, personification, phantasm, pun, riddle, sarcasm, simile, synecdoche (part for the whole), and travesty.
Literary devices are approaches that enable a writer to express a deeper meaning that goes beyond what is written on the page. 22 Types of Literary Devices and How to Use Them
A literary device is a method used by a writer to create a unique impression in their work. A flashback is an example of a literary device. An analogy is an example of a literary device. The use of irony is another example of a literary device.
The phrase "literary device" refers to various frequent approaches used by authors to add meaning to their work and convey their message more effectively. How Literary Devices Can Help You Write Deeper
Literary or Poetic Devices in Poems: A Literary or Poetic Device is a method used by a writer to create a unique impression in their work. See Video Explanation of Literary Devices in Poems for more information.
| Alliteration | Metaphor |
|---|---|
| Anaphora | Oxymoron |
| Antithesis | personification |
| Assonance | Refrain |
| Asyndeton | Rhyme |
Literary techniques are frequently employed in writing to emphasize or clarify ideas. Authors will also employ literary strategies to compel readers to identify more strongly with a tale as a whole or with certain characters or themes. So, why is it vital to be familiar with various literary methods and terms? Because an understanding of these tools can help writers enhance the effectiveness of their prose.
The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with a basic introduction to several common literary techniques and strategies. By learning about how authors use these tools to strengthen their stories, students will understand why it is important for them to become aware of such techniques when reading literature.
This lesson plan involves reading two short stories by Anton Chekhov and then discussing similarities and differences between the tales. Students will learn about five major literary techniques used by Chekhov: foreshadowing, symbolism, paradox, empathy, and humor. After reading each story, students will answer questions that require them to consider what role(s) each technique played in helping or hurting the author's message. The goal is for students to understand that it is important to know how authors use literary tools because this information can help them improve their own writing.
As students read Chekhov's stories, they will notice many examples of literary devices being used by the author.
The majority of authors employ literary methods in the crafting of their work. Rhyme and rhythm are two such strategies that are employed effectively in poetic compositions.
Rhyme is a form of repetition within lines or stanzas of a poem to create a musical effect on the reader. The basic unit of poetry is the line, which usually contains 10 syllables except for certain types of poems such as sonnets and villanelles. A single line of poetry may be repeated multiple times to follow a pattern of stress or variation. For example, "I am the moon, / full or new," forms a series of four-line stanzas that repeats with a modified line at the end of each stanza. This type of poem is called an acrostic because the first line of each stanza spells out the word "moon." Variation on this theme can be used to great effect in poetry. For example, "The moon is yellow like corn / With silver stars instead of horns" by Emily Dickinson uses variation to describe the changing face of the moon. It begins with the idea of the traditional moon as a bright white sphere then moves on to reveal its true color (yellowish) and ends with a reference to its actual appearance (with silver stars).
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