Literary Device

1. Simile
o Definition: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as."
o Example: "Her hair shone like gold in the sunlight."
Explanation: The simile compares the woman's hair to gold using the word "like" to suggest its colour
and shine.
2. Metaphor
o Definition: A direct comparison between two unlike things, implying they are the same.
o Example: "Time is a thief."
Explanation: Time is compared directly to a thief, implying that it steals moments from our lives without
using "like" or "as."
3. Antithesis
o Definition: A rhetorical device where two opposite ideas are put together in a balanced structure.
o Example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Explanation: This shows contrasting ideas—best and worst—juxtaposed to highlight the extremes of the
situation.
4. Oxymoron
o Definition: A combination of contradictory or incongruent words.
o Example: "Jumbo shrimp."
Explanation: The words "jumbo" and "shrimp" contradict each other, but together, they form an
oxymoron that describes a specific type of small, large shrimp.
5. Allusion
o Definition: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work.
o Example: "He was a real Romeo with the ladies."
Explanation: This alludes to Shakespeare's character Romeo, implying the man is a romantic figure.
6. Litotes
o Definition: A form of understatement that uses double negatives or negates the opposite to emphasize
something.
o Example: "Not bad" (meaning good).
Explanation: "Not bad" is an understated way of saying something is good or better than expected.
7. Paradox
o Definition: A statement that seems self-contradictory or logically absurd but may actually reveal a
deeper truth.
o Example: "This statement is false."
Explanation: This paradox creates a loop of contradiction that forces the reader to think more deeply
about truth and logic.
8. Climax
o Definition: The point of highest tension or dramatic intensity in a narrative, where the conflict reaches
its peak.
o Example: The moment when the hero faces the antagonist in battle.
Explanation: The climax is the turning point where the main conflict comes to a head, often resulting in
a resolution.
9. Anticlimax/Bathos
o Definition: A sudden shift from an important or dramatic moment to a trivial or disappointing one.
o Example: After a long, intense chase, the hero trips over a rock and falls.
Explanation: The anticlimax comes when the buildup of excitement or tension leads to an unexpected or
underwhelming result.
10. Alliteration
o Definition: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
o Example: "She sells seashells by the seashore."
Explanation: The "s" sound is repeated in several words to create a rhythmic effect.
11. Apostrophe
o Definition: A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an
object.
o Example: "O Death, where is thy sting?"
Explanation: The speaker addresses "Death" as if it could respond, adding dramatic emphasis to the idea
of mortality.
12. Epigram
o Definition: A brief, witty, and often paradoxical statement.
o Example: "I can resist everything except temptation."
Explanation: This epigram by Oscar Wilde is both humorous and insightful, highlighting the irony in
human nature.
13. Irony
o Definition: A situation or expression where there is a discrepancy between appearance and reality or
between expectations and outcomes.
o Example: A fire station burning down.
Explanation: The irony lies in the contradiction of a place designed to fight fire being destroyed by fire.
14. Allegory
o Definition: A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities.
o Example: George Orwell's "Animal Farm"
Explanation: "Animal Farm" is an allegory for the Russian Revolution, with animals symbolizing political
figures.
15. Sarcasm
o Definition: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt, often in a cutting manner.
o Example: "Oh, great! Another traffic jam!"
Explanation: The speaker doesn't actually think the traffic jam is great, but uses sarcasm to express
frustration.
16. Image
o Definition: A descriptive language that appeals to the senses, helping to create a mental picture.
o Example: "The golden sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows on the quiet beach."
Explanation: The image creates a vivid mental picture of a sunset and its effect on the environment.
17. Assonance
o Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.
 o Example: "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."
Explanation: The "ai" sound is repeated in several words to create a pleasing auditory effect.
18. Consonance
o Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the end of words.
o Example: "The black sack."
Explanation: The "ck" sound is repeated at the end of both words, creating consonance.
19. Pun
o Definition: A play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar sounds for humorous effect.
o Example: "I used to be a baker, but I couldn't make enough dough."
Explanation: The word "dough" has a double meaning here, referring to both bread and money.
20. Transferred Epithet
o Definition: A description or adjective is applied to one noun, but it is meant to modify another.
o Example: "A sleepless night."
Explanation: The adjective "sleepless" describes the night, but it's actually the person who cannot sleep.
21. Onomatopoeia
o Definition: A word that imitates the natural sound it represents.
o Example: "Buzz," "crash," "clang."
Explanation: These words mimic actual sounds and help create a vivid sensory experience.
22. Personification
o Definition: Giving human characteristics to non-human things or abstract concepts.
o Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."
Explanation: The wind is given the human quality of "whispering," creating a more vivid image of the
scene.
23. Catastrophe
o Definition: A sudden and disastrous event, often the final resolution in a tragedy.
o Example: The deaths of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s play.
Explanation: The catastrophe in this play is the tragic ending that resolves the conflict but in a
devastating way.
24. Satire
o Definition: A genre of writing that uses humour, irony, or ridicule to criticize people, politics, or society.
o Example: "The Simpsons" often satirizes American culture and politics.
Explanation: Satire uses humour to criticize and expose flaws in human nature and societal institutions.
25. Hyperbole
o Definition: An exaggerated way of expressing something for emphasis or effect.
o Example: "I have a million things to do."
Explanation: The speaker exaggerates the number of things they have to do to emphasize being
overwhelmed.
Prosody
Spondee
A spondee is a metrical foot in prosody that consists of two long (as in classical verse) or stressed (as in English verse)
syllables. For example, bus-stop, tree truck, childhood, vast abyss (in Paradise Lost)
Iambic Pentameter
"Iambic" indicates that the type of foot used is the iamb. It is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (as in
a-BOVE). "Pentameter" indicates that each line has five "feet".
Pyrrhic
In prosody, pyrrhic is a metrical foot made up of two short or unaccented syllables. Andrew Marvell’s “The Garden”: To a
green thought in a green shade”. The unstressed syllables ‘to a’ and ‘in a’ are grouped together to form a pyrrhic.