Literary Devices: Enhance Your Writing
Understanding Literary Devices
Alliteration
Definition: Repetition of one or more sounds in a verse or stanza. It creates euphonic effects or cacophony. Examples:
- “You take grip of rare breeds of birds…”
- “The wing of a mild fan.”
Onomatopoeia
Definition: Imitation of real sounds using phonetic language. Example: “Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.”
Paronomasia
Definition: Phonetic similarity of words or word groups. Example: “I’ve sold, blindfolded.”
Assonance
Definition: Equality of vowel sounds from the last stressed syllable.
Consonance
Definition: Equal consonant sounds from the last accented vowel.
Pleonasm
Definition: Addition of unnecessary terms to emphasize an idea. It has expressive value. Example: “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Synonymy
Definition: Accumulation of synonyms to convey a concept. Example: “She was beautiful, graceful, gallant…”
Epithet
Definition: An adjective that is not strictly necessary for understanding the text but adds expression and emphasizes a quality. Example: “The white snow covering his head…”
Anaphora
Definition: Repetition of one or more words at the beginning of a sentence. Example: “Before…”
Epiphora
Definition: Repetition of a word or words at the end of a sentence. Example: “Love-sick, cured of love…”
Polysyndeton
Definition: Repetition of conjunctions to give solemnity or a slow pace to the text.
Asyndeton
Definition: Elimination of conjunctions to give the text a quicker, more agile feel.
Syllepsis (or Dilogia)
Definition: Using words with double meanings, often words that are pronounced the same or written similarly. Example: “In counties, earn dice.”
Pun
Definition: A play on words, combining syllables to create different meanings. Example: “Gold seems, silver is not.” (A play on the Spanish proverb “Oro parece, plata no es.”)
Metaphor
Definition: A comparison between two seemingly unrelated things.
Allegory
Definition: A continuous succession of images and metaphors throughout a text.
Prosopopoeia (Personification)
Definition: Granting human qualities to inanimate beings or animals. Example: “‘Prepare your luggage,’ he said. Death.”
Hyperbole
Definition: Exaggeration of terms, increasing or decreasing actions, qualities, etc. Example: “Her tears were pearls adorning her…”
Simile
Definition: A direct comparison, often using “like” or “as”.
Paradox
Definition: The union of two apparently irreconcilable ideas; an opinion, true or not, contrary to popular belief. Example: “I live without living in myself.”
Irony
Definition: Saying the opposite of what is meant, often for humorous or emphatic effect.
Analysis and Commentary on a Poem
Outer Structure:
- Identify the type of verse (number of lines, meter, rhyme scheme).
- Describe any poetic devices used (sinalefa, hiatus, diaeresis, etc.).
- Identify and explain the literary devices used.
- Determine the genre and subgenre (elegy, satire, epic, romance, etc.).
Content Analysis:
- Identify the theme(s) in one sentence.
- Analyze the internal structure or content structure (different parts or strands).
- Analyze the type of language used (ornate, simple, complicated, archaic, etc.).
- Attempt to identify the text and author.
Conclusion:
- Provide a personal opinion.
- Relate the poem to other works or concepts, if applicable (e.g., COPD).