Literary Devices, Genres, and Subgenres: Definitions
Literary Devices
Alliteration: Repetition of one or more phonemes in order to imitate a sound.
Anaphora: Repetition of one word at the beginning of each verse.
Parallelism: Repetition of syntactic structures.
Tautology: Needless use of words that add no extra meaning, but can add expressiveness.
Polysyndeton: Continuous repetition of conjunctions.
Polyptoton: Repetition of the stem of a word.
Hypallage: A figure of speech in which an attribute is applied to something other than what it logically qualifies.
Allegory: Transforms the meaning of a text to express a different idea using the procedure of continuing the metaphor.
Antithesis: Juxtaposition of words or sentences with opposing meanings.
Apostrophe: Using an exclamation to address someone or something (sentimental).
Hyperbole: Exaggeration of what is being discussed.
Metaphor: Identification of a real term with an imaginary one with which it shares a similarity.
Metonymy: Designating a thing with the name of another to which it bears a relationship of meaning.
Personification: Attributing human qualities to an irrational or inanimate object.
Simile or Comparison: Comparing two objects or realities through a link.
Synaesthesia: Uniting feelings from different senses.
Image: Relating two terms that do not evoke similar feelings.
Asyndeton: Removal of links in a verse so that the expression becomes more vivid.
Ellipsis: Removing one or more words in a sentence that can be understood from context.
Hyperbaton: Altering the logical order of a sentence.
Chiasmus: Placing two equivalent members in a crossed, reversed order.
Literary Genres and Subgenres
Lyric Subgenres
Elegy: Expresses pain felt by the death of a loved one.
Eclogue: Structured as a dialogue between shepherds about love affairs in a bucolic setting.
Ode: A long poem dealing with diverse issues in a high pitch.
Song: Usually of the loving type, although it can express other feelings.
Satire: A humorous and brief presentation of individual or social defects.
Narrative Subgenres
In Verse
Epic: A long poem praising the feat of a hero.
Epic Poem: An epic poem of oral creation that is destined to recount the feat of a local or national hero. In the Middle Ages, they were written in verses of 14 and 16 syllables divided into two hemistichs.
Romance: A short poem of original creation, from the 15th century, with different themes. It is an autonomous genre, written in octosyllabic verses, rhyming assonance in even lines and the odd lines loose.
In Prose
Novel: Develops an extensive real or fictional story in a notional time and a determined action. It describes the environments.
Short Story: Short stories of a feigned action, in whole or in part. It tells a story in a condensed manner, with a small number of imaginary characters and space.
Legend: Fiction whose origin is a historical event with fantastic elements.
Apologue: A story that transmits codes of conduct and moral standards, with moral ends.
Epistle: Addresses philosophical matters, taking the form of a letter addressed explicitly.
Fable: Anecdotes with personified animals as protagonists, ending with a moral.
Essay: A text in which the author addresses the public to defend his attitude before a question, using language to expose ideas.
Dramatic Subgenres
Major
Tragedy: Characters fight against a created destiny. Classical tragedy was written in verse, and the modern period reached a peak in England.
Comedy: Figures represent daily life actions treated comically, with a happy ending.
Drama: Shares features of tragedy and comedy, presenting a painful conflict.
Minor
Auto Sacramental: A short piece in one act, of a religious character, usually with the exaltation of the Eucharist.
Entremés: A short play depicting customs, presented in the 17th century during the long intermissions of comedies.
Sainete: A short piece with popular characters, developing a comic action in a customary environment.