Key Literary Devices and Figures of Speech Defined
Synecdoche
A figure of speech using a specific name, appellation, or nickname for the person or thing itself. E.g., ‘the Apostle’ for St. Paul; ‘a Nero’ for a cruel man.
Allegory
A narrative or description in which characters, places, and events represent abstract qualities or ideas. Example: The blindfold and wings of Cupid are allegorical.
Hyperbole
A figure of speech involving exaggeration for emphasis or effect, increasing or decreasing what is spoken of.
Irony
A rhetorical figure expressing the opposite of what is literally said.
Metaphor
A figure of speech transferring a word or phrase from its literal meaning to another based on an implicit comparison. E.g., pearls of dew; the spring of life; reining in the passions.
Metonymy
A figure of speech designating something by the name of something else closely associated with it. This can involve substituting: effect for cause (or vice versa), author for works, sign for the thing signified, etc. E.g., ‘gray hair’ for old age; ‘reading Virgil’ for reading the works of Virgil; ‘the laurel’ for glory.
Synesthesia
A figure of speech combining descriptions of sensations from different sensory domains. Examples: ‘Soledad sonora’ (sonorous solitude); ‘Verde chillón’ (loud/gaudy green).
Alliteration
The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a phrase or sentence. This repetition contributes to the structure or expressive quality, especially in verse.
Epiphora
The repetition of a word or words at the end of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences.
Gradation
A figure of speech arranging words or phrases in ascending or descending order of importance, emphasis, or scope.
Polysyndeton
The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions in close succession, often to create emphasis or a sense of energy.
Paronomasia
A play on words using terms that sound alike but have different meanings. Example: Using ‘door’ and ‘port’ near each other; ‘secret two, secret of God.’
Parallelism
The repetition of similar grammatical structures, phrases, or sentences within a text. Example: A song’s chorus often demonstrates parallelism.
Asyndeton
The omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses, often used to create emphasis, speed, or vividness.
Ellipsis
The omission of a word or words that are necessary for the complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.
Hyperbaton
A literary figure involving the inversion or disruption of the normal syntactical order of words in a sentence.
Antithesis
A figure of speech that contrasts opposing ideas, words, or sentences.
Paradox
A figure of thought using statements or phrases that appear self-contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth. Example: ‘Behold the miser, poor amidst his riches.’
Simile (Comparison)
A figure of speech explicitly comparing two unlike things, often using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Unlike metaphor, the meaning of the terms doesn’t change. A simile has a real term (A) and an image (B), connected by comparative words (e.g., A is like B, A is as B). Example: Comparing old age to a sunset.
Description
The act of representing persons or things through language, detailing their parts, qualities, or circumstances. Describing in words is like drawing with them.
Personification
A figure of speech attributing human qualities, actions, or characteristics to inanimate objects, abstract ideas, or animals.
Apostrophe (Invocation)
A figure of speech addressing a person (present or absent, living or dead), an abstract concept, or an inanimate object directly.
Exclamation
A statement expressed with strong emotion, often marked by an exclamation point, conveying excitement, urgency, or passion.
Rhetorical Question
A question asked for effect or emphasis, not requiring or expecting an answer.