ALLITERATION
Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of adjacent words. Alliteration is a special case of consonance, which is the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in the word
E.g. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”
1.
HYPERBOLE
Exaggerating a statement or idea to emphasize a point or emotion.
E.g. I've been waiting for a thousand year!
2.
ALLUSION
An allusion is a literary device that references a person, place, thing, or event in the real world. You can use this to paint a clear picture or to even connect with your readers.
E.g. “Careful, now. You don’t want to go opening Pandora’s Box.”
3.
METAPHOR
A metaphor is a comparison between two things that are NOT alike and replaces the word with another word.
E.g. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
4.
SIMILE
Comparing two unrelated things to creating new understanding and meaning. They are marked by the use of "like," "as,"or "such as."
E.g. His eyes were as blue as the sky.
5.
PERSONIFICATION
Giving inanimate objects and other phenomena human traits.
E.g. The clock warned me that the time was up.
6.
SYMBOLISM
This literary device is the use of a situation or element to represent a larger message, idea, or concept.
E.g.
- Crows are used to symbolize a bad omen, like death.
- The color red can symbolize love, struggle, power, passion
7.
ONOMATOPEIA
Words whose sound mimics natural sounds or sounds of an object. These words help bring the reader into the scene by working on the senses.
E.g. Buzz, whoosh, boom, splat, etc.
8.
OXYMORON
A device that puts two contradictory ideas together to create complex meaning.
E.g. The sight of the living dead shuffling below sent a blazing chill down her spine.
9.
PARADOX
A statement that contradicts itself but it creates a clearer meaning by doing so.
E.g. I hate that I love you.
10.
Commonly used Literary Devices
