Literary devices and figures of speech are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference

between the two:

Literary Devices:- Refers to the techniques or tools used by authors to convey meaning, create tone, and
enhance the overall impact of their writing.

- Examples: imagery, symbolism, foreshadowing, irony, allusion, etc.

- Often used to analyze and interpret literary texts, such as novels, poems, and plays.

Figures of Speech:- Refers specifically to words or expressions used in a non-literal sense to create a
vivid or rhetorical effect.

- Examples: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, understatement, etc.

- Often used in everyday language, not just in literary texts.

In other words, literary devices are the broader category, encompassing various techniques used in
literature, while figures of speech are a specific type of literary device that deals with language usage in
a non-literal sense.

To illustrate the difference:

- Imagery is a literary device used to create vivid descriptions.

- Metaphor is a figure of speech, a specific type of imagery that compares two unlike things without
"like" or "as."

All figures of speech are literary devices, but not all literary devices are figures of speech.

Literary Devices

Imagery

Imagery is the use of language to create vivid mental images.

Illustrations:

- "The description of the sunset in the poem creates a vivid image of the sky." (uses language to create a
mental image)

- "The author's use of imagery in the novel helps the reader visualize the setting." (uses language to
create a mental image)

- "The poet's use of imagery creates a mental picture of the natural world." (uses language to create a
mental image)

Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Illustrations:

- "The rose in the poem symbolizes love and passion." (object represents an abstract idea)

- "The color red in the novel symbolizes danger and warning." (color represents an abstract idea)

- "The dove in the story symbolizes peace and hope." (object represents an abstract idea)

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a hint or clue in the text that suggests something that will happen later in the story.

Illustrations:

- "As she walked into the house, she noticed the door was open, just a crack" (foreshadowing something
suspicious)

- "He had a feeling that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it" (foreshadowing
something bad)

- "The storm clouds gathered in the sky, threatening to ruin the picnic" (foreshadowing bad weather)

- "She had a dream that she was being chased, and it felt all too real" (foreshadowing something scary)

Allusion

An allusion is a reference to a person, place, event, or work of art that is outside the text itself.
Illustrations:

- "Their love was like Romeo and Juliet's, star-crossed and doomed from the start" (allusion to
Shakespeare's play)

- "The city was a modern-day Babylon, full of sin and corruption" (allusion to the biblical city)

- "He was a latter-day Einstein, genius and eccentric" (allusion to the famous physicist)

- "The company's fall was like the Titanic's, sudden and catastrophic" (allusion to the famous shipwreck)

Flashback

A flashback is a scene that takes the reader back in time to an event that occurred before the main
story.

Illustrations:

- "As she sat in the hospital room, she remembered the day they first met" (flashback)

- "The old man's mind wandered back to his childhood, and the happy memories

Stream of consciousness

Streams of consciousness is a writing style that seeks to replicate the natural flow of thoughts, feelings,
and observations in the mind.

Illustrations:

- "As she walked through the park, she thought about the argument she had with her sister, and how it
made her feel angry and hurt, but also a little bit guilty..." (replicates natural flow of thoughts)

- "The city was a blur of noise and color, a never-ending stream of people and cars and buildings, and he
felt like he was just a small part of it all..." (replicates natural flow of thoughts)

- "She lay in bed, thinking about the events of the day, and how they had led her to this moment, and
how she was feeling a mix of emotions, both happy and sad..." (replicates natural flow of thoughts)

Syntax

Syntax is the arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences.

Illustrations:
- "The dog ran quickly across the field." (simple sentence with clear syntax)

- "Although it was raining, we still went to the beach, and had a great time." (complex sentence with
clear syntax)

- "The sun was setting over the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape." (sentence with
descriptive syntax)

Tone

Tone is the author's attitude or feeling towards the subject matter.

Illustrations:

- "The tone of the poem is melancholic and reflective." (author's attitude towards the subject matter)

- "The tone of the novel is humorous and sarcastic." (author's attitude towards the subject matter)

- "The tone of the speech is inspiring and motivational." (author's attitude towards the subject matter)

Point of view

Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told.

Illustrations:

- "The story is told from the first-person point of view of the protagonist." (perspective from which the
story is told)

- "The novel is told from the third-person point of view of an omniscient narrator." (perspective from
which the story is told)

- "The play is told from the point of view of a character who is not directly involved in the action."
(perspective from which the story is told)

Types of Point of View:

 . First Person ( FPV): The narrator is a character within the story, often the protagonist.

Illustrations:

- "I went to the store" ( narrator is a character within the story)

- "I'm telling you, it was a crazy night" (narrator is a character within the story)

- "As I walked through the door, I saw her standing there" (narrator is a character within the story)

- "I couldn't believe what I was seeing" (narrator is a character within the story)

 Third Person Limited (TPL): The narrator is outside the story, but only has access to one
character's thoughts and feelings.

Illustrations:

- "She walked into the room, her heart racing" (narrator is outside the story, but has access to her
thoughts)

- "He thought to himself, 'This is a bad idea'" (narrator is outside the story, but has access to his
thoughts)

- "The detective pieced together the clues, but he still didn't have a suspect" (narrator is outside the
story, but has access to his thoughts)

- "As she drove away, she felt a sense of relief wash over her" (narrator is outside the story, but has
access to her thoughts)

 . Third Person Omniscient (TPO): The narrator is outside the story and has access to multiple
characters' thoughts and feelings.

Illustrations:

- "The two friends, John and Sarah, had been arguing for weeks" (narrator is outside the story, has
access to multiple characters' thoughts)

- "The king thought to himself, 'I must protect my kingdom at all costs'" (narrator is outside the story,
has access to multiple characters' thoughts)

- "As the family sat down to dinner, they all had different thoughts on their minds" (narrator is outside
the story, has access to multiple characters' thoughts)

- "The villain cackled to himself, 'My plan is finally coming together'" (narrator is outside the story, has
access to multiple characters' thoughts)

 Third Person Objective (TPOB): The narrator is outside the story and has no access to any
characters' thoughts or feelings.
Illustrations:

- "The sun rose over the horizon" (narrator is outside the story, no access to thoughts or feelings)

- "The car drove down the street" (narrator is outside the story, no access to thoughts or feelings)

- "The teacher stood at the front of the classroom" (narrator is outside the story, no access to thoughts
or feelings)

- "The storm clouds gathered in the sky" (narrator is outside the story, no access to thoughts or feelings)

Setting

Settings are the time and place in which a story takes place.

Illustrations:

- "The story is set in a futuristic world where robots have taken over." (time and place of the story)

- "The novel is set in the 1920s in the Deep South." (time and place of the novel)

- "The play is set in a small town in the Midwest during the 1950s." (time and place of the play)

Subject matter

Subject matter refers to the topic or theme that an author is writing about. It is the main idea or focus of
the text.

Illustrations:

- "The book is about the American Revolution, so the subject matter is historical events." (The topic of
the book is the American Revolution, which is a historical event.)

- "The poem explores the theme of love and heartbreak, so the subject matter is relationships." (The
poem is about love and heartbreak, which are aspects of relationships.)

- "The article discusses the impact of climate change on the environment, so the subject matter is
science and the natural world." (The article is about climate change and its effects on the environment,
which are scientific topics.)

- "The novel is set in a dystopian future and explores themes of government control and rebellion, so the
subject matter is political and social issues." (The novel is set in a dystopian future and explores themes
of government control and rebellion, which are political and social issues.)
- "The essay analyzes the symbolism in a painting, so the subject matter is art and culture." (The essay is
about the symbolism in a painting, which is an aspect of art and culture.)

In each of these examples, the subject matter is the main idea or focus of the text. It is what the author
is writing about, and it determines the content and direction of the text.

Theme

A theme is the underlying message or idea that the author is trying to convey.

Illustrations:

- "The theme of Romeo and Juliet is the destructive nature of hate and the redemptive power of love."
(underlying message of the play)

- "The theme of The Great Gatsby is the corrupting influence of wealth and the American Dream."
(underlying message of the novel)

- "The theme of the poem is the beauty and fleeting nature of life." (underlying message of the poem)

Motif

A motif is a recurring theme or symbol in a story.

Illustrations:

- "The rose was a motif throughout the story, symbolizing love and passion." (recurring symbol)

- "The theme of redemption was a motif throughout the story, as the protagonist sought to make
amends for past mistakes." (recurring theme)

- "The color blue was a motif throughout the story, symbolizing sadness and depression." (recurring
symbol)

Characterization

Characterisation is the process of creating and developing characters in a story.

Illustrations:

- "Sarah was a shy and introverted person, who always put others before herself." (character
description)
- "John was a brave and adventurous person, who loved trying new things." (character description)

- "The villain was a cold and calculating person, who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted."
(character description)

Dialogue

Dialogue is the conversation between characters in a story.

Illustrations:

- " 'Hello, how are you?' asked Sarah. 'I'm good, thanks,' replied John." (conversation between two
characters)

- " 'What's wrong, Mom?' asked the child. 'Nothing, sweetie, just a long day,' said the mother."
(conversation between two characters)

- " 'You're not going anywhere,' said the villain. 'Oh, I think I am,' said the hero." (conversation between
two characters)

Plot twist

A plot twist is a sudden and unexpected turn of events in the story.

Illustrations:

- "The killer was revealed to be the detective's own brother" (plot twist)

- "The main character was actually a robot the whole time" (plot twist)

- "The story was all just a dream, and the protagonist woke up in their own bed" (plot twist)

- "The villain was actually the hero's long-lost father" (plot twist)

Figures of Speech

Metaphor- Metaphor: "He was a shining light in a dark room..." (compares a person to a source of light)

Illustrations:

- "He was a shining light in a dark room..." (compares a person to a source of light)
- "Life is a journey..." (compares life to a journey)

- "The city was a beast that swallowed us whole..." (compares city to a beast)

- "Her voice was a warm hug on a cold day..." (compares voice to a warm hug)

- "The world is a stage..." (compares world to a stage)

Simile :

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as."

Illustrations:

- "He ran like a cheetah..." (compares running to a cheetah's)

- "She sings as sweetly as a bird..." (compares singing to a bird's)

- "He was as strong as an ox..." (compares strength to an ox's)

- "Life is like a rollercoaster..." (compares life to a rollercoaster)

- "The sunset was like a painting in the sky..." (compares sunset to a painting)

Personification :

Personification is a figure of speech that gives human-like qualities to non-human things.

Illustrations:

- "The wind whispered secrets in my ear." (gives wind human-like ability to whisper)

- "The sun smiled down on us." (gives sun human-like ability to smile)

- "The trees danced in the breeze." (gives trees human-like ability to dance)

- "The river sang a soothing melody." (gives river human-like ability to sing)

- "The fire crackled with laughter." (gives fire human-like ability to laugh)

Assonance
Assonance is a literary device that repeats vowel sounds within words that are close together.

Illustrations:

- "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." (repeats the "ain" sound)

- "How now, brown cow?" (repeats the "ow" sound)

- "The beat of the drum was music to my ears." (repeats the "e" sound)

Alliteration

Alliteration is a figure of speech that repeats initial consonant sounds for effect.

Illustrations:

- "Sally sells seashells by the seashore." (repeats the "s" sound)

- "Fluffy friends frolic fearlessly." (repeats the "f" sound)

- "Buzzing bees bounce brightly." (repeats the "b" sound)

- "Crazy creatures catch curious cats." (repeats the "c" sound)

- "Happy hippos hop home." (repeats the "h" sound)

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that uses words that imitate sounds.

Illustrations:

- "The firework exploded with a loud boom." (uses the word "boom" to imitate the sound)

- "The rain pitter-pattered against the window." (uses the words "pitter-pattered" to imitate the sound)

- "The dog barked with a loud woof." (uses the word "woof" to imitate the sound)

- "The car screeched to a halt." (uses the word "screeched" to imitate the sound)

- "The door creaked open." (uses the word "creaked" to imitate the sound)
Idiom

An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the
individual words.

Illustrations:

- "It's raining cats and dogs." (means "raining heavily")

- "Break a leg!" (means "good luck")

- "Bite off more than you can chew." (means "take on more responsibility than you can handle")

- "Beat around the bush." (means "avoid talking directly or plainly")

- "Cost an arm and a leg." (means "very expensive")

Proverb

A proverb is a short saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice.

Illustrations:

- "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." (means "eating healthy food can prevent illness")

- "Actions speak louder than words." (means "it's not what you say, it's what you do that matters")

- "All's fair in love and war." (means "in situations where people are fighting or competing, they will do
whatever it takes to win")

- "Blood is thicker than water." (means "family ties are stronger than any other relationship")

- "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." (means "don't assume something will happen until it
actually does")

Pun

A pun is a play on words that uses multiple meanings or sounds similar to other words to create humor
or cleverness.

Illustrations:

- "Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired." (uses "two-tired" instead of "too tired")
- "I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down." (uses "put down" in two different
ways)

- "Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field." (uses "outstanding in
his field" in two different ways)

- "What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta." (uses "impasta" instead of "impostor")

- "Why did the coffee file a police report? Because it got mugged." (uses "mugged" in two different
ways)

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two words or phrases that seem to be contradictory.

Illustrations:

- "jumbo shrimp" (combines "jumbo" meaning large with "shrimp" meaning small)

- "bitter sweet" (combines "bitter" meaning unpleasant with "sweet" meaning pleasant)

- "deafening silence" (combines "deafening" meaning extremely loud with "silence" meaning quiet)

-"

Paradox

A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself or appears to be impossible or absurd.

Illustrations:

- "Jumbo shrimp" (combines two words that contradict each other)

- "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." (appears to be impossible)

- "I'm going to stop eating junk food, starting tomorrow." (contradicts itself)

- "The only constant is change." (appears to be absurd)

- "I'm feeling sad because I'm so happy." (contradicts itself)

Anaphora

Anaphora is a figure of speech that repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or
sentences.
Illustrations:

- "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in
the streets." (repeats "we shall fight")

- "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, I have a dream that one day we will be judged by
the content of our character, I have a dream that one day we will live in a nation where people are free."
(repeats "I have a dream")

- "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask not what your country can do for your family, ask not
what your country can do for your friends." (repeats "ask not")

- "We are the champions, we are the champions, we are the champions of the world." (repeats "we are
the champions")

- "I came, I saw, I conquered; I came, I saw, I loved; I came, I saw, I learned." (repeats "I came, I saw")

Epistrophe

Epistrophe is a figure of speech that repeats a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or
sentences.

Illustrations:

- "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, and one huge accomplishment for us all."
(repeats "for")

- "We are proud of our heritage, we are proud of our culture, we are proud of our identity." (repeats
"proud of")

- "I love you more today than yesterday, I love you more today than tomorrow, I love you more today
than ever." (repeats "today")

- "We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday." (repeats "overcome")

- "I believe in you, I believe in me, I believe in we." (repeats "believe in")

Euphemism

Euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression used to avoid offense or unpleasantness.

Illustrations:
- "He passed away" (instead of "he died")

- "She's expecting" (instead of "she's pregnant")

- "He's downsizing" (instead of "he's being fired")

- "We're having a disagreement" (instead of "we're fighting")

- "The hotel room has a 'unique' aroma" (instead of "the hotel room smells bad")

Irony

Irony is a figure of speech that conveys a meaning that is opposite of what is explicitly stated.

Illustrations:

- "What a beautiful day!" (said on a rainy day)

- "I'm so glad I have to go to the dentist tomorrow." (meaning the opposite)

- "This cake is delicious!" (said about a bad-tasting cake)

- "I'm feeling great, thanks for asking!" (said when feeling unwell)

- "Oh, wonderful, just what I needed, another bill to pay." (meaning the opposite)

Types of Irony:

- Verbal irony: when the words used convey a meaning that is opposite of their literal meaning

- Situational irony: when the opposite of what is expected to happen occurs

- Dramatic irony: when the audience knows something that the characters in the situation do not

Sarcasm

Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony that is intended to cut or wound.

Illustrations:

- "Oh, great, just what I needed, another meeting to add to my busy schedule." (meaning the opposite)

- "Wow, I'm so impressed with your intelligence." (meaning the opposite)

- "Yeah, right, like that's going to happen." (meaning the opposite)

- "Oh, fantastic, another bill to pay. Just what I needed to make my day complete." (meaning the
opposite)

- "I'm so glad I have to work on Saturday. It's not like I had plans or anything." (meaning the opposite)

Understatement

An understatement is a figure of speech that presents a situation as less severe or significant than it
actually is.

Illustrations:

- "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, and one huge accomplishment for us all."
(repeats "for")

- "We are proud of our heritage, we are proud of our culture, we are proud of our identity." (repeats
"proud of")

- "I love you more today than yesterday, I love you more today than tomorrow, I love you more today
than ever." (repeats "today")

- "We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday." (repeats "overcome")

- "I believe in you, I believe in me, I believe in we." (repeats "believe in")

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Illustrations:

- "I'm so hungry I could eat a whole elephant." (exaggerates hunger)

- "This bag weighs a ton." (exaggerates weight)

- "I've told you a million times not to leave your dirty socks on the floor." (exaggerates frequency)

- "He's as strong as an ox." (exaggerates strength)

- "I'm dying of boredom." (exaggerates boredom)

Analogy

Analogy is a figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike, but share a common
characteristic.

Illustrations:

- "He runs like a cheetah." (compares a person to a cheetah, both fast)

- "Life is like a puzzle." (compares life to a puzzle, both complex)

- "The city is a jungle." (compares city to a jungle, both competitive)

- "Time is money." (compares time to money, both valuable)

- "The brain is a computer." (compares brain to a computer, both process information)

Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a figure of speech that addresses a person or thing that is not present.

Illustrations:

- "Oh, absent friends, how you are missed." (addresses absent friends)

- "Dear John, I'll never forget you." (addresses a person who is not present)

- "O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (addresses Romeo, who is not present)

- "Farewell, dear life, I'll never forget you." (addresses life, which is not present)

- "Oh, freedom, how you are cherished." (addresses freedom, which is not present)