LITERARY DEVICES

SOURCE: https://literaryterms.net/anachronism/

Ad hominem (Latin) means “against the man”. As the name suggests, it is a literary term
that involves commenting on or against an opponent to undermine him instead of his
arguments.

Let’s say Andy and Barbara are discussing whether or not aliens exist. Andy says,
“Earth is only one of countless planets in the universe. Since many of those planets are
similar to Earth, it’s almost ignorant to assume there are no alien races of significant
advancement.” There is Andy’s argument. Barbara replies, “Didn’t you get a D in
Astronomy?” Her defense ignores Andy’s logic completely. Instead, it casts doubt
on Andy’s intelligence and knowledge. That might seem like a good point, since
astronomy is related to his point, but it’s still an ad hominem error because the only thing
that really matters logically is exactly what Andy said, not his grades.

Difference between Allegory and Symbolism: Although an allegory uses symbols, it is

different from symbolism. An allegory is a complete narrative which involves characters,
and events that stand for an abstract idea or an event. A symbol, on the other hand, is an
object that stands for another object giving it a particular meaning. Unlike allegory,
symbolism does not tell a story. For example, Plato in his “Allegory of Cave” tells a story of
how some people are ignorant and at the same time, some people “see the light” – stands
for an idea and does not tell a story.

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is one of literature’s most famous allegories. The surface
story is about a group of farm animals who rise up, kick out the humans, and try to run the
farm themselves. The hidden story, however, is about the Russian Revolution, and each
of the characters represents some figure from that revolution. The pigs represent
Communist leaders like Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, the dogs represent the KGB, the
humans represent capitalists, the horses represent the working class, etc.

In The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe’s most famous poem, the huge black bird is a symbol for
the narrator’s deep feelings of loss, regret, mourning, and loneliness. Every time the
narrator’s thoughts stray to his late wife, the raven croaks “nevermore.” This is a symbol
for the way the narrator’s mind constantly reminds him of his loss, causing him to sink
further and further into despair and sorrow.

Anachronism is derived from a Greek word anachronous which means “against time”.
Therefore, an anachronism is an error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece. In other
words, anything that is out of time and out of place is an anachronism.

William Shakespeare sometimes used anachronisms deliberately in his plays about the
ancient world. He has Cleopatra play billiards, for example, a game that didn’t exist until
over 1,000 years after her death. Shakespeare did this because he wanted his plays to be
staged as though the events were happening in his own day, much the way we might do
with a “modernized” version of old stories.
An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that
is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to
something that is familiar.

Every choice you make is like spinning the wheel of fortune—sometimes you will get the
result that you desire, while other times you will end up with something you always hoped
to avoid.

In literature, an antagonist is a character or a group of characters which stand in

opposition to the protagonist or the main character. The term antagonist comes from
Greek word “antagonistēs” that means opponent, competitor or rival.

The dictator has appeared as an antagonist in countless stories, both fictional and non-
fictional, over the past few generations. In re-tellings of the Second World War, the Allies
are almost always the heroes, making Hitler the villainous antagonist.

Anti-climax is a rhetorical device which can be defined as a disappointing situation or a

sudden transition in discourse from an important idea to a ludicrous or trivial one. It is
when at a specific point, expectations are raised, everything is built-up and then suddenly
something boring or disappointing happens; this is an anti-climax. Besides that, the order
of statements gradually descends in anti-climax.

 Conflict: The protagonist must deactivate a bomb in order to save an entire city.
 Climax: The protagonist successfully deactivates the bomb last-minute with
intelligence, critical thinking, and bravery.
 Anticlimax: The protagonist fails to deactivate the bomb, but luckily, it was a poorly
made bomb and fails to go off.

Anti-hero is a literary device used by writers for a prominent character in a play or book
that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. The protagonist is
generally admired for his bravery, strength, charm, ingenuity etc. while an anti-hero is
typically clumsy, unsolicited, and unskilled and has both good and bad qualities.

Antithesis, literal meaning opposite, is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are
put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect.

To err is human; to forgive, divine. (Alexander Pope)

This example is used to point out that humans possess both worldly and godly qualities;
they can all make mistakes, but they also have the power to free others from blame.

When a noun or word is followed by another noun or phrase that renames or identifies it,
this is called appositive. This is a literary device that appears before or after a noun or
noun phrase. It is always used with commas. Simply, we can define it as a noun phrase or
a noun that defines or explains another noun, which it follows.
[Mitchell] was partial to the older establishments on Monroe Street, restaurants like the
Grecian Gardens are Hellas Café, where his parents had taken him and his brothers as
children for big family occasions… The men gave their hats to a girl, usually the owner’s
daughter, who stacked them neatly in the coatroom.

In this example from The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, the use of appositives
shows Mitchell is familiar with these older restaurants, as he knows their specific names
and is familiar with how the people working and running the restaurants are usually family
members.

Archaism is the derivative of a Greek word, archaïkós, which means beginning or ancient.
It is a figure of speech in which a used phrase or word is considered very old fashioned
and outdated. It can be a word, a phrase, a group of letters, spellings and syntax..

In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to

represent such universal patterns of human nature.

Blank verse is a literary device defined as un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter.
In poetry and prose, it has a consistent meter with 10 syllables in each line (pentameter);
where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones and five of which are stressed
but do not rhyme. It is also known as un-rhymed iambic pentameter.

Frost at Midnight (By Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

But thou, my babe! shalt wander like a breeze

By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags
Of ancient mountain, and beneath the clouds,
Which image in their bulk both lakes and shores.
And mountain crags: so shalt thou see and hear
The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible
Of that eternal language, which thy God…

Coleridge has used iambic pentameter – ten syllables, with five stressed
syllables in this example. Though there is no rhyme scheme, readers can
feel the rhythm of a real speech due to proper use of meter in this blank
verse.

A Catharsis is an emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or
spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Catharsis is a
Greek word and it means cleansing. In literature it is used for the cleansing of emotions of
the characters. It can also be any other radical change that leads to emotional rejuvenation
of a person.

Characterization is a literary device that is used step by step in literature to highlight and
explain the details about a character in a story.

Cliché refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original
meaning or novelty. A cliché may also refer to actions and events which are predictable
because of some previous events.

Climax, a Greek term meaning “ladder”, is that particular point in a narrative at which
the conflict or tension hits the highest point.

Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
In the first stanza shown above, Frost’s narrator faces a conflict: should he take one road,
or the other? By the last stanza, he has made his decision. At the climax of the poem, he
reveals he has taken the road “less traveled by”:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The climax of the poem is when the narrator makes a decision to bravely take the road
that is less popular but ultimately more promising, for it “has made all the difference.”

Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it
describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in
addition to their literal meanings or denotations.

For example, “This clothing is affordable!” versus “This clothing is cheap!” Here,
“affordable” sounds much better than “cheap,” because the word cheap also implies low
quality.

Denouement is derived from a French word called “denoue” that means “to untie”. The
denouement is a literary device which can be defined as the resolution of the issue of a
complicated plot in fiction. Majority of the examples of denouement show the resolution in
the final part or chapter that is often an epilogue.
The term deus ex machina refers to the circumstance where an implausible concept or a
divine character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its conflict and
procuring an interesting outcome.The use of deus ex machina is discouraged for the
reason that the presence of it within a plot is viewed as a sign of an ill-structured plot. The
explanation that the critics provide for bearing the above stated view is that the writer’s
sudden resort to random, insupportable and unbelievable twists for the purpose of
procuring an ending highlights the inherent deficiencies of the plot. Hence, deus ex
machina is a rather debatable and often criticized form of literary device.

Dichotomy is a Greek word dichotomia that means “dividing in two.” Dichotomy is a

literary technique that divides a thing into two equal and contradictory parts or between
two opposing groups. In literary works, writers use this technique for creating conflicts in
the stories and plays. Its common examples in literature are good and evil, soul and body,
real and imaginary, heaven and hell, male and female, and savage and civilized, etc.
Often, dichotomy appears in a single character; however, sometimes writers use separate
characters for representing opposing ideas.

There are several interesting dichotomies in Heart of Darkness. These include perceived
savagery versus civilization, light versus dark, and more. The first of these is the most
important as it is around the difference between the “civilized” imperialistic powers and the
native peoples that they’re attempting to oppress and control, that the novel hinges. It
becomes clearer the farther along with one move in the story that what was initially
perceived as civilized is actually quite different. This novella provides readers with great
insight into the way that dichotomies can be used to create a powerful message.

While reading a narrative, a reader comes across several sudden interruptions in the main
action of the story, which provides him background information, establish his interest,
describe character’s motivation and build suspense, etc. These interruptions are called
digressions. A digression is a stylistic device authors employ to create a temporary
departure from the main subject of the narrative to focus on apparently unrelated topics,
explaining background details. However, after this temporary shift, authors return to the
main topic at the end of the narrative.

Dystopia is a world in which everything is imperfect and everything goes terribly wrong.
Dystopian literature shows us a nightmarish image about what might happen in the near
future. Usually the main themes of dystopian works are rebellion, oppression, revolutions,
wars, overpopulation and disasters. On the other hand, utopia is a perfect world exactly
opposite to dystopia.

The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and
phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant.

Jimmy was sent to a correctional facility.

A “correctional facility” is a more professional and nicer-sounding phrase than “jail” or
“prison.”
Flash-forward or prolepsis is a literary device in which the plot goes ahead of time i.e. a
scene that interrupts and takes the narrative forward in time from the current time in a
story.

Merriam Webster defines flashback as “an interruption of the chronological sequence (as
of a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence.”

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to

come later in the story.

Some of the most famous examples of foreshadowing in literature can be found in

Shakespeare’s works. Romeo and Juliet is brimming with lines that foreshadow future
events in the play. For example, in the famous balcony scene, Romeo expresses that he
wouldn’t mind being caught by Juliet’s guards, stating that,
life were better ended by their hate, / Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

In simple terms, Romeo would rather die than live his life without Juliet’s love. His words
foreshadow Romeo and Juliet’s suicides, and the family conflict that precedes their
deaths.

Hamartia is a personal error in a protagonist’s personality that brings about his tragic
downfall in a tragedy. This defect in a hero’s personality is also known as a “tragic flaw.

Hubris is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about
his downfall.

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which
involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

Joseph Conrad emphasizes the passing of time in the novel “Heart of Darkness”:

I had to wait in the station for ten days– an eternity.

Ten days is by no means an eternity, forever, but it felt like it.

Irony is a figure Definition of speech in which words are used in such a way that their
intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a
situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In
simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.

Water, water everywhere, nor any a drop to drink.

This line from Samuel Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” describes the dark irony
of a sailor dying of thirst on his boat while he is surrounded by water.
Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and
their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing
comparisons and contrasts.

A butler spends his days in a beautiful mansion dressed in a tuxedo, but returns home to a
closet-sized apartment in a rundown part of town.

Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or

hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but
have some characteristics common between them. In other words, a resemblance of two
contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common
characteristics.

Our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. (Khalil Gibran – Sand
& Foam)

Metonymy is often confused with another figure of speech called synecdoche. They
resemble each other but are not the same. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of
one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche. A part of a car i.e. “a
wheel” stands for the whole car. In a metonymy, on the other hand, the word we use to
describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is not a part of it. For
example, “Crown” which means power or authority is a metonymy.

Metonymy is different from a metaphor. A metaphor draws resemblance between two

different things as in “You are sunlight and I moon” – Sun And Moon from Miss Saigon.
Sunlight (and moon) and human are two different things without any association but it
attempts to describe one thing in terms of another based on a supposed similarity.
Metonymy, however, develops relation on the grounds of close associations as in “The
White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people
who work in it.

Motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work.

Nemesis is a literary device that refers to a situation of poetic justice where the good
characters are rewarded for their virtues and the evil characters are punished for their
vices.

Omniscient is a literary technique of writing narrative in third person in which a narrator

knows the feelings and thoughts of every character in the story. Through omniscient
narrative, an author brings an entire world of his characters to life and moves from
characters to characters, allowing different voices to interpret the events, and maintaining
omniscient form — that is keeping a distance. Omniscient narrative tells the story of every
character by demonstrating that only the narrator possesses information.

Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It

creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more
expressive and interesting.

Overstatement is an act of stating something more than it actually is in order to make the
point more serious or important or beautiful. In literature, writers use it as a literary
technique for the sake of humor, and for laying emphasis on a certain point. For instance,
when in his poem “I wandered lonely as a cloud,” Wordsworth reports daffodils as,
“stretched in never-ending line.” In fact, he is not saying this statement literally; rather he is
merely using overstatement to add emphasis on the long line of daffodils.

Oxymoron, plural oxymora, is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to
create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective
proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, e.g. “cruel kindness” or “living death”.

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O anything, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Upon realizing his love is for an unavailable woman, Romeo releases a slur of oxymora
including: “loving hate,” “heavy lightness,” “serious vanity,” and “bright smoke.” The use of
oxymoron here serves to highlight the discord that Romeo experiences between his strong
passion for a woman, and the logic which tells him he cannot love her.

The term Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to
expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion.

I must be cruel only to be kind (Hamlet III.IV.181)

Parody is an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre, exaggerating it deliberately to

produce a comic effect. The humorous effect in parody is achieved by imitating and
overstressing noticeable features of a famous piece of literature, as in caricatures, where
certain peculiarities of a person are highlighted to achieve a humorous effect.

Pathos is a quality of an experience in life or a work of art that stirs up emotions of pity,
sympathy and sorrow. Pathos can be expressed through words, pictures or even with
gestures of the body.

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given

human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they
have the ability to act like human beings.

Death is the mother of Beauty – from “Sunday Morning” by Wallace Stevens

This example shows that personification can be used for purposes more meaningful than
merely making the description of a scene more vivid. After all, how can death be a person,
let alone a mother?

Plot is a literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of
a story. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence. The structure of a
novel depends on the organization of events in the plot of the story.

A protagonist is the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any
other story. A protagonist is sometimes called a “hero” by the audience or readers. The
word originally came from the Greek language and in Greek drama which refers to the
person who led the chorus. Later on, the word started being used as a term for the first
actor in order of performance.

A rhetorical question is asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed
when no real answer is expected. A rhetorical question may have an obvious answer but
the questioner asks rhetorical questions to lay emphasis to the point. In literature, a
rhetorical question is self-evident and used for style as an impressive persuasive device.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet!”
(Juliet, Romeo and Juliet)
One of Shakespeare’s most famous lines is a rhetorical question. In this line, Juliet is
raising the question to prove a point – that names don’t mean anything and it shouldn’t
matter if Romeo’s last name is unacceptable to her parents. She’s asking the question
rhetorically, and doesn’t expect that someone will come in and tell her what is in a name.

Sarcasm is derived from French word sarcasmor and also from a Greek
word sarkazein that means “tear flesh” or “grind the teeth”. Somehow, in simple words it
means to speak bitterly.

Was there a lack of graves in Egypt, that you took us away to die in the
wilderness? (Exodus 14:11)

An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally

make a situation seem less important than it really is.

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield makes a mistake that users of
understatement should not to make: he understates a serious illness:
I have to have this operation. It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.
Here, Holden is lying to a woman as to why he is leaving school early. He uses
understatement after the woman expresses concern, in order to politely end an unwanted
social interaction.