Literary Devices:

Interesting when you read, useful when you write!

 ONOMATOPOEIA
is a word that imitates the sound
it represents.

Examples:
crunch
zap
tick-tock
whoosh
 PERSONIFICATION
is when a writer gives human
qualities to animals or objects.

Examples:
My car drank the gasoline in one gulp.
The cat laughed.
The newspaper headline glared at me.
 ALLITERATION
is the repetition of the same
consonant sound in words occurring
near one another.

Examples:
Peter Piper picked a peck of
pickled peppers.
Sally sells seashells by the
seashore.
 SYMBOLISM
is using an object or action that
means something more than its
literal meaning.

Examples:

Pink - the fight against breast cancer

The Statue of Liberty - freedom
 PARADOX
reveals something true which at first
seems contradictory.

Examples:
He was a brave coward.
When you win all the time, you lose.
 Some more examples of paradoxical
statements are:
• You can save money by spending it.
• I know one thing; that I know nothing.
• This is the beginning of the end.
• Deep down, you're really shallow.
• I'm a compulsive liar.
• “Men work together whether they work together or
apart.” - Robert Frost
• "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the
young." - George Bernard Shaw
• "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde
 HYPERBOLE
is an obvious exaggeration or
overstatement.

Examples:

I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!

 SIMILE
is an expression comparing one thing to
another using the words “like” or “as”.

Examples:

He ran like a cat, lightly and

quietly.

Her blue mood passed as quickly

as an afternoon rain shower.
 METAPHOR
is a comparison of two unlike things
without using the words “like” or “as”.

Examples:
He was a statue, waiting to hear the
news.

She was a mother hen, trying to take

care of everyone around her.
 ALLUSION
is a casual reference to a famous
historical or literary figure or event.

Examples:

If it doesn’t stop raining, I’m going

to build an ark.

My sister has so many pets I’m

going to call myself Old McDonald.
Examples of Allusions:
• 1. Your backyard is a Garden of Eden. (Biblical
allusion)
• 2. I guess I should see this message about a new
job as my burning bush. (Biblical Allusion)
• 3. When you feel betrayed by a friend, you can say,
"You too, Brutus?" (allusion to Julius Caesar-Brutus
betrayed Caesar)
• 4. You're a regular Einstein. (allusion to a historical
figure)
• 5. When your parents learn about your new plan to
raise money, it's going to sink like
the Titanic. (allusion to a historical event)
• 6. You are carrying the weight of the world on
your shoulders. (reference to Atlas in myth)
• 7. That man is so narcissistic. (reference to
Narcissus in mythology)
• 8. Don't be a Scrooge! (reference to A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
• 9. Potato chips are my diet's Achilles heel.
(reference to Achilles in mythology)
• 10. Many states have laws that protect Good
Samaritan's. (reference to the Bible)
 Connotation
• A meaning, association, or emotion
suggested by a word, in addition to its
dictionary definition, or denotation.
• Example: Reference to a character as
determined has a positive connotation
while using pigheaded to refer to a
character carries a
negative connotation.
Below are a few connotation examples. Their
suggested meanings are shaped by cultural and
emotional associations:
• A dog connotes shamelessness or an ugly face.
• A dove implies peace or gentility.
• Home suggests family, comfort and security.
• Politician has a negative connotation of
wickedness and insincerity while statesperson
connotes sincerity.
• Pushy refers to someone loud-mouthed and
irritating.
• Mom and Dad when used in place of mother and
father connote loving parents.
 IMAGERY
is when a writer invokes the five
senses.

Examples:
The smell reminded him of rotting
tomatoes.

The fence was uneven, like baby

teeth growing awkwardly in. (also a
simile!)
 IDIOM
is an expression with a meaning different
from the literal meaning of the words.
Examples:
I got cold feet before my speech =
I was scared

my boss gave me the green light =

my boss said yes

draw the curtains =

close the curtains

put the lights out =

turn off the lights
 OXYMORON

two opposite terms.

Examples:
a peaceful war
a generous cheapskate
dark sunshine
 EUPHEMISM
is a polite word or phrase used in
place of one that may be too direct,
unpleasant, or embarrassing.
Examples:
pass away = die
vertically challenged = short
tooted = farted
let go = fired
pre-owned = used
 Two goals:

• Identify

• Use