Literary Device Inventory

Something that seems to oppose common sense but is truthful

When the audience knows something the characters do not know, it is this type of irony

When something happens that is the exact opposite of what's expected, it's this kind of irony

An author's deliberate, purposeful choice of words

Something we can touch/feel represents an abstract concept

A narrator who is not in the story gives one perspective of the story

A kinder way to say something with negative connotative meaning

Comparing two unlike things WITHOUT using "like" or "as"

Giving human qualities to something that is not human

The attitude the writer takes toward what he/she is writing

The "paragraphs" of poetry are really called

A reference to a well-known cultural/historical event

Comparing two unlike things USING either "like" or "as"

The story is told from the perspective of one of the characters in the story

Moment when there is a sudden realization that clarifies a problem or situation

The repetition of an image or idea in a piece of literature

A piece of literature that is meant to teach a life lesson

Setting two different things close to each other to emphasize the difference between them

The real name of the phenomenon we call "dot, dot, dot" (...)

Point-of-view in which the narrator is "all knowing"

The pattern of rhyming within a poem is referred to as

An over exaggeration meant for effect

A play on words which usually hinges on a word with more than one meaning

When we say one thing but mean the exact opposite, it is this kind of irony

The process by which we get to know what kind of person a character is

Imitation of something n such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work

The repetition of initial consonant sounds

The length (short/long) or order of words in a sentence

A mixture of harsh and discordant noises

Painting a picture in reader's mind using any combination of the 5 senses

A genre of literature that uses wit for the purpose of social criticism