Honors Literary Devices

description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature.

the literal dictionary meaning of a word

Told from the reader's point of view, using "you".

A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Refers to the suggested meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary definition.

The use of words that imitate sounds.

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Told from the narrator's point of view, using"I".

A written or typed note to help one remember something.

The common American language, words and grammatical forms that are used and expected.

A humorous play on words.

When an object or event represents or stands for something.

 A worn-out idea or overused expression.

repetition of consonant sound within words

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but really expresses truth

A type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people in an attempt to make a change.

Drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance.

A story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable.

repetition of similar vowel sounds

A generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.

The parts before or after a word or statement that influence its meaning.

The skillful manipulation of words, often for humorous effect. 

The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.

A unit of poetic meter, used for line lengths most common in English poetry

A reference to something literary or historical that the author assumes the reader will know.

A short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson.

a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes...10 syllables per line

the central idea in a work to which all parts of the work refer

Any one of a variety of tools a writer may use to achieve the tone or communicate the purpose.

Used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things.

most exciting moment of the story; turning point

A letter or syllable added to the end of a word.

introduces the character, setting and basic situation

A brief written record or communication, used within an office.

The direct opposite, a sharp contrast.

a short moral story (often with animal characters)

An account of the writer's own life.

The rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language

expresses a resemblance between thing of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as")

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

part used as whole (hand used for sailor) or whole used as part (law for police)

the analysis of a poem's meter...the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

An expression that cannot be understood if taken literally.

A written account of events one has lived through; an autobiography.

A Japanese form of poetry, made of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables

words that are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning or spelling or both (bear bare)

The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

To make an overstatement or to stretch the truth, hyperbole.

Narrator is outside the action and refers to characters as he or she.

A word formed from the first letter of each word in a series.

poem with five lines rhyming aabba and a set rhythm

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

A belief or statement taken for granted without proof.

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

A line that consists of five "feet", each containing an unaccented & accented syllable

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or make a point.

word or phrase used in everyday conversation, but often not used in formal writing (y'all aint)

end of the story where loose ends are tied up

The fundamental or core meaning of a word.

similarity of structure in a pair or or series of related words

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution.

The basic word you start with before adding prefixes or suffixes.

Words that have similar or the same meaning.

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

A scene that interrupts the action of a work to show a previous event.

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as.

A person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself, but also represents something else

Something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred.

Two words that are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings.

A humorous imitation of a serious work.

A symbol, story pattern, or character type that is found in the literature of many cultures.

A syllable or word that comes before a root word to change its meaning.

the series of conflict or struggles that build a story toward a climax