Aids to the study of Literature Literary Devices Common Literary Devices 1. Metaphor 2. Simile 3. Imagery 4. Symbolism 5. Personification 6. hyperbole 7. Irony 8. Juxtaposition 9. Paradox 10. Allusion 11. Allegory 12. Ekphrasis 13. Onomatopoeia 14. Pun

1. Aids to the
Study of
Literature

2. Literary Terms/ Devices
themes, ideas, and meaning in a story or
piece of writing
Specific techniques that allow a writer to
convey a deeper meaning that goes
beyond what’s on the page
Work alongside plot and characters to
elevate a story and prompt reflection on
life, society, and what it means to be
human

3. Common Literary
Devices
1. Metaphor
A figure of speech that directly
compares one thing to another
for rhetorical effect
Example: “All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely
players.”- Shakespeare
2. Simile
actually a subcategory of
metaphor, which means all
similes are metaphors, but
not all metaphors are similes
Unlike metaphors, similes
create a comparison using like
and as.
Example:
Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box
of chocolates.”

4. 3. Imagery
Theuse of figurative language to
evoke a sensory experience in
thereader
Allows the reader to clearly see,
touch, taste, smell, and hear
what is happening—and in some
cases even empathize with the
poet or their subject
Example : William Wordsworth’s
classic 1804 poem “I Wandered
Lonely as a Cloud” :
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and
hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the
breeze.

5. 4. Personification
4. Symbolism
Literary device that uses symbols,
be they words, people, marks,
locations, or abstract ideas to
represent something beyond the
literal meaning
Example:
four-leaf clover-symbolizes good
luck or fortune
wedding ring-symbolizes
commitment and matrimony
A literary device that uses the non-
literal use of language to convey
concepts in a relatable way
Assigning human attributes to a non-
human entity or inanimate object to
express a point or idea in a more
colorful, imaginative way
Example: Take the phrase “opportunity
knocks”: the unconventional subject-verb
pairing is a creative and instantly
recognizable way to describe the hope
and promise presented by a new
opportunity

6. 7. Irony
6. Hyperbole
A rhetorical and literary technique
where an author or speaker
intentionally uses exaggeration and
overstatement for emphasis and
effect
derived from the greek word
‘huperbole’ meaning “to throw
above"
Example: Shakespeare uses hyperbole
in his sonnets to compare his unseen
lovers to nature, for example, implying
they gleam brighter than the sun or are
more beautiful than a rose
As a literary device is a
situation in which there is a
contrast between expectation
and reality
Comes from the French
“ironie” and before that, from
the Latin “ironia.”
Example: Think of the knight in
Monty Python and the Holy Grail:
with both his arms sliced off, he
says, nonchalantly: “It’s just a
flesh wound.” He is ironically (and
comically) underplaying the
severity of his injury

7. 9. Juxtaposition
Example : Think of Cinderella—her
goodness and moral virtue are all
the more clear to readers because
her wicked stepsisters are there
for contrast.
Example : Oscar Wilde’s play Lady
Windermere’s Fan, the character Lord
Darlington says: “I can resist everything
except temptation.” Wilde uses the
contradicting ideas in this statement to
The term
“juxtaposition”
comes from the
blending of a Latin
word, “juxta,”
meaning “next,” and
the French
“position.”
Derives from
the Greek
word
“paradoxons,”
meaning
contrary to
Refers to the
placement of
contrasting ideas
next to each other,
often to produce
an ironic or
thought-provoking
effect
10. Paradox
Literary device that
contradicts itself but
contains a plausible
kernel of truth
illustrate the character’s inability to resist
temptation. expectation

8. 10. Allusion
derived from the Latin verb “ludere,”
which means to play, mimic, mock, or
deceive
A figure of speech that refers to a
famous person, place, or historical
event—either directly or through
implication
Example: The 1999 film The Matrix draws
parallels with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in
Wonderland. The film’s protagonist, Neo,
follows a character called the “White
Rabbit Girl” to a mysterious underworld,
much like Alice’s journey to Wonderland.
11. Allegory
Comes from the Latin “allegoria,”
meaning speaking to imply something
else
A literary device used to express large,
complex ideas in an approachable
manner
Example: of Biblical allegory is C.S. Lewis’
The Chronicles of Narnia. The lion, Aslan,
represents a Christ character, who is the
rightful ruler of the kingdom of Narnia.
Aslan sacrifices himself for Edmund, the
Judas figure, and is resurrected to rule
over Narnia once again.

9. 12. Ekphrasis
Ekphrastic” derives from the Greek word
for description
Refers to a poem or story that is directly
inspired by another piece of art
Example: Vincent van Gogh's iconic oil
painting The Starry Night (1889) inspired
Anne Sexton's poem of the same name. In
the work—a visceral response to van Gogh's
masterpiece—Sexton occasionally mentions
specific details from the painting and uses
her poem as a springboard to articulate the
beautiful chaos innate to the painting and
how that reflects her own emotions.
13. Onomatopoeia
A Latin word, but its etymology can be
traced back to the Ancient Greek
“onomatopoiia,” meaning “the making of
a name or word.” Sometimes
onomatopoeia is used interchangeably
with the term “echoism.”
Word that sounds like the noise it
describes
Example: “The Highwayman” by Alfred
Noyes:
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The
horsehoofs ringing clear; Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot,
in the distance? Were they deaf that they did
not hear?

10. 14. Pun
Another word for a pun
is “paronomasia,”
which derives from the
Greek word
“paronomazein,” which
means to make a
change in a name
A figure of speech that
exploits a word’s
meaning. Can add
humor to writing, and,
in some cases, are used
as Easter eggs—an
unexpected, hidden
joke—to entertain
perceptive readers
Example : Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland. The book filled with puns to help
illustrate the abnormality of Wonderland. Here is an
example of a pun, in which Alice confuses the words
“tale” and “tail”: “‘Mine is a long and a sad tale! said
the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing. ‘It is a long
tail, certainly,’ said Alice, looking down with wonder
at the Mouse’s tail; ‘but why do you call it sad?’”
15. Anachronism A literary device
that places Example : In the Western satire
Comes from the
Greek words
“chronos” or
“khronos”
meaning “time”
and the prefix
“ana-” meaning
“back” or “again.”
An error of
chronology
that makes
audiences
raise their
eyebrows or
do a double-
take
someone or
something
associated with
a particular
historical time in
the wrong time
period
film Blazing Saddles, set in the
year 1874, director Mel Brooks has
the characters break through a
wall—both real and metaphysical
—to reveal a Hollywood
production set.

11. 16. Cliffhanger
In fact, the term “cliffhanger” originated
in the 1930s, when cliffhangers kept
movie-goers coming back to the theater
for serialized films, which were released
in short consecutive sections each
week.
A plot device in which a component of a
story ends unresolved, usually in a
suspenseful or shocking way, in order to
compel audiences to turn the page or
return to the story in the next
installment
Example: Game of Thrones leaves plot
points unresolved between seasons,
including untimely deaths of main
characters and severe acts of brutality.
17. Foreshadowing
A literary device used to give an
indication or hint of what is to come
later in the story
seful for creating suspense, a feeling
of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a
mark that things may not be as they
seem
Example: In Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone, for instance, author J.K.
Rowling makes a point of describing
Professor Quirrell’s turban and noting
Harry’s curiosity about it. Only later, at
the end of the story, do we discover that
Quirrell’s turban conceals his possession
by the evil Lord Voldemort.

12. Literary Style
A unique way of presenting a
piece of writing. The
combination of word choice,
figurative language, sentence
formation, and formality work
together to create a 'voice'
through which a story is told.
Using all the different elements of style
allows authors to create uniquely
individual pieces of writing that specifically
express their ideas, thoughts, or stories.
These different elements, put together by
writers in an infinite array of possibilities,
craft the fine art of literature and creative
writing.
Literary Style

13. Voice
Parts of
Literary
Style
Voice is the personality that comes through
the writing based on the author’s
background, perspective, and experiences.
The story the author is telling will be a
culmination of their opinions and culture,
which shape the style of the piece.

14. Diction
This describes an author's word choice and
often refers to the level of formality of the
words chosen. Formal diction is serious
writing, often used in academic journals and
scientific writing. Informal diction is more
relaxed but still civil conversation.
Colloquial diction includes words used in
everyday language and slang, which
includes new words and abbreviations that
have evolved in different age groups,
ethnicities, or regions.
There are several distinct
parts of literary style which
contribute to the 'voice' of
any piece of writing. They
include:

15. Tone
This relates to the author's attitude in
of a piece of writing. A newspaper
article can have an authoritative tone
while a crime novel reads with a
sinister tone. An author can create
tone using details, word choice,
imagery, and sentence construction.

16. Word choice
More than any other characteristic, word choice
can impact an author's style definition, since
there's an infinite way to describe people, places,
or events. Word choice can create strong emotion,
evoke a cherished memory, or directly connect
with readers. A writer can choose a word for its
direct meaning or its connotation. The author's
desire for specificity also impacts word choice. The
audience of a piece of writing affects an author's
word choice, as does the intended tone of a work.

17. Figurative language
This element includes devices which, in most
cases, use words not in their literal sense, but
in a different, more complex or figurative
manner to achieve the desired effect and add
to the imagery in writing. Similes, allusion,
metaphors, allegory, and symbolism are
examples that make writing more emotional,
more powerful, and more memorable

18. Though there are rules that govern the use of
Punctuation
punctuation in literature, there is some wiggle
room where writers can play around to make
a statement or impact the way a reader
understands a point. This is especially true in
poetry, where word breaks, dashes, periods,
and commas are used to help get the
meaning of the poem across. For example, in
Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not
Stop for Death,” she uses dashes at the end of
each line, which aren’t technically necessary,
to parallel the theme of immortality.

19. Types of Style

20. Expository Writing
Typical examples of
expository writing
include technical
documents, how-to
manuals, recipes,
and many
textbooks. Online, all
the how-to articles
on a seemingly
infinite array of
subjects are a rich
source of expository
writing examples.
A form of writing that explains or
informs. Its goal is to teach the
reader about its subject. This
form of writing often answers the
classic questions of who, what,
where, when, and why. This
writing is clear and often
assumes little knowledge on the
part of the reader. Importantly,
the author includes no opinions
or emotions about the subject
matter, making the writing purely
objective. That is opposed to
subjective writing, which would
allow for the inclusion of personal
opinions as well.

21. Three well-known examples
of classic novels in which
descriptive writing created
unforgettable characters
and vivid scenery are "The
Old Man & The Sea" by
Ernest Hemingway, "Catcher
in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger,
and "The Great Gatsby" by
F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Descriptive Writing
Author uses words to paint a picture of a
place, a person, or a scene. Details are
elaborately shared to help readers feel
as though they are "there," actually
seeing the gorgeous landscape or
inhaling the intoxicating fragrance.
Descriptive writing is often used in
creative writing in which it creates rich
images for the reader. An author will
also often invoke the five senses of sight,
smell, hearing, touch, and taste.

22. Persuasive Writing
Historically, persuasive writing is associated
with three elements of persuasion — ethos,
logos, and pathos — first proposed by
Aristotle in his famous essay, "Rhetoric,"
written over 367-322 BCE.
Ethos calls upon the ethics, or what we'd call
the values, of the speaker. Pathos elicits
emotions in the audience. Finally, logos puts
logic into play by using evidence and facts.
Designed to convince
a reader or listener of
an opinion or
viewpoint. The writing
shares information
thoughtfully in a way
that persuades and
often suggests a call
to action.
This is often used in
persuasive essays,
advertisements,
media articles,
speeches, and cover
letters.

23. N
a
r
r
a
t
i
v
Storytelling at its most basic: it’s all about sharing
something that happens to a character.
Uses many of the most common elements of storytelling,
such as plot, character, setting, conflict, emotion, and a
core message you’re trying to get across.
Most commonly used in fiction and creative writing, but it
can also be used in nonfiction to help make true stories
more compelling to your reader.
Usually used in novels and short stories, memoirs, creative
essays, feature stories, and presentations or speeches.
e W r i t i n g

24. Any writing that exists outside of the styles
above, or even combines the styles in
surprising new ways
The goal of creative writing is really to find
new ways to tell stories that can surprise
and delight readers
The purpose of creative writing is really for
you to experiment with your craft
Can be seen in Humor writing or satire,
poetry, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, and
data journalism.
Creative
Writing

25. Literary Approaches
Are the methods, techniques, and choices that a
writer uses to create a literary work is good.
Everytime a writer sets down to work they choose
everything about the tale or poem or song they
write.

26. Cultural Approach
Considers literature as one of the principal
manifestations and vehicles of a nation’s or
race’s culture and tradition.
It includes the entire complex of what goes
under “culture”- the technological, the
artistic, the sociological, the ideological
aspects, and considers the literary piece in
the total culture milieu in which it was born.

27. Also called “PURE” or “ LITERARY” approach
The selection is read and viewed intrinsically , or for itself;
independent of author, age, or any other extrinsic factor
This approach is close to the “art for art’s sake” dictum
The studyof the selection is more or less based on the so
called literary elements which is more or less boil down to
the literal level, the affective values, the ideational values,
technical values, and total effects
The literal level (subject matter)
Formalistic
Approach
The affective values (emotional, mood, atmosphere, tone,
attitudes, empathy)
The ideational values (themes, visions, universal truths,
character)
The technical values (plot, structure, scene, language
point of view, imagery, figure , metrics, etc.)
Total Effect (the interrelation of the foregoing elements)

28. The nature of man is CENTRAL to literature. The
reader pr teacher or critic more or less
“requires” that the piece present MAN AS
Moral
and
Humanistic
Approach
ESSENTIALLY RATIONAL, that is endowed with
intellect and free will; or that piece does not
misinterpret the true nature of man
In these times of course the TRUE NATURE OF
MAN is hotly contested, making literature all
the more challenging
This approach is close to “MORALITY” of
literature, to questions of ethical goodness and
badness

29. H
I
Sees literature as noth a
reflection and product of
the times and
IMPRESSIONISTIC
Literature is viewed to
S
T
O
R
I
C
A
L
circumstances in which it is
written, Man as a member
of a particular society or
nation at a particular time,
is central to the approach
and whenever a teacher
gives historical or
biographical backgrounds
in introducing a selection, or
arranges a literature course
in a chronological order, he
is hewing close to this
approach
A P P R O A C H
elucidate “reacting-
response” which is
considered as
something very
personal, relative and
fruitful. Unconditioned
by explanations and
often taking the
impact of the piece
as a whole, it seeks to
see how the piece has
communicated.
A
P
P
R
O
A
C
H

30. Set in dizzying motion, principally, by FREUD,
perhaps beyond his wildest expectations, it
considers literature as the EXPRESSION OF
PERSONALITY of “inner drives” of neurosis. It
includes the psychology of the author, of
the character, and even the psychology of
creation
It has resulted in an almost exhausting and
exhaustive “psychological analysis” of the
characters of symbols and images, of
recurrent themes, etc
Psychological
Approach

31. Literature is viewed as the expression of
man within a given social situation which
is reduced to discussions on economic,
in which men are somewhat
simplistically divided into haves and
haves not, thus passing into the
“proletarian approach” hitch tends to
underscore the conflict between the two
classes.
This approach stresses on social
“relevance”, social “commitment”,
contemporaneity, and it deems
communication with the reader
important.
Sociological
Approach

32. THE END!
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