Literary devices are techniques or strategies that writers use to enhance their writing and create meaning. They are used to add depth, interest, and impact to literature, poetry, and other forms of written expression. Literary devices can be used to evoke emotions, create vivid imagery, convey complex ideas, and engage readers in a deeper understanding of the text.

Literary devices can take many forms, including figurative language, rhetorical techniques, structural elements, and narrative techniques. Some common types of literary devices include imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, allusion, irony, and many others. These devices are carefully chosen and employed by writers to add layers of meaning, create memorable images, evoke emotions, and engage readers in a more profound and thought-provoking reading experience.

Literary devices are not limited to any specific genre or form of literature. They can be found in poetry, prose, drama, fiction, non-fiction, and other forms of written expression. Writers use literary devices to craft their work and convey their ideas in a compelling and impactful manner, making literature a rich and vibrant art form.

Other names

Literary devices are also commonly referred to by other names, depending on the context and the specific type of device being discussed. Some alternative names for literary devices include:

1. Rhetorical devices: This term specifically refers to techniques used in rhetoric, or the art of persuasion, which includes strategies such as repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions.
2. Figurative language: This term encompasses devices such as metaphor, simile, personification, and imagery, which involve the use of non-literal language to create vivid and imaginative descriptions.
3. Poetic devices: This term focuses specifically on the techniques used in poetry, including devices such as rhyme, meter, enjambment, and alliteration.
4. Stylistic devices: This term encompasses a wide range of techniques used to create a specific style or tone in writing, including devices such as tone, mood, diction, and syntax.
5. Literary techniques: This term is a more general and broad descriptor for the various methods and strategies used by writers to create meaning and enhance their writing.
6. Writing techniques: This term can be used to refer to the specific techniques and strategies employed by writers to improve their writing, including devices such as imagery, irony, and symbolism.
7. Language devices: This term highlights the use of different language elements, such as metaphor, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia, to enhance the effectiveness of written expression.
8. Narrative devices: This term specifically refers to techniques used in storytelling, including devices such as point of view, foreshadowing, and flashback, to shape the structure and impact of a narrative.

These are just some of the alternative names that may be used to refer to literary devices, depending on the context and the specific type of device being discussed. The terminology may vary in different literary or academic settings, but the underlying concept of using techniques to enhance writing and create meaning remains consistent.

Purpose of using literary devices

The purpose of using literary devices in writing is to enhance the effectiveness, impact, and meaning of the text. Literary devices are intentionally employed by writers to add depth, creativity, and emotional resonance to their writing. Here are some common purposes of using literary devices:

1. Enhance meaning: Literary devices are used to convey complex ideas, emotions, and messages in a more vivid and engaging way. They can add layers of meaning to a text, allowing readers to interpret the writing on multiple levels and encouraging deeper reflection and analysis.

Example: In Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth,” the use of the metaphor “Life’s but a walking shadow” (Act V, Scene 5) conveys the fleeting and ephemeral nature of life, adding depth and poignancy to the character’s reflections on mortality.

2. Create imagery: Literary devices such as metaphor, simile, and imagery are used to create vivid and sensory-rich descriptions that appeal to readers’ senses and imagination. They paint a picture in the readers’ minds, making the writing more engaging and memorable.

Example: In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers,” the use of the metaphor “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul” creates a vivid image of hope as a bird taking residence within the soul, which adds depth and emotional impact to the poem.

3. Evoke emotions: Literary devices are used to create an emotional response in readers by appealing to their emotions and senses. They can evoke feelings of joy, sadness, anger, fear, or any other emotion, depending on the intended effect of the writing.

Example: In Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” the use of the rhetorical question “What happens to a dream deferred?” creates a sense of frustration and anger, evoking emotions related to unfulfilled dreams and aspirations.

4. Enhance style and tone: Literary devices are used to create a specific style, tone, or mood in writing. They can help establish the author’s voice, create a particular atmosphere, or convey a desired tone or mood, which adds to the overall aesthetic and emotional impact of the text.

Example: In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the use of first-person narration creates a sense of immediacy and intensity, heightening the suspense and horror of the story.

5. Add creativity and originality: Literary devices are used to add creativity, originality, and uniqueness to writing. They allow writers to play with language, create unexpected connections, and offer fresh perspectives, making the text more engaging and memorable.

Example: In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the use of wordplay, nonsensical language, and absurd situations adds creativity and originality to the story, creating a unique and memorable reading experience.

Overall, the purpose of using literary devices is to enhance the artistic, emotional, and intellectual impact of writing, making it more engaging, memorable, and meaningful for readers.

50 literary devices with definitions and examples:

1. Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words. Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
2. Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” (My Fair Lady)
3. Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words. Example: “Mike likes his bike.”
4. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate the sounds they represent. Example: “The bees buzzed by.”
5. Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unrelated things to create a new meaning. Example: “Time is a thief.”
6. Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Example: “Her eyes sparkled like diamonds.”
7. Personification: Giving human qualities or attributes to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract concepts. Example: “The trees danced in the wind.”
8. Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement or exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”
9. Irony: A figure of speech where the intended meaning is opposite to its literal or usual meaning. Example: “The fire station burned down.”
10. Symbolism: The use of objects, characters, or events to represent deeper meanings or ideas. Example: The green light in “The Great Gatsby” symbolizes hope and unattainable dreams.
11. Allegory: A story or narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral concepts. Example: “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, where animals represent different political ideologies.
12. Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature, often used to convey meaning or create a connection. Example: “He had the strength of Hercules.”
13. Epithet: A descriptive word or phrase used to characterize a person or thing. Example: “The man with the golden arm.”
14. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues given by the author early in the story to suggest what may happen later. Example: “The dark clouds gathered, foretelling the coming storm.”
15. Flashback: A scene or event that interrupts the normal chronological order of a story to provide information about past events. Example: “In his mind, he kept revisiting the day he lost his first tooth.”
16. Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis. Example: “I have a dream… I have a dream…”
17. Epiphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis. Example: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.”
18. Juxtaposition: Placing two contrasting or opposing ideas, characters, or images side by side for emphasis or comparison. Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
19. Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms for effect. Example: “Jumbo shrimp” or “bittersweet.”
20. Paradox: A statement or situation that appears contradictory or absurd but may reveal a deeper truth. Example: “I must be cruel to be kind.” (Shakespeare)
21. Satire: A literary work that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize or expose human vices or shortcomings. Example: “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift.
22. Tone: The author’s attitude or emotional stance towards the subject or audience of a literary work. Example: A sarcastic tone in a piece of writing may convey mockery or disdain.
23. Mood: The atmosphere or emotional setting created by a literary work, often through the use of descriptive language and imagery. Example: A dark and eerie mood in a story may evoke feelings of fear or unease.
24. Imagery: The use of vivid and sensory language to create mental images and evoke sensory experiences for the reader. Example: “The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the tranquil sea.”
25. Repetition: The intentional use of a word, phrase, or sentence for emphasis or rhetorical effect. Example: “Never, never, never give up.” (Winston Churchill)
26. Rhetorical Question: A question posed for emphasis or effect, not meant to be answered. Example: “Are you kidding me?” or “Who cares?”
27. Euphemism: The use of a mild or indirect word or phrase to replace a harsh, blunt, or offensive one. Example: “Passed away” instead of “died.”
28. Synecdoche: A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or vice versa. Example: “All hands on deck” or “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
29. Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted with another word or phrase closely associated with it. Example: “The crown” to represent the monarchy or “the White House” to refer to the U.S. government.
30. Anecdote: A short and amusing or interesting story about a real person or event, often used to illustrate a point or make a point. Example: “I remember the time when I got lost in the woods and had to find my way back using only the stars.”
31. Parallelism: The use of parallel grammatical structures or patterns for rhythmic or rhetorical effect. Example: “Easy come, easy go” or “Like father, like son.”
32. Chiasmus: A figure of speech in which words, phrases, or concepts are repeated in reverse order for emphasis or contrast. Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” (John F. Kennedy)
33. Antithesis: The use of contrasting ideas, words, or phrases in close proximity to create a balanced or dramatic effect. Example: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” (Shakespeare)
34. Climax: The highest point of tension or intensity in a story or plot, often leading to a turning point or resolution. Example: In Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet,” the climax occurs when Romeo kills Tybalt.
35. Denouement: The final resolution or outcome of a story or plot, after the climax, where loose ends are tied up and conflicts are resolved. Example: In Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice,” the denouement occurs when Elizabeth and Darcy finally confess their feelings for each other and get married.
36. Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations that a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Example: “Home” may connote warmth, comfort, and security.
37. Denotation: The literal or dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotional or cultural connotations. Example: The denotation of “snake” is a long, legless reptile.
38. Rhyme: The repetition of identical or similar sounds, usually at the end of words or lines of poetry. Example: “Roses are red, violets are blue…”
39. Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or thought from one line of poetry to the next without a pause or punctuation, creating a flowing and uninterrupted effect. Example: “I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o’er vales and hills.”
40. Alliteration: The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words or lines. Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
41. Assonance: The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a series of words or lines. Example: “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”
42. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate or suggest the sounds they describe. Example: “Buzz,” “hiss,” “whisper.”
43. Irony: A figure of speech in which the intended meaning of a word or expression is opposite to its literal or usual meaning, often used for humorous or sarcastic effect. Example: “It’s a beautiful day, let’s stay inside and watch TV.”
44. Sarcasm: A form of verbal irony in which mockery or contempt is conveyed through the use of cutting or bitter remarks. Example: “Oh, great, another rainy day. Just what I needed.”
45. Hyperbole: A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”
46. Understatement: A figure of speech in which a situation or idea is deliberately minimized or downplayed for rhetorical effect. Example: “It’s just a flesh wound” (from Monty Python and the Holy Grail).
47. Allegory: A narrative or work of literature in which characters, events, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral principles. Example: George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm” is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the rise of communism.
48. Paradox: A statement or situation that appears contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth or complexity. Example: “Less is more.”
49. Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms or ideas for emphasis or effect. Example: “Jumbo shrimp,” “bittersweet,” “deafening silence.”
50. Allusion: A reference to a person, place, event, or work of literature in another work of literature, often used to enrich the meaning or depth of the text. Example: “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.” (referring to Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”)

These are just a few examples of literary devices that writers use to enhance their writing and create meaning. There are many more literary devices out there, and their effective use can greatly enrich and elevate a piece of literature.