What Are Literary Devices?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What Is a Literary Device? A literary device is

a tool used by writers to hint at larger themes, ideas, and meaning in a story or piece of writing

. There are many styles of literary devices, each serving a different purpose. Some operate at the sentence level, while others serve the piece of writing as a whole.

How do you identify a literary device?

  1. Review the forms of figurative language, such as metaphors, similes and personification. …
  2. Identify the setting in literature. …
  3. Explore themes. …
  4. Recognize allegory. …
  5. Watch for alliteration.

What is literary devices in English?

What are Literary Devices? Literary devices

take writing beyond its literal meaning

. They help guide the reader in how to read the piece. Literary devices are ways of taking writing beyond its straightforward, literal meaning. In that sense, they are techniques for helping guide the reader in how to read the piece.

What literary devices is used here?

  • Alliteration. Several words placed either side by side or close together which begin with the same letter or sound. …
  • Metaphor. …
  • Simile. …
  • Oxymoron. …
  • Personification.

What are literary devices easy definition?

What Is a Literary Device? A literary device is

a tool used by writers to hint at larger themes, ideas, and meaning in a story or piece of writing

. There are many styles of literary devices, each serving a different purpose. Some operate at the sentence level, while others serve the piece of writing as a whole.

What literary devices are used in everyday use?

One literary device employed by Alice Walker in “Everyday Use” is

imagery

. Often this imagery builds upon other devices such as metaphor or simile. The mother, who acts as the narrator, uses animal imagery in her descriptions of her daughters, Maggie and Dee, as well as Dee’s boyfriend.

What is the difference between literary elements and literary devices?

A literary device is any specific aspect of literature, or a particular work, which we can recognize, identify, interpret and/or analyze. Both literary elements and literary techniques can rightly be called literary devices. … Unlike literary elements, literary techniques are not necessarily present in every text.

Is irony a literary device?

The definition of irony as a literary device is

a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality

. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning. Irony is associated with both tragedy and humor.

How do you identify literary devices in a poem?

Alliteration Metaphor Antithesis personification Assonance Refrain Asyndeton Rhyme Consonance Repetition

What is the use of literary devices in literature?

Literary devices are techniques that

writers use to express their ideas and enhance their writing

. Literary devices highlight important concepts in a text, strengthen the narrative, and help readers connect to the characters and themes. These devices serve a wide range of purposes in literature.

Is rhetorical question a literary device?

Definition of Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question may have an obvious answer, but the questioner asks it to lay emphasis to the point. In literature, a rhetorical question is self-evident, and

used for style as an impressive persuasive device

.

What are the 20 poetic devices?

  • Allegory. An allegory is a story, poem, or other written work that can be interpreted to have a secondary meaning. …
  • Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of multiple words in a series. …
  • Apostrophe. …
  • Assonance. …
  • Blank Verse. …
  • Consonance. …
  • Enjambment. …
  • Meter.

How many literary devices are there in English?

The various literary devices used in English Literature are


Alliteration, Analogy, Allegory, Anaphora, Metaphor, Simile, Aphorism, Oxymoron, Onomatopoeia, Eulogy, Elegy

, and others. Alliteration: It is the device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.

What literary device is the beginning of the end?


A frame story

begins at the end, moves into a flashback to tell how the characters came to be where they are, and (eventually) joins back up where the story moved into the past. This technique is seen in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Wharton’s Ethan Frome. This has also been referred to as a story within a story.

What is the literary device for sarcasm?

Sarcasm is a literary device that

uses irony to mock someone or something or

convey contempt. Sarcasm can also be defined as the use of words that mean the opposite of what the speaker or writer intends, especially to insult or show irritation with someone, or to amuse others.

What is the symbolism in Everyday Use?

“Everyday Use” focuses on

the bonds between women of different generations and their enduring legacy

, as symbolized in the quilts they fashion together. This connection between generations is strong, yet Dee’s arrival and lack of understanding of her history shows that those bonds are vulnerable as well.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.