And if you have any doubts about the impact of alliteration, consider the following unforgettable titles: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Sense and Sensibility, and The Haunting of Hill House.Įxample: “Peter Piper picked a pot of pickled peppers.” AllusionĪn allusion is a passing or indirect descriptive reference to something. It lends a pleasing cadence to prose and poetry both.
VERIZON MIFI 4510L EXTERNAL ANTENNA SERIES
AlliterationĪlliteration describes a series of words in quick succession that all start with the same letter or sound. A commentary on the events leading up to Stalin's rise and the formation of the Soviet Union, the pigs at the heart of the novel represent figures such as Stalin, Trotsky, and Molotov. This dystopian novella is one of modern literature’s best-known allegories. Many children's fables, such as The Tortoise and the Hare, are simple allegories about morality - but allegories can also be dark, complex, and controversial.Įxample: Animal Farm by George Orwell. In an allegorical story, things represent more than they appear to on the surface. Takes one minute!Īn allegory is a type of narrative that uses characters and plot to depict abstract ideas and themes.
VERIZON MIFI 4510L EXTERNAL ANTENNA FULL
Now for the pièce de résistance: our full list of literary devices everyone should know.įind out which literary luminary is your stylistic soulmate. Click here to learn more about rhetorical devices. That said, there can still be quite a bit of overlap between the two. The difference is that literary devices can be used to enhance writing in many different ways, not all of which involve trying to convince readers of something.īasically, literary devices are artistic rhetorical devices are informative and persuasive. We'll also note that some literary devices double as rhetorical devices, which are used to convey meaning and/or persuade readers on a certain point. Some may be characteristic of specific genres - for example, you'll often see flashbacks and foreshadowing in psychological thrillers - while others, like similes and metaphors, can be found in just about any text. Again, they vary in terms of what they do: some of them relate to word usage and description, while others relate to how scenes play out. You've probably heard of most (if not all) of the devices above. Indeed, some devices show up so frequently, you may not even register them as you're reading! Here are 10 of the most common literary devices: But here's a good rule of thumb: if you're reading a book and you find the author using language or narrative structure in an unusual way, there's probably a literary device at work. Of course, for readers, literary devices can be difficult to identify. No matter what, if you're looking to inject something special into your prose, literary devices are a great place to start. They may also work subtly to improve the flow and pacing of your writing. Some might work on an intellectual level, while others have a more emotional effect. These devices serve a wide range of purposes in literature. Literary devices highlight important concepts in a text, strengthen the narrative, and help readers connect to the characters and themes. Literary devices are techniques that writers use to express their ideas and enhance their writing.