Literary Devices and Terms: Lessons and Examples

Rather than saying something literally (meaning exactly what the words say), try spicing up your writing -- and understanding how others add poetic flair to their words -- through figurative language like simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and more! See examples here.

The literary device "irony" is one of the most difficult to understand, but one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable once you get it. Something is ironic when there is a contrast between what is said or done, and the truth, or what is expected. Read on to learn about the three types of irony, and why they're used.

The concept of "theme" is a profoundly important one in ELA, and is frequently confused with "topic." Learn the difference here, along with examples of how to correctly discern the theme of a text.

The literary terms "tone" and "mood" are frequently confused. They're similar, but have a key difference. "Tone" refers to how a person or author is speaking (focusing on how THEY are feeling), while "Mood" is about the effect of the piece on the reader or viewer (YOU). See more here.

Conflict is defined as the central problem or struggle in a work of literature, and it is essential to have in order to make a story interesting. In fact, there are several types of conflict, including internal vs. external and more.

The meaning of "suspense" is that feeling of excited, nervous tension or anticipation when you're forced to wait before learning what happens next. Suspense is an essential literary device, because without it, books and movies simply aren't exciting. Why would you keep reading or watching if you already knew everything that was going to happen right away?

The literary term "foreshadowing" refers to hints of what is to come in the future. See examples of how this word can apply to a literary context, as well as our real lives.

What does it mean to "juxtapose" or use juxtaposition? It's all about contrasting two things next to each other. Click to see which this is so exciting and powerful, both in literature and in everyday situations.

The term "context" refers to what surrounds something: the time, place, situation, etc. and it is essential to understand when doing literary analysis or looking at art. See examples illustrated here to better understand this key concept, including immediate vs. broader context meaning.

Figurative language time! The name for "sound effect words" like "POP! BANG! WOOF!" is "Onomatopoeia." See more examples of this delightful literary device here, along with tips on how to pronounce and spell the challenging word.

Life and literature are filled with liminal spaces: the in-between time or place when one state of being has ended but the next has not yet begun. Read an in-depth analysis of this useful vocabulary word and concept here.

This article gets into the difference between anthropomorphism and personification, usuing many hand-illustrated examples. Yes, both are about giving non-human things human-like characteristics -- but anthropomorphism does it literally, while personification does it figuratively.

In discussing literature, the terms "infer" and "imply" are intensely helpful. Here is a tutorial on how to use each correctly, and the difference between each.

One of the most important concepts in learning and life is how to use metacognitive strategies: thinking about our thinking in order to see what tactics are working, and which need to be altered or attempted. Read a powerful example here, along with instructions for how to implement this in your life.