Literary Devices Keystone Terms Set#2

An implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar or famous person, place, or event

A conversation between characters or speakers in a literary work or the speech of characters in a drama

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling

An organizational device used in literature to present action that occurred before the current or present time of the story. They are often introduced as recollections or memories of characters.

An organizational device used in literature to create expectation or to set up an explanation of later developments.

Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions

The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or usual meaning; incongruity or disconnect between the actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result

Tool used by the author to enliven and provide voice to the text (Ex. Dialogue, alliteration, imagery, etc.)

The comparison of two unlike things WITHOUT using like or as (Ex. Her eyes were a vast ocean)

A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work

An object or idea given human qualities or a human form (Ex. Flowers danced around the lawn).

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as (Ex. The ants scurried as fast as a cheetah).

A device in literature when an object or thing represents an idea.

An exaggeration or overstatement (Ex. I had to wait forever).