Figurative Language
This device is used when Chinua Achebe describes a warrior as being "strong as an elephant."
Simile
This feature is seen in Holden Caulfield’s frequent use of slang and phrases like “I swear to God,” reflecting his rebellious nature.
colloquial language (or colloquialism)
This structural device uses similar sentence patterns to create rhythm, such as in the opening of Anna Karenina: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
parallelism (or parallel structure)
This device repeats the initial consonant sound, as in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement.”
alliteration
This essential element of drama is the exchange of spoken words between two or more characters.
dialogue
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield uses this device when he refers to his brother Allie's death as a "hole in the ground."
Metaphor
This term describes Holden's tendency to use mild or indirect expressions to downplay his emotional struggles or replace harsh realities.
Ex. "passed away" vs "died" OR "feel crumby" vs "feel terrible"
euphemism (or understatement)
This device omits conjunctions between parts of a sentence to create speed or urgency, as in: "I came, I saw, I conquered."
asyndeton
This device involves words that imitate natural sounds, such as "boom," "tick tock," or "ding dong."
onomatopoeia
Bonus: Can you pronounce this sound device correctly?
In this dramatic device, a character relates their innermost thoughts and feelings as if thinking aloud to themselves.
soliloquy
Holden Caulfield uses this device to emphasize his frustration when he calls people "the phoniest" or "the biggest bastards."
Hyperbole
Oscar Wilde uses this device in the statement: "Life is much too important to be taken seriously."
paradox
This structural device is used in the novel The Stranger to highlight a stark contrast by placing Meursault’s "calm indifference" directly alongside the "frantic emotional outbursts" of characters like Raymond or Marie.
juxtaposition
This figure of speech repeats the same vowel sound, as in: "Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna? It was too soon!"
assonance
This technique creates tension by giving the audience/reader superior knowledge of events compared to the characters.
dramatic irony
This figure of speech is used when a part represents the whole, such as using "sails" to refer to a ship or the "eyes" of a church congregation.
synecdoche
This linguistic feature is utilized in Things Fall Apart when Chinua Achebe selects words like "warrior" or "destiny" to evoke positive cultural associations of strength and purpose, guiding the reader’s emotional response beyond the literal definitions.
connotation
This term, also known as prolepsis, describes the opening of Chronicle of a Death Foretold: “On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning...”
foreshadowing
This sound device creates a hissing effect through the repetition of "s" sounds: "Sadly, Sam sold seven venomous serpents to Sally..."
sibilance
This term refers to the tragic flaw—such as Okonkwo's fear of appearing weak—that leads to a character's downfall.
hamartia
This device involves replacing the name of a thing with something closely connected to it, such as referring to the monarchy as "The Crown" or Eugene’s newspaper as “The Standard” in Purple Hibiscus.
Metonymy
This feature is a form of understatement created by negating the opposite of a sentiment, such as saying "It’s not bad" to describe a significant situation.
litotes
Bonus: Can you pronounce it correctly?
This structural device, used in Chronicle of a Death Foretold, constructs a narrative from a “chorus” of diverse witness voices, each providing competing versions of the same reality.
polyphony
This term describes a combination of words that sound harsh or unpleasant together, often because they use percussive consonants like T, P, or K in a small space
Example (Macbeth):
"Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf"
cacophony
This plot device occurs when an unsolvable conflict is suddenly resolved by the unexpected appearance of an implausible character, object, or event.
deus ex machina