Lit Devices
A comparison using like or as.
Simile
A comparison without using like or as.
Metaphor
the most intense, exciting, or important point in a story where the main conflict reaches its peak.
Climax
a character or force in a story that opposes the main character, or protagonist, and creates conflict.
Antagonist
the narrator tells the story using "I" or "we," and the reader sees the events from the narrator’s perspective.
First Person
the final part of a story where the plot’s loose ends are tied up, and the conflict is resolved.
Denouement
a word that imitates the sound it represents.
Onomatopoeia
a literary device where the author gives hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
Foreshadowing
a struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot of a story. It can be internal (within a character) or external (between characters, nature, society, etc.).
Conflict
the overall feeling or atmosphere that a reader gets from a story, created through descriptions, setting, and tone.
Mood
the main character in a story, usually the one who faces the central conflict and drives the action.
Protagonist
a literary device where two or more words close together begin with the same consonant sound. It’s often used to create rhythm, mood, or emphasis in writing.
Alliteration
a figure of speech where human qualities are given to animals, objects, or ideas.
Personification
a brief reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art or literature, used to help the reader make a connection or understand something better. It’s like mentioning something famous without fully explaining it because the writer assumes the reader will recognize it.
Allusion
the time and place where the events of a story happen.
Setting
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Hyperbole
an object, character, or event that represents a deeper meaning or idea beyond its literal sense.
Symbol
the sequence of events in a story, including the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Plot
the central idea or message of a story, often related to life, society, or human nature.
Theme
the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through their writing style and word choice.
Tone
a literary device where something happens or is said that is the opposite of what you would expect.
Irony
A literary device that uses vivid description that appeals to a readers’ senses to create an image or idea in their head.
Imagery
the narrator is not a character in the story and only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.
the idea that a person's life is controlled by forces beyond their control, like fate or even the gods.
Cosmic Irony
the narrator is all-knowing and can describe the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
Third Person Omniscient