LITERARY DEVICES are the tools that literary writers use to spice up what they write. These devices add aesthetics (beauty) to such work, making them more appealing to read. Some of these devices are used only in poetry, some used only in drama, some used only in prose, and many are used, generally, in all the genres. Examples are: stanza, rhyme, rhythm, theme, dialogue, stage direction, simile, irony, satire, metaphor, pun, assonance, personification, parody, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox, metonymy, flashback, foreshadowing, alliteration, etc.

1. are the tools that literary writers
use to spice up what they write. These devices add
aesthetics (beauty) to such work, making them
more appealing to read. Some of these devices are
used only in , some used only in , some
used only in , and many are used, generally, in
all the . Examples are: stanza, rhyme, rhythm,
theme, dialogue, stage direction, simile, irony,
satire, metaphor, pun, assonance, personification,
parody, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox, metonymy,
flashback, foreshadowing, alliteration, etc.

2. is an indirect comparison of two
dissimilar things, using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
a. Your brother is as tall as an Iroko tree. (height)
b. The new bride is like a peahen. (beauty)
c. Wanting him to be honest is like expecting the
Shaytan to become converted.
d. Visiting that country once, I saw that the place
is like heaven.

3. is a direct comparison of two
dissimilar things, without using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
a. Life is a journey.
b. It is funny to know that while the female of the
twins is an angel, her twin brother is a devil.
c. A school is a short-term prison that parents
sentence their children to.

4. is giving animate or human
quality to inanimate objects, i.e. making an object
or lifeless thing act like a living thing.
a. The earth has swallowed many souls.
b. I came late because my car refused to start in
time.
c. I usually leave home for work before the sun rises
from its bed.
d. This school has given birth to many great people.

5. is a statement that means the opposite of
the speaker’s intention. is commonly used
for humour and to ridicule something or somebody.
a. Rejoice with me, my darling wife, the mother of
my worthless son! Our son has done us proud
again, coming last in his class of dullards.
b. This country is a great country, the pride of Africa!
A country of law-breaking law makers; a country of
celebrated thieves, rich kidnappers, stealing
pastors, lying lawyers, corrupt judges, corrupt
leaders… Believe me, my friend. This country is a
great country; it’s the pride of Africa.

6. is a play on words. is an act of making a
word mean different things in the same context.
Sometimes, the words may be different but they will
have similar pronunciation.
a. Tyra Bank is a popular American model and fashion
designer. Her husband, Mr. Bank, once worked with
Fidelity Bank. The couple’s new house, built close to
the bank of the Washington River, is an amazing
wonder. Despite his riches, Mr. Bank is a very
humble man; a man you can always bank on, in
times of trouble.
b. I learnt that the people of Thailand eat human
beings, just like one eats beans.

7. is a statement that is overblown or
exaggerated. is used to amuse or amaze
people.
a. The entire people Lagos attended my sister’s
wedding, last week.
b. My love, if you jilt me, I’ll shed an ocean of tears.
c. Mr. Benjamin has travelled all over the world.
d. I am hungry now that I can eat a horse, whole.

8. is an expression that contains two
contradictory words.
a. My son has been unusually nicer to me since
yesterday; wanting to wash my clothes, help me
in the kitchen, and he’s been doing more chores
now than ever before. All so unusual of him! I
know he wants something from me again but I
laugh at your foolish wisdom.
b. Be careful of who you share your secrets with.
There are many sweet enemies around now.
c. Your father’s new wife is an ugly beauty

9. is the repetition of similar
sounds in successive words.
a. God made man. man makes money; money
makes man mad. [ /m/ is alliterated ]
b. Hello, everyone! Please help me welcome,
my mesmerizing mother and the dazzling
wife of my dearest dad, Mrs. Damilola Dame
Davies. [ /m/ and /d/ are alliterated ]
c. We are weak and imperfect, because we all
come from the woman’s womb.
[ /w/ is alliterated ]

10. is used in poetry to divide a poem into different
segments. The message in a poem is written in lines and stanzas.
Example:
Once upon a land so vast
A land of scattered ethnic groups
Then, came Lugard to merge them all ( 5 LINES)
His wife, Laura, gave us a name
She chose the name ‘Niger Area’
We lived under the white government
For years, until 1960 ( 4 LINES)
Colonial rulers said goodbye
And then, we chose to rule ourselves
Azikwe came, Balewa came
Awolowo came, Zadauna came…
Heroes that fought for us to live
Military rulers spoilt the show ( 8 LINES)
With coups and coups that broke the peace
Gowon, Ojukwu and civil war
Buhari, Babangida and Abacha too.

11. is the similarity of sounds, usually in consecutive lines. On
the other hand, is the regularity of beats or syllables,
i.e. when the lines in a poem have the same number of syllables.
Twin – kle – twin – kle – lit – tle – STAR [7 syllables/beats]
How – I – won – der – what – you – ARE [7 syllables/beats]
Up – a – bove – the – world – so – HIGH [7 syllables/beats]
Like – a – dia – mond – in – the – SKY [7 syllables/beats]
‘STAR’ & ‘ARE’ - ‘HIGH’ & ‘SKY’
7 syllables/beats in each line