This document defines and provides examples of various literary devices including simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, hyperbole, antithesis, oxymoron, irony, pun, metonymy, synecdoche, transferred epithet, rhetorical question, climax and anticlimax, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, imagery and more. Examples from famous works of literature are used to illustrate each technique.

1. IT IS A DEPARTURE FROM AN ORDINARY
EXPRESSION OR AN ORDINARY FLOW OF IDEAS
TO CREATE AN EFFECT

2. SIMILE
 A COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO DIFFERING
OBJECTS OR ENTITIES , WHICH HAVE A
COMMON POINT.
 ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE WORDS ‘AS, SUCH AS,
LIKE’

3. EXAMPLES
 THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH AS THE
PALM TREE
 AS MAD AS A MARCH HARE
 AS BOLD AS BRASS
 AS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL

4. O MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED
ROSE THAT’S NEWLY SPRUNG
IN JUNE; O MY LOVE’S LIKE THE
MELODIE THAT’S SWEETLY
PLAYED IN TUNE-
Robert Burns

5. METAPHOR
 DIRECT COMPARISON
 IMPLIED SIMILE
 TAKES THE SIMILARITY FOR GRANTED
 LESS USE OF WORDS, MORE EFFECTIVE
 SIMILES AND METAPHORS CAN BE INTER-
CONVERTED
 AVOID MIXING METAPHORS

6. EXAMPLES
 LIFE IS A DREAM
 THE NEWS WAS A DAGGER TO HIS HEART
 REVENGE IS A KIND OF WILD JUSTICE
 VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
 THE WAVES BROKE ON THE SHORE WITH A NOISE
LIKE THUNDER/ THE WAVES THUNDERED ON THE
SHORE
 THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS

7. PERSONIFICATION
 INANIMATE OBJECTS OR ABSTRACT IDEAS ARE
SPOKEN OF AS HAVING LIFE AND
INTELLIGENCE
 APPEARS TO GIVE LIFE OR STRANGE ACTION
TO LIFELESS IDEAS OR OBJECTS

8. EXAMPLES
 LAUGHTER HOLDING BOTH
HIS SIDES
 DEATH LAYS HIS ICY HAND ON KINGS
 PRIDE GOES FORTH ON HORSEBACK, GRAND
AND GAY; BUT COMES BACK ON FOOT AND
BEGS ITS WAY.

9. APOSTROPHE
 A DIRECT ADDRESS TO THE DEAD, TO THE
ABSENT OR TO A PERSONIFIED IDEA OR OBJECT
 SPECIAL FORM OF PERSONIFICATION

10. EXAMPLES
 O LIBERTY! WHAT CRIMES
HAVE BEEN COMMITTED IN
YOUR NAME
 O JUDGEMENT ! THOU ART FLED TO BRUTISH
BEASTS
 MILTON! THOU SHOULDST BE LIVING AT THIS
HOUR
 O WILD WEST WIND, THOU
BREATH OF AUTUMN’S BEING

11. HYPERBOLE
 EMPHASISING A STATEMENT BY BLOWING IT
OUT OF PROPORTION
 OFTEN UNBELIEVABLE AND UNREALISTIC BUT
VERY DRAMATIC
 TEN THOUSAND SAW I AT A GLANCE

12. EXAMPLES
 HERE’S THE SMELL OF BLOOD STILL; ALL THE
PERFUMES OF ARABIA WILL NOT SWEETEN
THIS LITTLE HAND
 IF THE RIVER WERE DRY, I AM ABLE TO FILL IT
WITH TEARS
 I LOVED OPHELIA; FORTY THOUSAND
BROTHERS COULD NOT WITH ALL THEIR
QUANTITY OF LOVE MAKE UP THE SUM
 FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN…

13. ANTITHESIS
 A STRIKING OPPOSITION OR A CONTRAST OF
WORDS OR SENTIMENTS
 PURPOSE OF EMPHASIS AND DRAMATIC
EFFECT
 USUALLY USED IN STATEMENT OR A BROAD
IDEA

14. EXAMPLES
 MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES
 NOT THAT I LOVED CAESAR LESS. BUT THAT I
LOVED ROME MORE
 TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE DIVINE
 GIVE EVERY MAN THY EAR, BUT FEW THY VOICE
 SPEECH IS SILVER, SILENCE IS GOLDEN

15. OXYMORON
 SPECIAL FORM OF ANTITHESIS
 TWO CONTRADICTORY QUALITIES/QUANTITIES
PLACED TOGETHER
 DIRECT OPPOSITION

16. EXAMPLES
 CUNNINGLY SIMPLE
 KIND CRUELTY OF THE SURGEON’S KNIFE
 HIS HONOUR ROOTED IN DISHONOUR STOOD.
AND FAITH UNFAITHFUL KEPT HIM FALSELY
TRUE

17. IRONY
 A SPECIAL USE OF WORDS WHERE THE REAL
MEANING IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT
WHICH IS WRITTEN OR SAID
 USED TO EMPHASISE DRAMA OR HUMOUR
 CAN BE CHARACTER, VERBAL, SITUATIONAL
IRONY

18. EXAMPLES
 HERE UNDER LEAVE OF BRUTUS AND THE REST
(FOR BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABLE MAN: SO
ARE THEY ALL, ALL HONOURABLE MEN) COME I
TO SPEAK IN CAESAR’S FUNERAL. HE WAS MY
FRIEND, FAITHFUL AND JUST TO ME; BUT
BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS AND BRUTUS
IS AN HONOURABLE MAN.

19. PUN
 USE OF A WORD IN WAY SO THAT IT HAS MORE
THAN ONE MEANING
 USUALLY USED FOR HUMOROUS EFFECT

20. EXAMPLES
 TOMORROW… YOU SHALL FIND ME A GRAVE
MAN
 UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY
CHURCH…REFERS TO PETER

21. METONYMY
 GIVING A DIFFERENT NAME TO AN
OBJECT….SOMETHING GENERALLY ASSOCIATED
WITH IT
 FREQUENTLY USED IN CAPTION, POSTERS,
ADVERTISING, LOGO

22. EXAMPLES
 TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR
 FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE
 ROOTS TO WINGS
 THE KETTLE BOILS
 THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
 WE ARE READING/STUDYING SHAKESPEARE

23. SYNECHDOCHE
 EXTENSION OF METONYMY
 WHEN THE WHOLE INDICATES A PART OR THE
PART INDICATES THE WHOLE

24. EXAMPLES
 MUDDY TOES
 BRAIN DRAIN
 GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
 HE HAS MANY MOUTHS TO FEED
 INDIA WON THE MATCH AGAINST PAKISTAN
 UNEASY LIES THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE
CROWN

25. TRANSFERRED EPITHET
 AN EPITHET/ADJECTIVE/ QUALITY IS
TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER WORD CLOSELY
ASOCIATED WITH IT IN THE SENTENCE
 I HAD A TERRIBLE DAY
 A STEAMING CUP OF TEA

26. EXAMPLES
 SHE STARED IN WIDE-EYED AMAZEMENT
 WE KEPT A DISCREET SILENCE AT THE FUNERAL
 SHE RUBBED HER HONEST FOREHEAD AFTER
WORKING HARD ALL DAY
 FIRES ARE OFTEN CAUSED BY A CARELESS
CIGARETTE/ CARELESS MATCH
 REST BESIDE THE WEARY ROAD

27. RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
 QUESTIONS TO WHICH ONE DOES NOT EXPECT
ANSWERS OR THE ANSWERS ARE UNIVERSALLY
KNOWN.
 USED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT

28. EXAMPLES
 AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
 WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?
 ROMEO, O ROMEO, WHEREFORE ART THOU
ROMEO?
 IS YOUR SERVANT A DOG THAT HE SHOULD DO
SUCH A THING?
 ARE WE NOT BETTER ARMED THAN OUR FOES?

29. CLIMAX AND ANTICLIMAX
 CLIMAX IS THE ARRANGEMENT OF IDEAS (IN
DRAMA, THE ARRANGEMENT OF EVENTS AND
ACTIONS) IN ORDER OF INCREASING
IMPORTANCE
 HEIGHTENS THE THRILL
 ANITCLIMAX IS TO DESCEND FROM THE
HIGHER/LARGER TO THE LOWER
 USED OFTEN TO SATIRE/RIDICULE

30. EXAMPLES
 WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS MAN! HOW NOBLE
IN REASON, HOW INFINITE IN FACULTIES! IN
ACTION, HOW LIKE AN ANGEL! IN
APPREHENSION, HOW LIKE A GOD!
 TO SEE THE UNIVERSE IN A GRAIN OF SAND
 WHO SEES WITH EQUAL EYES, AS GOD OF ALL, A
HERO PERISH, OR A SPARROW FALL

31. ALLITERATION
 REPETITION OF A PARTICULAR SOUND TO
CREATE THE REQUIRED (OFTEN MUSICAL)
EFFECT
 VOWELS AND SOFT CONSONANT SOUNDS-
F,L,M,N,V,W,Z- PRODUCE A SOOTHING SOUND
EFFECT
 HARSH CONSONANT SOUNDS-R,T,D,G,B,P,K-
PRODUCE WARLIKE/MACHINE LIKE EFFECTS

32. EXAMPLES
 THE FAIR BREEZE BELOW, THE WHITE FOAM FLEW,
THE FURROW FOLLOWED FREE…..F-SOUND
CREATES THE IMPRESSION OF BLOWING WIND
 A REELING ROAD, A ROLLING ROAD, THAT
RAMBLES ROUND THE SHIRE…THE IMPRESSION OF
ROLLING CART WHEELS
 Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, this butter's
bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter,
but a bit of better butter will make my batter better..."

33. ONOMATOPOEIA
 THE SOUND OF A WORD ECHOES THE SENSE OR
THE MEANING
 ROAR, BANG, CLANG, CRASH, CLAP, BUMP,
BUBBLE, FIZZ, HUM, COO, MURMUR, MOAN,
SLOSH, PLOP, ZOOM, FIZZLE, SIZZLE, SCREECH,
CROAK, PITTER-PATTER, SWISH, TWANG, CLIP-
CLOP, RATTLE, RUSTLE, NEIGH, WHINNY
(HORSE), TRUMPET (ELEPHANT), CRACKLE,
CLUCK (HEN)

34. REPETITION AND REFRAIN
 FOR MEN MAY COME AND MEN
MAY GO
BUT I GO ON FOREVER
 TWO ROADS DIVERGED
IN A YELLOW WOOD
 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NOT A DROP TO
DRINK

35.  THE WOODS ARE LOVELY DARK AND DEEP, BUT
I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP,
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

36. IMAGERY
 TO CREATE A MENTAL IMAGE USING
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
 ALL IN A HOT AND COPPER SKY, THE BLOODY
SUN AT NOON
 Like a painted ship on a painted ocean.


37. EXAMPLES
 A HOST OF GOLDEN DAFFODILLS
BESIDE THE LAKE BENEATH THE TREES
FLUTTERING AND DANCING IN THE BREEZE