Literary Devices - Language Notes
LITERARY DEVICES
 Describe a way to write that 'decorates' your words. It brings the words to life so that the reader can
visualize what is being said.
 Therefore, it is imperative to use literary devices in the construction of any argumentative or persuasive
piece, short story writing, as well as poetry.
 All of the examples for the list of literary devices (below) will come from the list of poems under the Short
Stories and Anthologies section of Literature Notes.
 There are different types of literary devices that one can use in order to enhance their writing, and they
are as follows:
Alliteration - When the same consonant is repeated, at least three times, at the beginning of the words in a
sentence. eg. Anna's mother had a bouncing baby boy in December, showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue
Allusion - Making reference to a known person, place, or time in history, in order to highlight an issue or point in
your writing. eg. Anna has a Mona Lisa smile, torch throwers of night would burn lights for decent times
Euphemism - When a soft, or subtle, word is used to replace a harsh one. eg. Anna's dog, Scruffy, passed away
this morning, my bed of earth
Irony - A state of affairs, or an event, that seems deliberately contradictory to what one expects and is often - not
always - wryly (mocking) amusing as a result. eg. Anna and Abigail got a free ride, but they had paid for the
tickets beforehand, How often have I seen you at a bier and there look fresh and spruce
Irony (situational) - The situation in a literary piece where the reader/ audience is aware of present or future
events that the character is unaware of. In addition, the character/ persona acts in a way that is
grossly inappropriate. eg., see Ballad of Birmingham
Metaphor - A comparison of two things without using as or like. This device can be identified by noting the two
things that are being compared, then inserting 'as' or 'like', if this is possible, then you have a metaphor eg. Anna
has night dark hair, her night dark hair
Pun - A play on words, using homonyms, homographs and homophones, for effect. eg. Amanda's chubby genes
do not allow her to wear skinny jeans, Two airy things forever denied the air!
Sarcasm - The use of praise to indicate dispraise. eg. 'You are such a great athlete, NOT!, Subtle Uncle Sam
Simile - A comparison of two or more objects, persons, etc., using the words 'as' or 'like'. eg. Anna's hair is as
black as night, Brave flowers, that I could gallant it like you / Oh that I could my bed of earth but view, and smile
and look as cheerfully as you.
Repetition - This is where a particular word or phrase occurs consistently in a piece of writing. This is usually to
emphasize a point. eg., no, baby, no, you may not go / I wish, I wish
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.
McWatt, M, Simmonds-McDonald H. A World of Poetry for CXC. Pearson Education Limited, 2005.
Narinesingh, U, Narinesingh H. A Comprehensive English Course: CXC English A. Royards Publishing
Company, 2005.