Ellipsis Definition Ellipsis is a literary device that is used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while acting or reading it out. It is usually…
Category: Literary Devices
Dialect
Dialect Definition A dialect is the language used by the people of a specific area, class, district, or any other group of people. The term dialect involves the spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation used by a particular group of people…
Characterization
Characterization Definition Characterization is a literary device that is used step-by-step in literature to highlight and explain the details of a character in a story. It is in the initial stage in which the writer introduces the character with noticeable…
Didacticism
Didacticism Definition Didacticism is a term that refers to a particular philosophy in art and literature that emphasizes the idea that different forms of art and literature ought to convey information and instructions, along with pleasure and entertainment. The word…
Conflict
Conflict Definition In literature, conflict is a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces, usually a protagonist and an antagonist. Internal Conflict Mind Vs. Body: One type of internal conflict that occurs in stories is mind versus…
Climax
Climax Definition Climax, a Greek term meaning “ladder,” is that particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point. It is a structural part of a plot, and is at times referred to as…
Antimetabole
Antimetabole Definition Antimetabole is derived from a Greek word which means “turning about.” It is a literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order. For example: “You like it; it likes you.” “Fair is foul and…
Anachronism
Anachronism Definition Anachronism is derived from the Greek word anachronous, which means “against time.” Therefore, an anachronism is an error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece. In other words, anything that is out of time and out of…
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude Definition In a literary work, verisimilitude is likeness to the truth, such as the resemblance of a fictitious work to a real event, even if it is a far-fetched one. Verisimilitude ensures that even a fantasy must be rooted…
Understatement
Understatement Definition An understatement is a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a…
Antagonist
Antagonist Definition In literature, an antagonist is a character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the protagonist, which is the main character. The term “antagonist” comes from the Greek word antagonistēs, which means “opponent,” “competitor,” or…
Malapropism
Malapropism Definition Malapropism finds its origins in the French phrase mal a propos, which means “inappropriate.” It is the use of an incorrect word in place of a similar-sounding word, which results in a nonsensical and humorous expression. The word…
Inversion
Inversion Definition Inversion, also known as “anastrophe,” is a literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed, in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter. Inversion Techniques Inversion is achieved by doing the following:…
Epilogue
Epilogue Definition An epilogue, or “epilog,” is a chapter at the end of a work of literature, which concludes the work. Epilogue, Prologue, and Afterword Epilogue is the opposite of prologue, which is a piece of writing at the beginning…
Stanza
Definition of Stanza In poetry, a stanza is a division of four or more lines having a fixed length, meter, or rhyming scheme. Stanzas in poetry are similar to paragraphs in prose. Both stanzas and paragraphs include connected thoughts, and…
Prologue
Prologue Definition Prologue comes from the Greek term prologos, which means “before word,” is an opening of a story that establishes the setting, and gives background details. Generally speaking, the main function of a prologue tells some earlier story, and…
Portmanteau
Portmanteau Definition Portmanteau is a literary device in which two or more words are joined together to coin a new word, which refers to a singe concept. The coinage of portmanteau involves the linking and blending of two or more…
Epithet
Epithet Definition Epithet is a descriptive literary device that describes a place, a thing, or a person in such a way that it helps in making its characteristics more prominent than they actually are. Also, it is known as a…
Cacophony
Cacophony Definition If we speak literally, cacophony points to a situation in which there is a mixture of harsh and inharmonious sounds. In literature, however, the term refers to the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing, and unmelodious sounds…
Synesthesia
Synesthesia Definition In literature, synesthesia refers to a technique adopted by writers to present ideas, characters, or places in such a manner that they appeal to more than one sense, like hearing, sight, smell, and touch at a given time.…
