Literary Tools

Literary
Tools
 
 ALLITERATION
–
The
repetition
of
the
same
consonant
sounds
at
the
beginning
of
words.
 (Example
–
Sweet,
scented
stuff)
 
 ALLUSION
–
an
implicit
reference
within
a
literary
work
to
a
historical
or
literary
person,
 place
or
event.

(Example
–
In
The
Secret
Life
of
Bees,
August
refers
to
Jane
Eyre,
a
novel
by
 Charlotte
Brontë.)
 
 ASSONANCE
­
the
repetition
of
similar
vowel
sounds
in
a
sequence
of
nearby
words
 (Example:
The
hum
was
low
with
a
mellow
tone)
 
 CONNOTATION
­
an
association
that
comes
along
with
a
particular
word.
Connotation
relates
 not
to
a
word's
actual
meaning
(denotation),
but
rather
to
the
ideas
or
qualities
that
are
 implied
by
that
word.
(Example:
The
word
"gold"
actually
means
a
malleable,
ductile,
yellow
 element.
The
connotation,
however,
is
the
ideas
associated
with
gold,
such
as
greed,
luxury,
or
 avarice.)
 HYPERBOLE
­
an
excessive
overstatement
or
conscious
exaggeration.

(Example:
I
have
 already
told
you
a
million
times.)
 
 IMAGERY
–
Language
that
brings
to
mind
the
sense­impressions,
especially
via
Uigures
of
 speech.

(Example
–
The
smell
of
putrid
green
algae
on
the
lonely
rock
Uilled
the
air
and
 invited
me
to
regurgitate
my
lunch.)
 
 KENNING
–
two
nouns
put
together
to
take
the
place
of
another
noun.
(Example
–
“King
of
 Pop”
for
Michael
Jackson;
“street
rider”
for
car)
 
 MEIOSIS
­
an
understatement;
the
opposite
of
hyperbole
(Example:
When
Mercutio
is
 mortally
wounded
in
Romeo
and
Juliet,
he
states,
"'Tis
only
a
scratch.")
 
 METAPHOR
–
a
comparison
of
one
thing
to
another
NOT
using
“like”
or
“as.”
(Example
–
Life
 is
but
a
walking
shadow,
a
poor
player
who
struts
and
frets
his
hour
upon
the
stage.)



 METONYMY
­
the
substitution
of
one
term
for
another
that
is
generally
associated
with
it
 ("kicks"
for
sneakers;
"suits"
for
business
men)
 
 ONOMATOPOEIA
–
the
use
of
words
that
make
sounds.
(Example
–
plop,
plop,
Uizz,
Uizz,
oh
 what
a
relief
it
is).
 
 OXYMORON
­
a
self­contradictory
expression
(Example:
It's
the
same
difference.
Or
as
 uttered
in
Romeo
and
Juliet,
"Parting
is
such
sweet
sorrow."
 
 PARADOX
­
A
statement
that
is
contradictory
on
the
surface
but
expresses
a
deeper
truth
 (Example:
For
someone
with
such
a
warm
personality,
you
have
a
cold
heart)
 
 PARALLELISM
­
Similarity
of
structure
in
a
pair
or
series
of
related
words,
phrases,
or
 clauses.
(Example:
We
came,
we
saw,
we
conquered.
See
how
there
is
"we"
then
a
past
tense
 verb
in
each
of
the
phrases???).
 
 PERSONIFICATION
–
The
use
of
human
characteristics
to
describe
animals,
things
or
ideas.
 (Example
–
The
sun
was
smiling
on
the
sunbathers).
 
 SIMILE­
a
comparison
of
two
things
that
seem
unalike,
using
the
words,
“like”
or
as.”

 (Example
–
My
love
is
like
a
red,
red
rose.)
 
 SYMBOLISM
­
a
symbol
or
object
that
stands
for
another
word
or
object.
The
object
or
word
 can
be
seen
with
the
eye
or
not
visible.
(Example:
a
dove
stands
for
peace
or
purity.
The
dove
 can
be
seen
and
peace
or
purity
cannot)