Literary Terms and Devices

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Allegory

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A literary work in which all or most of the characters, events, and settings stand for ideas or generalizations about life. Allegories usually have a moral or a lesson.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words, as in these lines from Coleridge: “The fair breeze flew, the white foam flew, / The furrow followed free.”

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Allusion

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A reference to a well-known person, place, or situation from history or from art, music, or another work of literature—for example, the characters Adam, Aron, and Cal in Steinbeck’s East of Eden as allusions to Adam, Abel, and Cain in Genesis.

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Analogy

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A comparison of two things that are alike in some ways.

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Anecdote

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A short narrative about an interesting event, often used to make a point.

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Antagonist

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A person or force working against the protagonist, or central character, in a literary work.

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Anthropomorphism

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The assignment of human characteristics to animals, inanimate objects, or gods.

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Aphorism

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A wise saying, usually short and to the point, as Hippocrates’ “Life is short, art is long.” Also known as an epigram or maxim.

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Apostrophe

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A figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an absent person, an inanimate object, or an idea—for example, Byron’s line “Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean—roll!”

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Archetype

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A symbol, image, plot pattern, or character type that occurs often in literature, such as the hero on a dangerous quest.