Literary Devices Review

Irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.

• dramatic irony

• verbal irony

• situational irony

• in medias res

The author states or describes a character's traits.

• internal conflict

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

• external conflict

A piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action

• allusion

• parallelism

• in medias res

• situational irony

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

• metaphor

• oxymoron

• allusion

• alliteration

Irony involving facts or events are unknown to a character in a story but are known to the reader, audience, or other characters

• situational irony

• dramatic irony

• verbal irony

• in medias res

A writer's attitude, which is revealed through word choice

• tone

• mood

• point of view

• personification

When one character has a problem with a group of people, large or small, and/or has conflict with a societal force, such as in a dystopia

• man vs. nature conflict

• man vs. man conflict

• man vs. society conflict

• man vs. self conflict

Figure of speech comparing two things using "like" or "as"

• metaphor

• simile

• personification

• hyperbole

When one character in a story has a problem with one or more of the other characters

• man vs. man conflict

• man vs. nature conflict

• man vs. society conflict

• man vs. self conflict

A character who is used as a contrast to another more important character; the contrast emphasizes the differences between the two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each

• foil character

• protagonist

• antagonist

• narrator