GOOD

MORNING,
GRADE 8!
02 LITERARY
DEVICES
LITERARY
DEVICES
• are tools and techniques that a writer
uses when crafting their story
• make the writing go beyond the literal
meaning of the words
1. ALLITERATION
• the occurrence of the same letter or sound
at the beginning of adjacent or closely
connected words:

• Janie read a book by the babbling brook.

• The child bounced the ball at the backyard barbeque.
2. PERSONIFICATION
• a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an
animal – is given human attributes. The non-human
objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they
have the ability to act like human beings.

• My heart danced when he walked in the room.

• The hair on my arms stood after the performance.
3. SIMILE
• Comparison using ‘as’ and ‘like’.

• You were as brave as a lion.

• They fought like cats and dogs.
4. IRONY
• the expression of one's meaning by using
language that normally signifies the
opposite, typically for humorous or
emphatic effect:
• A marriage counselor files for divorce.
• A post on Facebook complains about how useless
Facebook is.
5. SATIRE
• the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule
to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices,
particularly in the context of contemporary politics
and other topical issues:
6. SYMBOLISM
• the use of symbols to
represent ideas or qualities:

• Use of ‘dove’
• Uses of colors
7. ONOMATOPOEIA
• the formation of a word from a
sound.
• The buzzing bee flew away.
• The sack fell into the river with a splash.
• The books fell on the table with a loud thump.
• He looked at the roaring
8. METAPHOR
• Bringing new meanings out of the
literal meaning.

• Raining cats and dogs

• Life is a highway. (Tom Cochrane)
• Love is a battlefield. ..
9. HYPERBOLE
• exaggerated statements or claims
not meant to be taken literally:

• I cried bucket of tears.

• I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.
• That purse looks like it cost a million dollars.
10. OXYMORON
• Putting two contradictory ideas
together to create complex
meaning.
• Only choice
• Same difference
• Friendly fire