10 Powerful Literary Devices To Improve Your Writing (And Speaking)

Have you ever noticed how certain writers can capture your attention and keep you completely engaged? This magical effect is often due to their skillful use of literary devices. Like secret ingredients in a delicious recipe, these tools can make a piece of writing far more powerful, persuasive, and just plain fun to read. Literary devices are specific techniques writers use to create different effects in their writing. However, they can also be powerful tools for speakers.

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve definitely come across these techniques before. Even everyday speech often involves figurative language. For instance, if you tell someone “time flies,” you’re technically using a metaphor. By studying different types of literary devices, we can deepen our understanding of literature and improve our speaking (and writing).

What Is a Literary Device?

Before diving in, it’s important to first understand what literary devices are. A literary device is anything the writer does to enhance their writing, taking it beyond just a literal recounting of details. They are different from rhetorical devices, which are techniques or language used to convey a point or convince an audience.

Sometimes literary devices refer to the bigger structural elements of a story—like setting or theme—while other times, they get down to the nitty-gritty level of individual sentences or even words. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on common literary devices found in poems and novels.

10 Common Literary Devices (with Examples)

To give you a better sense of how these writing tools function “in the wild,” we’ll look at ten of the most common literary devices, along with some examples. As you’ll notice, these techniques often rely on the power of comparison, helping readers see things in a new light.

1. Simile

Let’s start with a really familiar one. When you’re making a comparison using the words “like” or “as,” you’re constructing a simile. These create vivid imagery for the reader. Although we use similes often in everyday speech, they pack a powerful punch in formal writing as well.

For example, take a look at this line from East of Eden by John Steinbeck: “Kate inched over her own thoughts like a measuring worm.” Notice how Steinbeck avoids directly stating how slowly Kate is examining her thoughts. Instead, by comparing her to a measuring worm, he is able to create a much stronger impression.

2. Metaphor

The distinction between simile and metaphor causes a lot of confusion, so let’s clarify. Instead of explicitly stating the comparison, a metaphor says that one thing is another thing, adding a layer of complexity that similes generally avoid. If you’re still struggling to tell the difference, remember that metaphors never use the words “like” or “as.”

You’ll find metaphors at work in tons of famous lines, from Shakespeare’s “all the world’s a stage,” to Sylvia Plath’s iconic “I am a camera, with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” The metaphor is a popular literary device, but it has to be used with caution. If used too much, both metaphors and similes can reek of clichés and amateur writing.

3. Analogy

Are you sensing some common threads here? Many literary devices make use of comparison, but it’s how writers go about that comparison that distinguishes the different tools. This one—analogy—is essentially an argument based on comparison. Writers use analogies when they need to demonstrate how two seemingly unrelated things actually share surprising similarities.

Take this classic example from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” This famous quote essentially uses the analogy of a rose to make the case that the name we give something doesn’t actually define what it is. You could swap out “rose” for “cat” or “trashcan,” and Shakespeare’s point would still stand. The format, “A is as B” or “A is to B,” is a common analogy structure.

4. Allegory

Now we’re getting into the truly symbolic literary devices. These techniques can really elevate a story, adding layers of meaning. If the writer is using their complete narrative to symbolize something larger—like a historical event or philosophical concept—then they’re using allegory.

This is probably best explained using a super familiar example, like George Orwell’s dystopian novel Animal Farm. On the surface, it seems like a simple children’s story about talking animals. However, the events of the story actually parallel the lead-up to the Russian Revolution, with animals representing specific historical figures. The pig Napoleon, for instance, represents Joseph Stalin.

5. Allusion

In contrast to an allegory, where the comparison plays out over an entire story, an allusion only requires a quick, indirect reference to another event, figure, or work of art. Because allusions are by definition indirect, the writer assumes you get the reference without explicitly laying everything out.

Poets often use allusion to convey rich meaning in a few words. Take Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” This short poem reads as follows: “Nature’s first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold. / Her early leaf’s a flower; / But only so an hour. / Then leaf subsides to leaf. / So Eden sank to grief, / So dawn goes down to day. / Nothing gold can stay.”

In his poem, Frost makes an allusion to Eden, specifically the Garden of Eden mentioned in the Bible. As described by the author of Genesis, Eden “sank to grief” when Adam and Eve sinned and were barred from ever entering the Garden again. In this way, Frost emphasizes that nothing lasts forever—including paradise.

6. Anachronism

Anachronism is a conflict of time within a single work. For example, you would be using an anachronism by describing a character as “zipping up her dress” if the story is set at a time before the invention of zippers. Oftentimes, the use of anachronism is unintentional. Sometimes, however, an author will purposely use it to make their story more accessible to their audience or for a humorous effect.

Just consider Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. At one point, the character Cassius remarks that “The clock has stricken three,” even though mechanical clocks weren’t invented until centuries later. Rather than use something that his audience would be less familiar with—like a sundial—Shakespeare opts for an anachronism.

7. Foreshadowing

When done skillfully, foreshadowing deepens the reading experience, giving little hints or clues about what’s to come. It can even prompt readers to reread sections after a shocking plot twist. When poorly handled, it just seems cheesy, even taking away the suspense the writer has tried so carefully to cultivate.

Because foreshadowing generally impacts a longer work of writing, like a novel or screenplay, it can be challenging to provide concise examples here. For a simple example, just consider the title of this Agatha Christie novel: “Murder on the Orient Express.” Thanks to the title, anyone who reads this book already knows what major event occurs. Thankfully, being a murder mystery novel, the real secret is who did it and how, creating a different kind of suspense. Next time you sit down to read, challenge yourself to spot instances where the author hints at future events…you might be surprised how common this really is.

8. Imagery

Along with simile, imagery ranks pretty high on the list of super common but essential literary devices. It really boils down to using descriptive writing that speaks to the reader’s five senses. Evoking the world of the senses makes for vivid, memorable writing, drawing readers more deeply into the story you’re telling.

Consider the evocative lines from Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour,” where she writes as follows:

She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.”

In these lines, Chopin engages multiple senses such as sight, smell, and hearing. Not only does this passage activate readers’ imaginations, but it also works to describe the setting and the character’s frame of mind. Using imagery of this kind can greatly enrich your writing.

9. Personification

Using personification requires imbuing something non-human with human qualities, whether that’s emotions, desires, or physical characteristics. Writing becomes far more engaging when this literary device is employed. If you describe “the wind whispering secrets through the trees,” your reader is far more likely to actually imagine that scene. Of course, personification doesn’t literally mean an animal can speak or an inanimate object can waltz—that’s a different technique called anthropomorphism.

Personification is a creative way for poets to describe common objects or experiences. Emily Dickinson uses this technique in her poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” The first few lines of this poem read, “Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me – / The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality.” In these lines both death and immortality are personified, allowing Dickinson to creatively imagine life after death.

10. Juxtaposition

Writers often arrange words and phrases in deliberate ways, and when it comes to crafting striking comparisons, few literary devices rival the effectiveness of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition simply means placing two very different (often opposing) elements side-by-side. While contrast is an essential component, the true power of juxtaposition lies in its ability to illuminate a deeper meaning or unexpected connection.

Consider the poem “A Juxtaposition” by Kenneth Burke, which juxtaposes a nation and an individual, treble and bass, and loudness and silence. In using this technique, the poem compels readers to see things differently. Other examples of juxtaposition include light and darkness, hope and despair, and beauty and ugliness. This literary device can also appear visually in film.

Other Types of Literary Devices to Elevate Your Writing

There’s no need to use every single literary term in your book, but by knowing what’s available for you to use and how to use it strategically, your writing will become stronger and therefore, more captivating to readers.

Symbolism

You could categorize symbolism as a kind of overarching term. After all, many literary devices could ultimately be described as symbolism. It happens when the writer intends for a specific thing in the story—an object, person, situation, even just a recurring word—to stand in for some bigger idea. To grasp the significance of what symbols add to stories, consider what literary devices, or even storytelling as a concept, would be like without them.

Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete and also allows you to manipulate your ideas. For instance, by including a dove in your story, you could symbolize peace without saying it outright. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (and The Hobbit), it is said the ring of Sauron symbolizes evil, corruption, and greed, which everyday people, symbolized by Frodo, must strive to resist.

Epigraph

While less common than something like imagery, this tool proves valuable when you need to create a certain mood or foreshadow thematic elements without overtly spelling things out for the reader. Essentially, an epigraph involves incorporating a quote at the beginning of a work (and sometimes even chapters within a longer work) that sets the tone in subtle but effective ways.

An epigraph is almost always written by a different writer (with credit given) and is used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work. Some pieces of literature, such as Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick, incorporate multiple epigraphs throughout. Just imagine you’ve decided to open your newest chapter with a line from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Chances are, that would cast your narrative in a completely different light.

Ekphrasis

Ekphrasis refers to a piece of writing that describes another piece of art. This literary device, while obscure nowadays, used to be more common. A classic example of ekphrastic literature is John Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”

Want to try this challenging form for yourself? If you’re looking to stretch your creative writing skills, check out the monthly ekphrastic challenge that Rattle Poetry runs.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to a word which actually resembles the sound of that thing, with animal noises representing prime examples. Just think of how we say a bee “buzzes”—that buzzing imitates the sound bees make.

Here’s an onomatopoeia example from the poem “Piddle-Paddle” by Jaymie Gerard: ““Piddle-paddle, piddle-paddle, splash, splash, splash / Into the pool with a great big dash!” Here, the words “piddle-paddle” and “splash” are meant to imitate the actual sound of moving through water. This type of word choice helps to create a more vivid and immersive experience for the reader. By using onomatopoeia, Gerard helps the reader to feel as if they are right there in the pool.

FAQs On Literary Devices

What are some literary devices with examples?

Literary devices are techniques writers use to create specific effects in their writing. Some examples include metaphors (direct comparisons, like “He’s a bull in a china shop”), similes (using “like” or “as,” like “She’s as tough as nails”), and imagery, which engages the senses (“The cool fall wind made her shiver”).

What is a literary device?

Simply put, a literary device is any technique used in writing to enhance it and move it beyond just literal descriptions. These devices range from large-scale structural choices (like using an unreliable narrator) to the arrangement of individual sentences.

What is the difference between literary terms and literary devices?

Sometimes we refer to literary devices as “literary terms,” but essentially, they mean the same thing. They’re terms describing all those tools that elevate writing, such as allusions (references to something outside the story), or personification (giving something nonhuman human characteristics.)

Conclusion

If you want to strengthen your skills as a writer (or a speaker), then it’s important to analyze how literary devices function. Consider the effect the writer is creating, then try your hand at creating similar effects. This may seem a little overwhelming at first, but as you experiment with various approaches, you’ll likely find yourself drawn to some literary devices far more than others.

By studying various examples and experimenting in your writing, you’ll better understand how these tools shape a story’s emotional weight. Just remember that literary devices represent a single element in the writer’s toolkit. When an author combines them with plot, character, and word order, that person can create truly great literature.