Literary Devices

Metaphor and simile.

            Comparisons. A simile uses the words “as” or “like”; a metaphor does not.

            Examples: “He’s a pig” is a metaphor. “He looks like a pig” and “He’s as fat as a pig” are similes.

Personification.

            Attributing human or other animate characteristics to an inanimate object.

            Example: Clouds cry.

Symbolism.

            Using one object to stand for something else or to mean something else. Actions can also be symbolic, such as washing hands to indicate non-involvement.  Some symbols are universal, with generally accepted meanings, such as a crown to mean superiority or the color red to mean danger. Some are specific to a particular work of literature, such as the white whale in Moby ****. Symbols, especially specific ones, often mean more than one thing.

Irony.

            Conveys the opposite…