What are Literary Devices

The literary techniques are deliberately used for the purpose of giving a certain specific effect to words/language being used. The common structures used in writing, literary devices are categorized into literary techniques and literary elements. Some of the examples of literary elements include plot, theme, setting, protagonist, etc.

What are Literary Devices Used For?
A literary device adds punch to the writing and makes it readable. The use of literary devices in literature help in developing a plot or explaining a particular situation with ease. It is also with the use of literary devices that a proper meaning and framework is offered to the writing.

Examples of Literary Devices
Explanation of commonly used literary devices along with the list of remaining ones is presented below.

• Alliteration: A literary device/figure of speech is said to be an alliteration when the consonant sounds (initial) get repeated. Here are few examples of alliteration being used.
• Irony: It is a figure of speech used in conveying an opposite meaning to what is actually said. There is a tinge of sarcasm in the speech when a person tries to use ironic sentences.
• Simile: This literary device is used for the purpose of comparison. The words such as 'like', 'as', etc. are used when simile is used in a sentence. Example: He looks like a king.
• Metaphor: The literary device, metaphor is same as simile except that words like 'as', 'like', etc. are not used for comparison. Example: He is a tiger.
• Hyperbole: The hyperbole is a literary device used for exaggeration. Example: He drank oceans of tea while preparing for the examination.
• Onomatopoeia: In this figure of speech, meaning of words is the same as they sound. Example: 'click', 'ding-dong', etc.
• Personification: This literary device is used to attribute human characteristics to inanimate objects.

Most of the figures of speech described above are the ones used in poetry. Personification, hyperbole, irony, alliteration, onomatopoeia are few of these. A list of literary devices is presented in the tabular form.

Allegory	Allusion	Alliteration
Anagram	Amplification	Anastrophe
Analogy	Anthropomorphism	Animism
Apostrophe	Aphorism	Antithesis
Assonance	Archetype	Asyndeton
Bildungsroman	Bibliomancy	Caesura
Cacophony	Chiasmus	Characterization
Conflict	Circumlocution	Consonance
Connotation	Deus ex Machina	Denotation
Doppelganger	Diction	Emulation
Ekphrastic	Epithet	Epilogue
Euphony	Euphemism	Flashback
Faulty Parallelism	Fable	Foreshadowing
Foil	Hyperbole	Hyperbaton
Internal Rhyme	Imagery	Irony
Inversion	Kennings	Juxtaposition
Metaphor	Malapropism	Motif
Metonymy	Negative Capability	Mood
Onomatopoeia	Nemesis	Oxymoron
Paradox	Parable	Periphrasis
Pathetic Fallacy	Personification	Periodic Structure
Plot	Point of View	Portmanteau
Polysyndeton	Puns	Prologue
Rhythm & Rhyme	Rhyme Scheme	Setting
Satire	Spoonerism	Simile
Stream of Consciousness	Stanza	Symbol
Syllepsis	Synesthesia	Synecdoche
Syntax	Tone	Theme
Tragedy	Understatement	Verse

Literary Devices in Romeo and Juliet
Themes and motifs are the commonly used literary devices in Romeo and Juliet. Motifs are used for the purpose of symbolism. Other literary devices from this novel are explained below.

Theme: It is the central idea of a story/literary work. This idea (theme) plays an important role in guiding the course of a story. Theme can also be termed a message that the writer wants to give through a work of literature. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, the central theme is love.

Plot: It is a sequence of events which involve the characters of the story and conflicts. Exposition, incident, development and climax are the components of a plot. The story of Romeo and Juliet is elaborated with all these components.

Characterization: It is a literary technique used in creating and developing the characters of a story. Two different ways in which characterization is implemented are direct and indirect characterization. In direct characterization, traits of a particular character are stated explicitly. Indirect characterization on the other hand presents the appearance, speech and actions of the character. The reader has to derive traits of the character through these cues.

Point of View: The choice of narrator of the author can be understood through a point of view. The first and third person point of view is commonly used in the narration of a story.

The literary devices help express a particular idea in an elaborate and also a meaningful way. The explanation of what are literary devices and related facts presented in the article should help us understand them in a better manner.