37 Literary Styles and 25 Rhetorical Techniques
Literary Styles
Proverb: A short, traditional saying that offers wisdom or advice based on common sense or experience.
Dialogue: A conversation between two or more characters, usually presented in a literary work or a dramatic performance.
Epigram: A concise and witty statement or poem that expresses a clever or paradoxical idea.
Haiku: A traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, often capturing a moment in nature.
Sonnet: A 14-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter, with a specific rhyme scheme, traditionally exploring themes of love or beauty.
Allegory: A narrative or poem in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities, often used to convey a deeper meaning or message.
Flash fiction: A very short work of fiction, typically consisting of a complete story with a limited word count, often focusing on a single scene or moment.
Autobiographical essay: A literary piece in which the author writes about their own life, experiences, and personal reflections.
Parable: A simple and symbolic story used to convey a moral or spiritual lesson.
Satire: A genre that uses irony, humor, and exaggeration to criticize or ridicule human vices, follies, or societal issues.
Fable: A short fictional story, often with animals as characters, that conveys a moral lesson or teaches a practical truth.
Anecdote: A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point or entertain.
Limerick: A humorous poem consisting of five lines with a specific rhyming scheme (aabba), often with a witty or nonsensical theme.
Elegy: A poem or song that mourns the loss of someone or something, typically expressing sorrow or lamentation.
Ballad: A narrative poem or song that tells a story, often passed down orally and characterized by its musical quality and repetition.
Epistolary fiction: A literary work, such as a novel or story, presented as a series of letters or other forms of correspondence between characters.
Aphorism: A concise and memorable statement that expresses a general truth or observation about life.
Riddle: A puzzling question or statement that requires creative thinking or cleverness to solve.
Palindrome: A word, phrase, number, or sequence of characters that reads the same backward as it does forward.
Tanka: A traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern, often expressing emotions or observations.
Parody: A humorous or exaggerated imitation of a work, style, or genre, often intended to mock or criticize.
Acrostic: A poem or puzzle in which certain letters in each line or stanza, when read vertically, spell out a word, name, or phrase.
Prose poem: A poetic composition written in prose form, blending the characteristics of poetry and prose.
Minificción: A genre of very short fiction, often characterized by its brevity and the ability to convey a complete story or concept in a small number of words.
Dramatic monologue: A poetic form in which a single character speaks at length, expressing their thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
Epitaph: A brief inscription or poem written on a tombstone or memorial, often to honor or commemorate the deceased.
Pantoum: A poetic form originating in Malaysia, characterized by a repeating pattern of lines and interlocking rhyme scheme.
Free verse: A form of poetry that does not adhere to a specific meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for greater freedom and flexibility in expression.
Ode: A lyrical poem that pays tribute to a particular subject, often expressing deep admiration or celebration.
Villanelle: A poetic form consisting of 19 lines with a specific rhyme scheme, incorporating repeated lines and refrains.
Memoir: A nonfictional account or narrative written by an individual about their own experiences, memories, or observations.
Eulogy: A speech or piece of writing that praises and commemorates a person, typically delivered at a funeral or memorial service.
Epithet: A descriptive term or phrase used to characterize or identify a person, often highlighting a particular quality or trait.
Ekphrastic poetry: Poetry that describes, reflects upon, or is inspired by a work of art, often visual art.
Travelogue: A narrative or documentary account of a journey or travel experience, often including descriptions of places, cultures, and personal reflections.
Homage: A tribute or acknowledgment to someone or something, often in the form of artistic or creative expression that pays respect or admiration.
Rhetorical Techniques
Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words for poetic or rhetorical effect. Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or humorous effect. Example: "I've told you a million times to clean your room!"
Irony: A figure of speech in which words or situations convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal or expected meaning. Example: "Isn't it ironic that the fire station burned down?"
Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unrelated things by describing one thing as another, without using "like" or "as." Example: "Her smile is a ray of sunshine."
Simile: A figure of speech that compares two things using "like" or "as," highlighting their similarities. Example: "He runs as fast as a cheetah."
Personification: Attributing human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities or objects. Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."
Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or sentences for emphasis or to create a rhythmic effect. Example: "Never, never, never give up."
Rhetorical question: A question asked for rhetorical effect rather than to receive an answer, often used to make a point or persuade. Example: "Why do birds suddenly appear?"
Parallelism: The use of similar grammatical structures, phrases, or clauses in successive sentences or lines of verse. Example: "Easy come, easy go; time flies, time heals."
Antithesis: Contrasting ideas, words, or phrases placed in close proximity to create a contrasting effect. Example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms for dramatic or paradoxical effect. Example: "Jumbo shrimp" or "bittersweet"
Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature, often used to enhance meaning or convey a deeper understanding. Example: "He's a real Romeo when it comes to romance."
Euphemism: The use of milder or indirect language to replace harsh or unpleasant terms. Example: "He passed away" instead of "He died."
Understatement: The deliberate downplaying or minimizing of a situation, often for ironic or comedic effect. Example: "It's just a flesh wound" (when referring to a severe injury)
Chiasmus: A rhetorical device in which words, grammatical structures, or ideas are repeated in reverse order for emphasis or balance. Example: "Fair is foul and foul is fair."
Metonymy: Using a word or phrase to represent something closely associated with it, often for brevity or symbolic effect. Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword."
Synecdoche: A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or the whole is used to represent a part. Example: "All hands on deck" (referring to the need for all sailors)
Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses someone or something that is not present or alive, as if it could hear and respond. Example: "O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"
Paradox: A statement or situation that appears contradictory or absurd but may reveal a hidden truth or insight. Example: "I can resist anything but temptation."
Allegory: A narrative or work of art in which characters and events symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. Example: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, which uses animals to represent political ideologies.
Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis or rhythmic effect. Example: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets..."
Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate or resemble the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. Example: "Buzz," "hiss," "crash"
Euphony: Pleasing or melodious sounds created by the arrangement of words or syllables. Example: "Cellar door" (often cited as a pleasing combination of sounds)
Anadiplosis: The repetition of the last word or phrase of one clause or sentence at the beginning of the next, for emphasis or continuity. Example: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
Assonance: The repetition of similar vowel sounds, usually within words or stressed syllables, for poetic effect. Example: "Hear the mellow wedding bells."