Literary Devices

Meaning and Structure Devices

These devices shape meaning rather than sound — how a comparison, a structural choice, or a gap between what a character knows and what the audience knows can carry an idea. Examples draw on Hamlet and The Odyssey, the two works covered in this hub’s Literature set.

Learning path

Level 1
Core Devices
10 literary devices that work through meaning and figurative comparison, each with a worked example.
Read →Practice
Level 2
Extended Devices
10 more devices of structure, irony and perspective.
Read →Practice
Level 3
Advanced Devices
10 terms for the closest literary analysis, including synecdoche, metonymy and catharsis.
Read →Practice

Learning path

Core Devices

Extended Devices

Advanced Devices