This list includes 36 Literary devices that start with A, from “Accent” to “Auxesis”. Many are rhetorical, structural, or sound-based techniques used to shape meaning and tone. Use them in analysis, teaching, or to enrich your writing.
Literary devices that start with A are named techniques writers use to shape language, meaning, and reader response. Many come from classical rhetoric; for example, “anaphora” appears in speeches by Lincoln and King.
Below you’ll find the table with Term, Definition, Example, and Notes.
Term: The device name; you can scan this column to find the exact label for each technique.
Definition: A concise description of the device and how it works, so you quickly grasp its essential function.
Example: A short contextual sentence showing the device in use, helping you recognize it in texts.
Notes: Practical tips on usage, variation, or historical context that help you teach, edit, or apply the device.
Literary devices that start with A
| Device | Alternate name(s) | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accent | Stress | Poetic Meter | a-GAIN, BE-tween, de-SCEND |
| Adage | Proverb, maxim, saying | Trope, Figure of Thought | A penny saved is a penny earned. |
| Adynaton | Impossible hyperbole | Rhetorical, Trope | It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. |
| Allegory | Extended metaphor | Narrative, Trope | Animal Farm representing the Russian Revolution. |
| Alliteration | Head rhyme, initial rhyme | Sound Device | She sells seashells by the seashore. |
| Allusion | Indirect reference | Trope, Figure of Thought | He was a real Romeo with the ladies. |
| Ambiguity | Double meaning, polysemy | Diction, Trope | The bark was rough. (Tree or dog?) |
| Anachronism | Misplacement in time | Narrative Element | A clock striking in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. |
| Anacoluthon | Syntactic interruption | Syntactic Device | I can’t believe Christmas is—I haven’t bought any presents yet. |
| Anadiplosis | Doubling back | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. |
| Anagram | Word jumble | Word Play | Listen is an anagram of “silent.” |
| Analogy | Comparison, parallel | Rhetorical, Trope | A sword is to a warrior as a pen is to a writer. |
| Anaphora | Initial repetition | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… |
| Anastrophe | Inversion | Syntactic Device | Powerful you have become. |
| Anecdote | Short story, personal account | Narrative Device | A brief story about a funny childhood memory. |
| Antagonist | Villain, adversary, foe | Character Archetype | Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter. |
| Antanaclasis | Repetitive pun | Rhetorical, Word Play | We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately. |
| Anthimeria | Functional shift, verbing | Diction, Rhetorical | Let’s movie tonight. |
| Anthropomorphism | Humanization | Trope, Figure of Thought | The animals in Animal Farm talk and organize a revolution. |
| Anticlimax | Letdown, bathos | Narrative Device | He faced his enemy, drew his sword, and then tripped on a rock. |
| Antimetabole | Reversal | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. |
| Antiphrasis | Semantic inversion, verbal irony | Rhetorical, Irony | Calling a very tall person “Shorty.” |
| Antistrophe | Epistrophe, epiphora | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | …of the people, by the people, for the people. |
| Antithesis | Juxtaposition, contrast | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. |
| Aphorism | Maxim, adage, pithy saying | Trope, Figure of Thought | If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. |
| Aporia | Feigned doubt, rhetorical question | Rhetorical, Figure of Thought | I’m not sure whether to be more disappointed in him or in myself. |
| Aposiopesis | Breaking off, interruption | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | If you do that one more time, I’ll— |
| Apostrophe | Direct address | Rhetorical, Trope | O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? |
| Archaism | Old-fashioned language | Diction | Hark! Methinks I hear a sound. |
| Archetype | Universal symbol, prototype | Character/Narrative Element | The Hero’s Journey; the Mentor character. |
| Aside | Stage whisper | Dramatic Convention | [To audience] I don’t believe a word he says. |
| Assonance | Vowel rhyme | Sound Device | The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. |
| Asyndeton | Omission of conjunctions | Syntactic Device | I came, I saw, I conquered. |
| Atmosphere | Mood, ambiance | Narrative Element | A dark and stormy night creates a tense atmosphere. |
| Autobiography | Memoir, life story | Genre, Narrative Form | The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. |
| Auxesis | Climax, amplification | Rhetorical, Syntactic Device | Look! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! |
Descriptions
Accent
The emphasis placed on a syllable in a line of verse, which is a fundamental component of poetic rhythm and meter.
Adage
A short, memorable statement that expresses a general truth or common observation and has gained credibility through long-term use.
Adynaton
A form of hyperbole so exaggerated that it describes something completely impossible, used to emphasize a point in an extravagant way.
Allegory
A narrative in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or historical occurrences to convey a hidden moral or political meaning.
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together in a phrase or sentence.
Allusion
An indirect or passing reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work, relying on the reader’s background knowledge.
Ambiguity
The use of a word or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way, often used intentionally to create depth or uncertainty.
Anachronism
An element in a story that is out of its proper time period, either by mistake or for deliberate artistic effect.
Anacoluthon
A sudden and unexpected break in a sentence’s grammatical structure, often mimicking natural, unscripted speech and thought patterns.
Anadiplosis
The repetition of the last word or phrase of one clause or sentence at the very beginning of the next for emphasis.
Anagram
A word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, often used for wit or hidden meaning.
Analogy
A comparison between two otherwise unlike things to explain a complex idea by relating it to a more familiar one.
Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences to create a powerful rhetorical effect.
Anastrophe
The inversion of the usual order of words or clauses, such as placing an adjective after the noun it modifies, for emphasis.
Anecdote
A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point or engage the audience.
Antagonist
A character or group of characters who stand in opposition to the protagonist, creating the primary conflict of the story.
Antanaclasis
A form of pun in which a word or phrase is repeated, but its meaning changes in the second instance.
Anthimeria
The use of a word in a new grammatical form, such as using a noun as a verb, to create a novel expression.
Anthropomorphism
The attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities like animals or gods, making them behave as humans.
Anticlimax
A disappointing or sudden drop from a significant or exciting idea to something trivial or ludicrous, often for comedic or ironic effect.
Antimetabole
The repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order to create a memorable and balanced statement.
Antiphrasis
The use of a word or phrase in a sense that is opposite to its literal meaning, a common form of verbal irony.
Antistrophe
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences, mirroring anaphora for emphasis.
Antithesis
A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence using parallel structure to achieve a contrasting effect.
Aphorism
A concise, memorable statement of a general truth or observation, often witty and to the point.
Aporia
An expression of doubt, either real or feigned, where the speaker seems uncertain about what to say, think, or do.
Aposiopesis
The device of suddenly breaking off in speech, as if from inability or unwillingness to continue, leaving the thought incomplete.
Apostrophe
A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn’t present, such as an abstract concept or inanimate object.
Archaism
The use of language that is old-fashioned or obsolete, employed to create a specific mood, setting, or sense of historical distance.
Archetype
A recurring symbol, character, or story pattern that is universally understood across cultures, representing common human experiences.
Aside
A short comment that a character delivers directly to the audience, or to themselves, while other actors on the stage cannot listen.
Assonance
The repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words, which creates an internal rhyming effect within a line or phrase.
Asyndeton
The deliberate omission of conjunctions (like ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’) between words or clauses in a series, creating a fast-paced rhythm.
Atmosphere
The overall mood or feeling of a literary work, established through setting, imagery, and word choice to evoke an emotional response.
Autobiography
An account of a person’s life written by that same person, offering a personal perspective on their experiences and achievements.
Auxesis
The arrangement of words or clauses in a sequence of increasing importance or force, building tension and leading to a climax.