This list includes 8 Literary devices that start with K, from “Kairos” to “Kyrielle”. They are concise rhetorical and poetic techniques common in analysis, teaching, and creative writing.

Literary devices that start with K are named techniques writers use to shape meaning, sound, and rhythm. Notable examples include the Greek-inspired “kairos”, valued since antiquity for timely persuasion.

Below you’ll find the table with Device, Definition, and Example.

Device: The name of the literary device, so you can scan for familiar terms and discover new techniques.

Definition: A concise, classroom-ready explanation of each device to help you understand meaning and identify usage.

Example: A short contextual sentence showing the device in action, so you can recognize it in texts.

Literary devices that start with K

NameAlternate namesCategoryShort example
Kairos Rhetorical conceptThe speaker seized the perfect moment to appeal.
KakemphatoncacemphatonSound device / rhetorical termA clumsy phrase that sounds embarrassingly wrong.
KatachresiscatachresisFigure of speech / tropeHe drank the thunder of the storm.
Katabasis Narrative motif / tropeThe hero descends into the underworld for truth.
Kenning Poetic device / figure of speechWhale-road for the sea in Old Norse poetry.
Kenosis Motif / theological-literal deviceA leader relinquishes power to save others.
Kuleshov effect Narrative/film techniqueSame neutral face, cut with various images, reads differently.
Kyrielle Poetic form / deviceA short poem repeating a refrain after each couplet.

Descriptions

Kairos
The opportune moment or timing in rhetoric; choosing when and how to speak or act for maximum persuasive effect.
Kakemphaton
An awkward or ill-sounding word or phrase whose sound creates unintended humor or dissonance; noted in rhetorical and stylistic discussions.
Katachresis
A strained, mixed, or intentionally abusive metaphor when no exact word exists; can be rhetorical, ironic, or a deliberate poetic device.
Katabasis
A descent or journey downward (often into the underworld) used as a plot motif for confrontation, revelation, or transformation.
Kenning
A compact compound metaphor from Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon verse that replaces a common noun with a descriptive phrase.
Kenosis
A motif of self-emptying or loss of power/identity, used for character transformation or thematic emphasis in literature and criticism.
Kuleshov effect
A montage principle from film theory where the meaning of an image changes depending on the juxtaposed shots; applied in narrative sequencing and visual storytelling.
Kyrielle
A short fixed French verse form featuring repeated refrains and regular rhyme, used for lyrical, meditative effects.
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