Here you’ll find 3 literary devices that start with Z, organized from “zaum” to “zoomorphism”. These entries tend to be rare, experimental, or culturally specific, and they aid analysis, teaching, and creative work.

Literary devices that start with Z are stylistic techniques and figures of speech beginning with Z. Zaum, for example, originated with Russian Futurists as experimental sound poetry.

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

Term: The device name, so you can scan entries quickly and cross-reference ideas across lessons or texts.

Definition: A concise description of the device’s function or form, helping you understand and apply it in analysis or writing.

Example: A short, contextual sentence showing typical usage, so you see how the device appears in real text.

Context: Notes on history, genre, or rhetorical effect, helping you decide when and why to use the device.

Literary devices that start with Z

NameCategoryDefinitionExample
zaumExperimental poetic techniqueInvented “transrational” language used in avant-garde poetryKhlebnikov’s nonsense syllables
zeugmaRhetorical deviceSingle word governs two others with different meaningsShe broke his heart and his car.
zoomorphismFigurative deviceAttributing animal qualities to people, gods, or objectsHe prowled like a tiger.

Descriptions

zaum
Russian Futurist term for a transrational poetic language emphasizing sound, neologism, and play; used by Khlebnikov and Kruchyonykh. (OED, literary glossaries)
zeugma
A figure where one word, usually a verb or adjective, governs two others in different senses; creates wit, surprise, or concision. Found in classical rhetoric and modern prose. (OED, rhetoric handbooks)
zoomorphism
Assigning animal traits or behaviors to humans, deities, or objects to produce vivid imagery or symbolism; common in myth, fable, and descriptive writing. (literary glossaries)
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