This list includes 26 Literary devices that start with T, from “Tautogram” to “Twist ending”. You will find devices used in poetry, drama, narrative voice, and persuasive writing.
Literary devices that start with T are techniques writers use to shape meaning, sound, and reader response. Many appear in classical rhetoric and modern fiction, with the “twist ending” famously used by O. Henry.
Below you’ll find the table with Term, Definition, and Example.
Term: A clear name of the device so you can locate it quickly in study or lesson plans.
Definition: A concise explanation that tells you what the device does and how it affects meaning or form.
Example: A short, contextual sentence showing the device in use so you can apply or teach it.
Literary devices that start with T
| Device | Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tautogram | sound device | All words in sentence begin with same letter | “Sally sells seashells swiftly.” |
| Tautology | rhetorical device | Redundant repetition of the same idea with different words | “Free gift.” |
| Telegraphic sentence | narrative technique | Very short, concise sentence omitting nonessentials | “He left.” |
| Tenor | figurative device | The subject to which a metaphor or simile is applied | “Life (tenor) is a journey (vehicle).” |
| Tercet | poetic form | Three-line stanza or unit of verse | “Three-line stanza like Dante’s terza rima.” |
| Terza rima | poetic form | Interlocking three-line rhyme scheme (aba bcb cdc) | “Dante’s Divine Comedy uses it.” |
| Tetracolon | rhetorical device | A series of four parallel elements or clauses | “I came, I saw, I conquered, I stayed.” |
| Tetrastich | poetic form | Four-line stanza or quatrain | “A four-line stanza, often rhymed.” |
| Tetrameter | poetic device | A line of verse with four metrical feet | “Iambic tetrameter: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.” |
| Tirade | narrative technique | A long, angry, impassioned speech by a character | “He launched into a furious tirade.” |
| Tmesis | rhetorical device | Insertion of a word into another word or phrase | “abso-bloody-lutely.” |
| Tone | literary device | Author or narrator’s attitude toward subject or audience | “A bitter, ironic tone pervades the essay.” |
| Topos | rhetorical device | A conventional theme or commonplace argument in rhetoric | “The locus amoenus pastoral topos.” |
| Tragic flaw | character device | A protagonist’s fatal character defect causing downfall | “Hubris leads to the hero’s ruin.” |
| Tragic irony | irony subtype | Audience knows danger the protagonist does not, causing tragic effect | “Oedipus unknowingly curses himself.” |
| Tricolon | rhetorical device | Grouping of three parallel words or phrases for effect | “Veni, vidi, vici.” |
| Trimeter | poetic device | A line of verse with three metrical feet | “Iambic trimeter used in classical drama.” |
| Triolet | poetic form | Eight-line fixed verse with repeated lines and rhymes | “A concise poem using refrains and rhyme.” |
| Tristich | poetic form | Three-line stanza similar to a tercet | “A simple three-line stanza unit.” |
| Trochee | metrical foot | Foot with stressed then unstressed syllable (DUM-da) | “Trochaic rhythm: TY-ger, TY-ger.” |
| Trope | figurative device | Figure of speech that alters literal meaning for effect | “Metaphor is a common trope.” |
| True rhyme | poetic device | Exact rhyme with identical stressed vowel and following sounds | “cat / hat are true rhymes.” |
| Transferred epithet | rhetorical device | Adjective grammatically modifies one word but logically another | “Sleepless night.” |
| Travesty | satirical device | Comically crude parody treating serious subject trivially | “A burlesque version of a tragic epic.” |
| Turn | poetic device | A rhetorical or tonal shift, especially in a sonnet (volta) | “The sonnet’s volta turns the argument.” |
| Twist ending | narrative technique | A surprising reversal at a story’s end altering meaning | “A final reveal upends earlier assumptions.” |
Descriptions
Tautogram
A playful extreme of alliteration used in tongue-twisters and branding; good for sound play and memorability.
Tautology
Often flagged as poor style but used deliberately for emphasis, clarity, or rhetorical reinforcement.
Telegraphic sentence
Creates urgency, bluntness, or staccato rhythm; common in modern prose, headlines, and dialogue.
Tenor
Technical term in metaphor theory; pair with ‘vehicle’ to analyze figurative meaning.
Tercet
A building block of many verse forms, often used in terza rima and sonnet variations.
Terza rima
Medieval Italian form of linked tercets creating chain-like rhyme progression and forward motion.
Tetracolon
Like a tricolon but with four parts; provides strong rhythmic emphasis in speech and prose.
Tetrastich
Synonymous with quatrain; common in lyric poetry and many fixed stanzaic patterns.
Tetrameter
A common English line length; specifying the foot (iamb, trochee) gives precise rhythm.
Tirade
Used for characterization, release of emotion, or dramatic emphasis in theatre and fiction.
Tmesis
Creates emphasis, comic effect, or colloquial color; found in poetry and spoken dialogue.
Tone
Central to interpretation; shifts in tone signal irony, mood changes, or shifts in perspective.
Topos
Classical rhetorical concept (plural topoi); useful for identifying recurring motifs and argumentative places.
Tragic flaw
Classical tragic construct (hamartia) explaining moral or psychological cause of catastrophe.
Tragic irony
A specific form of dramatic irony producing pathos and foreboding in tragedy.
Tricolon
Creates rhythmic balance and emphasis; tricolon crescens builds tension toward a climax.
Trimeter
Short, agile line length common in Greek drama and some English lyrical forms.
Triolet
Economical ballad-like form using repetition for emphasis and musicality.
Tristich
Technical term for three-line units; handy in formal analysis though less common than ‘tercet’.
Trochee
Produces a falling rhythm often giving forceful, driving cadence to lines.
Trope
Umbrella term for recurring figurative devices (metaphor, metonymy, irony); central in rhetoric and criticism.
True rhyme
Contrasts with slant or eye rhyme; affects musicality and rhyme scheme choices.
Transferred epithet
Also called hypallage; shifts modifier to create vividness or surprising association.
Travesty
Used to lampoon conventions and invert tone for comic or critical effect.
Turn
Marks a change in mood, argument, or perspective; essential for sonnet and essay structure.
Twist ending
A plot device to shock or recontextualize the narrative; best when foreshadowed and logical.