3 Literary Devices That Can Work Well in Nonfiction Articles
Literary devices—like metaphors and similes—are most often associated with creative writing forms like poetry or fiction. While these devices do add layers of intrigue and wonder to artfully spun tales and carefully crafted verses, they can also be used in other contexts, like informative, nonfiction web articles.
Some literary devices—like symbolism and foreshadowing—are definitely more suited for creative writing and might be somewhat difficult to incorporate into an informational piece, but others—like analogy—can be woven seamlessly into nonfiction and may actually help you elucidate your point or process to your readers.
Analogies were discussed in
a past newsletter, so below, find three other literary devices (with examples) that can, when used effectively, help improve informational articles about nonfiction subjects.
1. Amplification: Amplification refers to expanding upon a certain point to reinforce its meaning or importance. Sometimes, this is done in a second sentence that immediately follows the point in question. Amplification can reiterate a point, expand on it with more detail, or provide an illustrative example.
"When creating an acid solution to dissolve carbonates in, always add acid to water—never do it the other way around. If you add water to acid, the solution will be very concentrated at first and may bubble up and splash you, causing a chemical burn. This is extremely important: Pour your water first, then add acid slowly."
2. Euphemism: A euphemism is a palatable word or phrase that is used in place of something that could be considered unpleasant, offensive, or gross.
"By following these directions, you can build a simple, DIY composting toilet for your campsite or homestead and be converting your, um . . . business into valuable fertilizer for your garden in no time!"
3. Personification: Personification refers to assigning human emotions or characteristics to non-human or inanimate objects.
"If you're gluten-sensitive like me, then your intestines probably get a little angry with you if you indulge in a buttered roll or two with your roast—that's why I started experimenting and came up with this fluffy, gluten-free cornbread roll recipe that makes the perfect side for any dinnertime dish."
Image Credit: Emmanuel Ikwuegbu via Unsplash; Canva
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