Literary Techniques Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL 8.3, W.8.1.C

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

There are a wide range of tactics that authors use to get their audience engrossed in their work. When we create any literary work, the primary goal is to grab the attention of the reader and bring them into our world for a short period of time, regardless of the reason behind why we created this work in the first place. Over the years literary analysts have coined a great number of the methods that have been use as literary techniques. This can be something as simple as a play on words to make something sound funny. It can also be something as profound and complex as embedding a metaphor into a story about animals to criticize form of government. In this selection of worksheets, we will explore a great number of different techniques that authors extensively use in their work.

Literary Techniques Worksheets To Print:

Analogy - Write a sentence that explains the relationship between each pair of words.

Archetype - Identify the category of each archetype that you are presented with.

Understanding Dialect - The sentences below compare dialect with the standard English language. Write True or False on the line next to each statement.

Motif - Motif is a recurring feature of a literary work that is related to the theme. The repetition of motifs is one way that authors create theme and mood in a literary work. The theme is the central idea or message of the work.

Symbolism - A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object that represents something abstract. Symbolism is often encountered in poetry and fiction.

Creating Alliteration - Add an adjective to each noun below to create an alliterative phrase.

Assonance - Read the first word. Create assonance by circling the appropriate word from each line.

Dialogue - Read the scenario. Write the scene three times using dialogue. Each time, one of the speakers should be the boy and the other should be the person pictured. Write the dialogue as you think the boy and the person pictured would speak.

What Is Diction? - Choose the correct answer to each question.

Foreshadowing - Foreshowing is a literary technique by which an author hints at things that will happen in the future of the story.

Flashback - A flashback is a literary technique which means returning to an earlier point in time in a literary work for the purpose of making what is going on in the present more understandable.

Irony - Read each definition. Find an example of each type of irony in the reading.

Pathetic Fallacy - Read the assigned passage. Identify some places where the author uses pathetic fallacy.

Personification - Choose one of the objects below. What are four things that humans do that could be applied to the object you chose? Write four verbs on the lines.

Theme - Think of a position on each topic that has meaning for you. With your feelings about the topic in mind, develop a theme that you could explore in a story.

A Look at Some Unique Literary Techniques

When writers set themselves apart, they will often add a little flare or style to their work. Sometimes using these techniques can happen from just from sheer luck too. This can often lead to the complexity of the work. It can also immortalize their work and help them to become cultural treasures and embedded in the social fabric. We have all taken a good deal of time to examine and even deploy the use of common examples of these techniques such as irony and allegory. The thing about language that many people do not realize is that it is constantly evolving, and you should expect to see new techniques come about over time. There are number of techniques that are not explored often and as a result are not well known.


An interesting figure of speech called anadiplosis that is not talked about much. This occurs when a word or series of them positioned at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated towards the beginning of a following clause or sentence. This technique always reminds me of a saying my high school coach used often, “When we go, we go big!”. It is a simple statement, but it directly demonstrates this technique. The repeated use of the word “go” leaves the reader with a concrete sense of purpose. It does have the power to persuade or motivate you to feel that when you do something give your best effort. You will find examples of this in all types of literary works and often on many inspiring T-shirt slogans.


There is another literary technique that leaves you with a similar feeling, but instead of focusing on words it forms around concepts. The technique is called chiasmus. In this setting two clauses are tilted against one another, and their order is flipped. The old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do!” is a classic example of this. While the focus here was not on a single word or phrase, it is a more conceptual based technique. If you analyze your everyday conversations, you will find that you use this technique pretty often.


Polyptoton is one of my favorite literary techniques that is often not discussed very often. Polyptoton is a play on words where you repeat the words that are based on the same root. An example would be the motivational saying, “Live a life worth living!” This example almost overuses the root. You will see this used a great deal in comic books and popular songs. Maybe that is why I am partial to it?