DIFFERENCE

What is the difference between a literary device and

a figure of speech?
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2 Answers

Clarke Owens, Writer, Author, PhD, JD

Answered Feb 28 2018 · Author has 84 answers and 20.2k answer views
Originally Answered: What are the differences between figures of speech and literary devices?
I suspect that the major difference between them is the context in which they are used. If I
say, “Your plan has as much chance as a snowball in hell,” we would probably say that this
metaphor is a “figure of speech” because it is a commonly-used phrase used for rhetorical
purposes. No one would criticize us for using a cliche, because we are probably speaking
informally. The term “figure of speech” usually connotes familiarity in common speech.

Obviously, a metaphor occurs in a poem, which is a literary work, and it would not be
considered a good poem if the metaphor were not fresh. Thus, we would not want a “figure
of speech” there, but something more original.

A figure of speech may begin as a literary device. A person may speak of the “milk of human
kindness” and imagine that he or she is simply using a “figure of speech,” without realizing
that the phrase was created by Shakespeare.

The term “literary device” may have many applications (is the creation of
character in a novel a “literary device”?) but it is something that occurs in a
work of literature. A figure of speech occurs in common daily speech. A
“figure”, whether in literature or music, indicates a pattern of some type.
“Figurative language” refers to non-literal language.
 What is the difference between a figure of
speech and a poetic device? This is a frequently
asked question in exams and I find myself
rambling when...
What is the difference between a figure of speech and a poetic device? This is a frequently asked
question in exams and I find myself rambling when I want to explain this to students.

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Expert Answers
MARILYNN07 | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

A figure of speech is using language or words in ways that are beyond their literal interpretation.
There are typically 10 figures of speech that are used as poetic devices.

Poetic devices include the way words rhyme, sound in lines of poetry together, and create
rhythm when spoken. Poetic devices are used to arrange the words in ways that squeeze them
for all of their meaning. Poetic devices of rhyme, rhythm and alliteration can set the mood of
a poem.

Simile, Metaphor, Allegory, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Irony, and hyperbole are the
most common figures of speech that are used as poetic devices. The links below contain all
figures of speech and examples.

The poem is the most compressed form of the language, and so symbolism and comparisons
must be used to squeeze as much meaning as possible out of each word chosen to be in the poem.