30 Essential Poetic Devices for XAT
Your complete glossary of figurative language and literary techniques. Each device explained with examples and XAT-specific tips to decode any poem in the VALR section.
🎯 Identify any literary device in under 5 seconds
Poetic Device Categories
30 essential devices organized across 7 functional categories
Figurative Meaning Devices
Words meaning something other than literal definition
12 High-Priority Devices
These appear most frequently in XAT poem RC. Learn to identify them instantly.
Metaphor
“X IS Y” — Direct comparison without like/as
Simile
Comparison using “like” or “as”
Personification
Non-human things given human qualities
Symbol
Concrete object = Abstract idea
Irony
Saying the opposite of what’s meant
Imagery
Sensory descriptions (sight, sound, touch)
Tone Shift
Change in mood/attitude within poem
Anaphora
Repetition at beginning of lines
Parallelism
Same grammatical pattern repeated
Juxtaposition
Contrasts placed side by side
Rhetorical Question
Question for effect, not answer
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration
5-Second Detection
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about poetic devices for XAT
No. Focus on the 12 high-frequency devices first: metaphor, simile, personification, symbol, irony, imagery, tone shift, anaphora, parallelism, juxtaposition, rhetorical question, and hyperbole. These cover 90%+ of XAT questions.
XAT rarely asks “What device is this?” Instead, questions test understanding: “What does the comparison suggest?” or “What effect does repetition create?” Knowing devices helps interpret meaning, not just label techniques.
Simile uses “like” or “as”: “Life is like a journey.” Metaphor makes a direct equation: “Life is a journey.” Metaphor is more powerful because it states X IS Y without qualification.
Many poems start one way and end another. “Partial truth” traps describe only the first part. Words like “but,” “yet,” “however” signal shifts—material after the shift carries the main message.
Study them together. Devices help understand HOW poems create meaning. Vocabulary (tone words) helps describe WHAT meaning is created. Both are essential for XAT poem RC success.
Look for contradictions between what’s said and what’s meant. Check if praise seems excessive, if context contradicts words, or if the outcome is opposite to expectation. Missing irony is one of the most common XAT mistakes.