KEY TERM!
DEVICES
This word crops up all the time in English studies. There are poetic, narrative and dramatic devices (and more). A 'device' means a particular use of language or style to create a special effect for a specific purpose. Hence, 'dialogue', 'rhyme', 'description', 'soliloquy', 'aside', 'metaphor' and so on are all 'devices' used by writers in their work.