Literary Terms
Hyperbole Example- He was taller than a three story building. Definition- An extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally
Personification Example- The desk crawled across the room. Definition- The attribution of a personal nature to inanimate objects
Metaphor Example- Love is a rose. Definition- A figure of speech comparing two unlike things not using "like" or "as"
Onomatopoeia Example- BOOM, BANG, BARK Definition- The use of words whose sound suggests the sense
Simile Example- Love is like a rose. Definition- A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by "like" or "as"
Alliteration Example- Peter Piper picked a pail of pickled peppers. Definition- The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables
Assonance Definition- The repetition of vowel sounds Example- School is cool you fool. Definition- The repetition of vowel sounds
Foreshadowing Example- Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot. Definition- To show or indicate beforehand. Giving hints or clues as to what could happen in the future
Mood Example- sad, joyful, angry, gloomy, romantic, optimistic, pessimistic Definition- The emotions that you feel while you are reading.
Irony Example- the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend. Definition- The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. Dramatic, verbal, situational
Allusion Example- Harriet Tubman was called the Moses of her time Definition- A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event--real or fictional.
Tone Example- humorous, suspicious, serious, ironic, neutral, clear, playful Definition- The author's attitude toward the work, events, characters, etc.
Symbol Example- American flag can represent freedom Definition- Something that represents something else by association or resemblance
Allegory Example- Fable or parable Definition- A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.
Consonance Example-He struck a streak of bad luck. Definition- The use of the repetition of consonant or consonant patterns as a rhyming device.
Couplet Example- True wit is nature to advantage dress'd; What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd. Alexander Pope Definition- A pair of lines of meter in poetry
Figurative Language Example- "All the world's a stage" Definition-Uses "figures of speech" - a way of saying something other than the literal meaning of the words.
Genre Example-This book is a classic of the mystery genre. Definition- A category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content
Lyric Example- Mood is musical and emotional Definition- A genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings.
Motif Example- The wallpaper has a flower motif. Definition-A recurring subject, theme or idea especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work. Can also be a recurring symbol such as a shape, form or figure.
Narrative Example- He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island. Definition- A story or account of events, experiences, whether true or fictitious
Rhyme Scheme Example- ababbcc Definition- The pattern of rhymes used in a poem, usually marked by letters to symbolize correspondences.
Slant Rhyme Example- eyes, light; years, yours. Definition- Also known as “forced rhyme.” Rhyme in which either the vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are identical and it ALMOST rhymes.
Theme Example- Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Definition- A unifying or dominant idea in a work of literature