Handbook of Literary Terms
Alliteration The repetition of the same or very similar consonant sounds in words that are close together. Henry had his hamburger.
Dialect A way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or of a particular group of people. “Sally said supper.”
Imagery Language that appeals to the senses-sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. The gun boomed every time I fired it.
Metaphor A comparison between two unlike things in which one thing becomes another thing. My room is a dump.
Onomatopoeia The use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning. Boom, bang, sniffle, and rumble.
Personification A special kind of metaphor in which a nonhuman or nonliving thing or quality is talked about as if it were alive. The dumpster opened its mouth and swallowed the garbage.
Simile A comparison between two unlike things using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles. His voice was as loud as a trumpet.
Stanza In a poem, a group of lines that form a unit. Roses are red Violets are blue, Ice is cool And so are you!
Symbol A person, a place, a thing, or an event that has its own meaning and stands for something beyond itself as well. In music.
Theme A truth about life revealed en a work of literature. People are often afraid to speak the truth.