Literary Terms (Part One)

Alliteration Repetition of the initial letter or sound in two or more words in a line of verse Example: Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

Hyperbole Gross exaggeration used to heighten effect Example: He was so hungry he could eat a horse.

Metaphor A comparison between two objects that are unlike -- the comparison is implied Example: Weightlifting has made his muscles bands of steel.

Onomatopoeia A figure of speech in which the word sounds like the idea it is representing Example: The bee buzzed from flower to flower.

Personification A form of metaphor in which an inanimate object, an idea, or an animal is made to act like a person Example: Dawn tiptoed across the lake and danced over the mountain.

Simile A comparison between two objects that are unlike, introduced by either like or as Example: The young man felt trapped like a fly in a spider’s web.