Alliteration The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…
Allusion An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; in literature, an indirect or passing reference to an event, literature orpiece of art. Example: “You know what your friend Shakespeare said, ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…’” (From Names/Nombres)
Anecdote A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. Usually has a point. Example: For instance, let me tell you about this one time when I actually witnessed Ichiro hit a homerun!
Antagonist A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary Examples: Darth Vader in Star Wars or Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter or The Socs in The Outsiders
Assonance In poetry, the repetition of vowel sounds within a short passage or verse or prose. “Lean, mean, fighting machine.” ??? Which sound repeats?
Foreshadow a subtle indication or warning before something happens in a story. “Just the same,” said little David, “I bet something happens.” From The Naming of Names
Hyperbole Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Example: Phew! I’ve had the longest day ever!!! Example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!!!
Idiom An expression familiar to a person or group of people that is not meant to be taken seriously. Example: It’s raining cats and dogs!
Imagery Visually descriptive or figurative language, esp. in a literary work. “Dark she was, and golden-eyed, burnt almost black by the sun, sleeping, and the children metallic in their beds, and the wind roaring forlorn and changing through the old peach trees, the violet grass, shaking out green rose petals.” From The Naming of Names
Irony The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result Example: A man is afraid to fly but he finally does… then the plane actually crashes Example: I made this test extra hard and I’m sure you’re going to LOVE it!
Metaphor A direct comparison between two unrelated objects. Example: My students are such squirrels! Example: My boss is an absolute beast!
Onomatopoeia A word that literally sounds like like what it means. Example: Cuckoo, sizzle, bam, pop…
Oxymoron a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. Examples: Healthy tan, virtual reality, jumbo shrimp, same difference, living dead, Peacekeeping Forces…
Personification Giving humanlike traits to something that is not human. Example: “That bed looks so comfortable. It’s calling for me to lie down and take a nap. I don’t want to disappoint it.”
Protagonist the leading character or one of the major characters in a story. Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Cinderella, Ponyboy in The Outsiders
Simile a figure of speech involving an indirect comparison. Usually uses the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make the comparison. Example: I slept like a rock!
Stanza a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse.
Symbolism The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Example: Snakes in Harry Potter (What do you think of when you think of snakes?) Example: The dove is a symbol of hope and peace in the Bible.
Theme the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts. This morning the theme for Ms. Hall’s words of wisdom was respect.