Literary Terms

Rhetorical Devices that use tone for effect Imagery Hyperbole Irony Oxymoron Paradox Juxtaposition Anaphora

Tone The author’s attitude toward the subject of the work Tone The author’s attitude toward the subject of the work. Usually positive or negative. For example, the tone of a text could be pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or sarcastic.

Imagery The use of description that helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square…(5)” --To Kill a Mockingbird

Vivid Imagery The use of colorful and dramatic descriptions. Which uses vivid imagery? She wore a pretty red dress. She wore high-heeled pumps and a red-and-white striped dress. She looked and smelled like a peppermint drop.

Hyperbole An extreme exaggeration. To say that it took you hours to walk home when in reality it was only 10 mins would be a hyperbole. He’s as heavy as an elephant.

Irony Language that conveys a certain idea by saying just the opposite. Saying that you love someone’s shirt when you really think it’s ugly is being ironic.

Oxymoron A figure of speech in which incongruous or seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. Jumbo Shrimp bittersweet liquid gas almost always

Paradox A statement which appears to contradict itself. War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength - George Orwell, 1984

Wooden gate. Lock firmly bolted: Winter moon. Juxtaposition The placement of two or more things side by side, leaving it up to the reader to make a connection or infer meaning. Wooden gate. Lock firmly bolted: Winter moon. - Japanese Haiku

Figurative Language Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. Whenever you call something “cool,” you’re not talking about its temperature but referring to some other quality it possesses.

“This chair is a rock,” or “I am an island.” Metaphor A comparison of two unlike things using any form of the verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are, is, was, were. “This chair is a rock,” or “I am an island.”

Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Simile Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.” “I’m as hungry as a pig,” or “Your eyes are like stars that brighten my night.”

Personification Giving inanimate objects human characteristics. “The wind howled through the night.”

for something else. A dove is a symbol of peace. Symbolism The use of one thing to represent another. Something that stands for something else. A dove is a symbol of peace.

Rhetorical Devices that use SOUND for effect Alliteration Assonance Onomatapoeia Anaphora

Alliteration The repetition of the initial consonant sounds in a group of words. Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in a group of words. “And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride. --Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee

Onomatopoeia The use of words that sound like what they mean. buzz bang tic-tock hiss

To repeat the first few words Anaphora To repeat the first few words in a series of sentences. This helps to emphasize the author’s message. Mary Johnson, a parent advocate at school, chanted, “Parents: It’s your turn. It’s your turn to be a teacher, your turn to be a researcher, your turn to be an education advocate and activist. It’s your turn to take back your community.”