Literary Terms and Devices

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author's purpose

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the reason an author writes about a particular topic

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figurative language

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language not intended to be taken literally

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idiom

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an expression that has a different meaning from the literal meaning of its individual words

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imagery

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the use of language to create mental images and sensory impressions

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mental image

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visualizing physical details from a text such as actions, characters, scenes, events, and setting

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metaphor

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a comparison not using like or as, uses is/are/was/were

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simile

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comparison using like or as

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sound devices

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a device used by authors to create meaning through sound and help the reader develop visual images

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voice

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a way the author expresses themselves in their writing

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tone

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the author's opinion about the topic they are writing