Literary Devices

Front

What is a metaphor?

Back

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

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What is alliteration?

Back

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

Front

What is personification?

Back

The attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman entities or abstract concepts. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Front

What is hyperbole?

Back

An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally. Example: 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Front

What is a simile?

Back

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was like the sun.'

Front

What is imagery?

Back

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind. Example: 'The golden sun set over the calm, blue ocean.'

Front

What is onomatopoeia?

Back

A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound it describes. Example: 'Buzz', 'hiss', 'clang'.

Front

What is irony?

Back

A literary device where the intended meaning is different from the actual meaning, often highlighting a contrast. Example: A fire station burns down.

Front

What is an allusion?

Back

An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work that the reader is expected to recognize. Example: 'He has the Midas touch.'

Front

What is an allegory?

Back

A narrative that uses characters and events to symbolize a deeper moral or political meaning. Example: 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell.