Figurative Language in Literature

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'as brave as a lion'.

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things without using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'Time is a thief'.

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What is hyperbole?

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Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally. For example, 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'.

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What is an idiom?

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An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning. For example, 'It's raining cats and dogs' means it's raining heavily.

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What is personification?

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Personification is a literary device where human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts. For example, 'The wind whispered through the trees'.

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What is an analogy?

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An analogy is a comparison between two things that are alike in some way, often used to explain something unfamiliar by comparing it to something familiar. For example, 'Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get'.

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What is an allusion?

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An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art. For example, 'He has the Midas touch' refers to King Midas from Greek mythology.

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What is an oxymoron?

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An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction. For example, 'deafening silence'.

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What is a pun?

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A pun is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect. For example, 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana'.

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What is anthropomorphism?

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Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. For example, in cartoons, animals often speak and act like humans.