Literary Terms - definitions

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Simile

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A comparison of two unlike objects using the words 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

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Hyperbole

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Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Example: 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

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Alliteration

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The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words that are close together. Example: 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

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Onomatopoeia

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Words that imitate the sounds they describe. Example: 'buzz', 'clang', 'sizzle'.

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Idiom

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A phrase or expression that isn't meant to be taken literally. Example: 'It's raining cats and dogs.'

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Metaphor

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A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

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Personification

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Attributing human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

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Theme

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The central idea or message in a literary work. Example: 'The theme of friendship in 'Harry Potter'.

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Allusion

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A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art. Example: 'He has the Midas touch.'

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction. Example: 'deafening silence'.