Literary Devices and Terms

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simile

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a comparison of two things that are not alike, using the words “like” or “as” (she was as bright as the sun)

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metaphor

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a comparison of two things that are not alike, using the words “is” or “are” (he is a mountain)

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idiom

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a phrase with a figurative meaning that is different than its literal meaning (raining cats and dogs)

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hyperbole

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an exaggeration so dramatic that it is obviously not true (she assigns 87 years of homework every day)

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personification

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giving human characteristics to something not human (the rain sang us to sleep)

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alliteration

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when a set of words uses the same consonant sound or letters repeatedly at the beginning of a word (seven silly swans)

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onomatopoeia

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sound words (boom!)

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imagery

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words or details that add an image to a reader's mind

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sensory details

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the use of descriptive words that appeal to the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound)

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stanza

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group of lines in a poem