| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Metaphor | A comparison of two very different things, stated in such a way as to imply that one object BECOMES another. Simply put: A "becomes" B. |
| Simile | A comparison of two different things using "like" and "as". This literary device creates a "like-ness" between two unlike things. ) |
| Imagery | A PATTERN of words or phrases that involves one or more of the FIVE SENSES to evoke ideas, moods, feelings, actions and states of mind. |
| Soliloquy | A speech delivered by a character in a play while alone. This technique is frequently used to disclose a character's innermost feeling, such as thoughts, state of mind, motives, and intentions or to provide information needed by the audience. |
| Hyperbole | A figure of speech in which deliberate exaggeration is used for emphasis. Many everyday expressions are examples of hyperbole. |
| Understatement | A device is used to understate the obvious. The opposite of hyperbole. |
| Personification | When something that is nonhuman is made a person and given human qualities and attributes. |
| Irony | A mode of expression that conveys a reality different from and usually OPPOSITE to what is EXPECTED. |
| Situational Irony | A mode of expression, through situations, conveying a reality different from and usually opposite to appearance or expectation. Simply put: When you EXPECT one thing to happen, and the OPPOSITE thing happens. |
| Oxymoron | This is a paradox reduced to two words, usually in an adjective-noun ("thunderous silence") or adverb-adjective ("inertly strong") relationship. It is used for effect, to emphasize contrasts, incongruities, hypocrisy, or simply the complex nature of reality. |
| Symbol | 1). An object, shape or color. 2). It's meaning is greater than itself or use. |
| Allusion | A reference to a real or ficticious person, event, or place in a work of art. |
| Alliteration | The repetition of the same consonant sounds at any place, but often at the beginning of words. |
| Paradox | A statement which, at first, seems to be contradictory or absurd, YET it turns out to contain a possible truth. It contains words or phrases with opposite meanings. |
| Flashback | A device that allows the writer to present events that happened before the time of the current narration or the current events in the fiction |
| Rhyme | The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words. The pattern of rhyme in a stanza or poem is shown usually by using a different letter for each final sound. |
| Rhyme Scheme | This is a regular pattern of rhyme, one that is consistent throughout the extent of the poem. |
| Tone | The speaker's attitude toward the subject; This can be formal, informal, playful, ironic, and especially, optimistic or pessimistic. |
| Dramatic Irony | This usually occurs in drama. It is where the audience has MORE knowledge or insight than the characters. |
| Theme | The general idea or meaning of a literary work. It may not always be explicit or easy to state, and a work of literature may contain more than one of these. |
| Mood | The emotional atmosphere that pervades a literary work with the intention of evoking a certain emotion or feeling. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating this. |
| A pattern of words or phrases that appeals to the sense of sound. | aural imagery |
| A pattern of words or phrases that appeals to the sense of sight. | visual imagery |
| A pattern of words or phrases appeals to the sense of touch. | tactile imagery |
| A pattern of words or phrases that appeals to the sense of smell. | olifactory imagery |
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