metaphor

comparison without using like or as

simile

comparison using like or as

allusion

brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or ficticious, or to a work of art

alliteration

repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words

monologue

soliloquy; a dramatic sketch performed by one actor

pun

the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound

aside

an actors speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by the other actors

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds

theme

general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express

tone

attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character

iambic pentameter

a type of meter that is often used in poetry and drama

personification

representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature

irony

an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant

foreshadowing

use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature

foil

a character that contrasts another character, often the protagonist, that therefore highlights certain qualities of the protagonist

oxymoron

putting two contradictory words together

imagery

language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching