Literary Terms You Should Know

You may want to take notes: write the definition, and one

example for each term.

Figurative Language

a tool a writer uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a piece of writing

Simile

a comparison between two unlike things using the words like, as or than

-The sun is like a yellow ball of fire in the sky.

- Her feet were bigger than boats.- They fought like cats and dogs.

Metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things without using the words like, as, or than; when one thing is the other thing

- Her home was a prison.- His hair is straw.- George is a sheep.

Hyperbole

the use of a big exaggeration to make a point or for effect.

- He has tons of money.- Her brain is the size of a pea.- I’ve told you a million times to

capitalize people’s names.

Idioms

expressions that usually cannot be understood by defining the separate words

- I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.- That test was a piece of cake.- Something fishy is going on around

here!

Allusion

a reference to something from literature, history, or culture to express a point.

- Christy didn't like to spend money, but she was no Scrooge.- The cinnamon rolls were huge and golden brown, reminiscent of the twisted buns on the sides of Princess Leia's head. - I am afraid of spiders, but I'm no cowardly lion!

Personification

giving human qualities to non-human objects

- The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.- The car engine coughed and

sputtered as it started.- The microwave timer told me my

pizza was ready.

Alliteration

repetition of an initial consonant sound; there should be at least two repetitions in a row

- The wooly walrus wonders when we’ll walk by.

- Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

- Peter Piper picks pickled peppers.

Onomatopoeia

when a word sounds like what it represents

- splash

- drip

- smush

- splat

Imagery

the use of vivid sensory description to create mental pictures.

- The room was dark and musty and smelled like an old shoe.- The blueberries were as big as your thumb and tasted like soot.- We heard the horses hoofs clatter

on the cobblestone street.