ap lit fig lang

metaphor

an analogy in which one thing is compared to a second thing

simile

a type of metaphor in which the comparison is made explicit through the use of words such as like, as, similar to, or resembles

metonymy

reference to a person, idea, or activity by substituting something located in close physical proximity to it, as when the king is referred to with the words the crown, or when arguing and fighting are closely represented by pen and sword in the adage “the pen is mightier than the sword”

symbolism

use of a concrete object to represent an abstract quality or idea

personification

the attribution of human qualities to an object, animal, or concept

apostrophe

the act of addressing someone or something that is absent or dead as if it were alive, present, and capable of responding

hyperbole

strategic exaggeration or overstatement

paradox

a contradiction that is somehow true