Figurative Language and Literacy Terms

ENG 11U

What is alliteration?

The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of words.

What is a cliché?

An expression that has been used so often that it has become common and sometimes boring.

What is hyperbole?

An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true.

What is an idiom?

An expression that has a meaning apart from the meanings of its individual words.

What is irony in literature?

A literary device involving a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, or between what’s expected to happen and what actually occurs.

What is a metaphor?

A direct comparison between two unlike things.

What is personification?

A figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal or object.

What is a protagonist?

The main character in a story, with whom the reader is meant to identify.

What is conflict in a story?

A struggle between opposing forces which drives the action in a story.

What is a theme?

A main universal idea or message conveyed by a story, expressed as a complete sentence.

What is foreshadowing?

A literary technique where future events or outcomes are suggested by the author before they happen.

What is symbolism?

An object, color, person, character, or figure used to represent abstract ideas.