Figurative language

Rhyme

The repetition of similar sounding words, often at the end of lines in poetry.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice and style.

Meter

The rhythmic structure of a line of poetry, determined by stressed and unstressed syllables.

Theme

The central message, moral, or lesson of a literary work.

Mood

The atmosphere or emotional feeling evoked in the reader by a literary work.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; includes verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers").

Cacophony

Harsh, discordant sounds used in poetry or prose for effect.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Time is a thief").

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her smile was as bright as the sun").

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees").

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words (e.g., "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain").

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (e.g., "pitter-patter").

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration for effect (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.