10th Lit Midterm - Literary Devices Review

Simile

A comparison using like or as

Personification

Giving an inanimate object human-like qualities

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like what it describes

Foreshadowing

A warning or indication about something that is going to happen later

Alliteration

The repetition of the first consonant sound, occurring close together in a series.

Dramatic Irony

A character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience knows better.

Situational Irony

When there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, and what really does happen.

Verbal Irony

Occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else.

Symbol

Using one thing to represent something else. (A tangible object representing an intangible idea and/or concept.)

Juxtaposition

Two things being placed close together for contrasting effect

Allusion

A brief reference to a famous person or event—often from literature, history, Greek mythology, etc

Euphamism

A mild or pleasant term used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one.

Hyperbole

An obvious, intended exaggeration

Oxymoron

The combination of two words of opposite meaning for dramatic, comedic, or provocative effect

Parallelism

Several parts of a sentence or several sentences expressed in similar grammatical form to show that the ideas are equal in importance.

Repetition

A repeated word or phrase used for emphasis.

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginning of a line.

Epistrophe

Repetition at the end of a line.

Colloquialism

A word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal conversation.

Extended Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences, a paragraph, or even an entire work.

Motif

A recurring symbol used throughout a work, unifying the work by tying the current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme.

Foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasing the hero.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.