Literary Devices: Personification, Hyperbole, Irony

Vocabulary flashcards covering key literary devices from the notes (personification, hyperbole, irony) and the broader category of figurative language.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract idea is given human qualities or is described as if it could act like a person (e.g., nature answers all that he asks).

Hyperbole

A deliberately exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally; used for emphasis or humorous effect (e.g., sleepless for a thousand days and nights).

Irony

A contrast between appearance and reality, or between what is said and what is meant; often conveys the opposite of the literal sense (e.g., there is so much water, yet nothing to drink on the ship).

Figurative language

Expressions whose meanings are different from the literal interpretation; includes devices like personification, hyperbole, and irony.