literary terms i miss mrs kim

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable; a comparison between two things that aren’t alike but have something in common.

Simile

A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another using 'like' or 'as'.

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Verbal Irony

Irony where a person says one thing but means another, often conveying the opposite of the literal meaning.

Situational Irony

A literary device occurring when the outcome of a situation is different from what was expected.

Dramatic Irony

A situation in which the audience knows something that the characters do not.

Sarcasm

The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated claims or statements not meant to be taken literally.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral.

Allusion

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word.

Character Foil

A literary device that contrasts with another character to highlight certain aspects of the protagonist.

Foreshadowing

An indication of a future event.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language in a literary work.

Motif

A repeated pattern that appears throughout a story and has symbolic significance.

Parody

An imitation of the style of a particular writer or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told.

Static Character

A literary character that doesn't change much throughout a story.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes a significant internal change over the course of a story.