Literary Element [English 10]

Allusion

A quick, indirect hint to a famous person, place, story, or event that the speaker expects you to already know.

Pun

A joke that plays on words by using a word that has two meanings, or by using different words that sound the same

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of neighboring or closely connected words.

Allegory

A story, picture, or video where the characters and events stand for bigger, hidden meanings like moral, political, or real-world ideas

Colloquialism

An informal word or phrase that people use in everyday, casual conversation rather than in formal writing or speeches

Euphemism

A polite or mild word or phrase used to replace one that is too harsh, blunt, or offensive

Flashbacks

A jump backward in time to show an event that happened in the past

Foreshadowing

A writing trick where an author gives a small hint or clue about something that will happen later in a story

Imagery

The use of descriptive words that paint a picture in your mind and appeal to your five senses

Juxtaposition

Placing two or more things side by side to show how they are different or similar

Metaphor

A figure of speech that describes something by saying it is actually another completely different thing without using like or as

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as"

Personification

A figure of speech that gives human traits, actions, or feelings to non-human things like objects, animals, or ideas

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like the actual noise it makes

Symbolism

The use of an object, person, word, or color to mean something deeper than its literal sense

Tone

The "feel" or the attitude behind how someone speaks or writes

Assonance

The repetition of similar vowel sounds inside nearby words

Consonance

The repeating of consonant sounds in nearby words

Anaphora

The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of neighboring sentences, lines, or clauses

AposHytrophe

Apunctuation mark (') used to show ownership or to combine words by replacing missing letters

Hyperbole

An intentional overstatement or extreme exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally

Motif

A repeating idea, image, sound, or design that shows up again and again in a story, piece of art, or song to help explain the main message

Foil

A character who highlights the traits of another character—usually the main character—by showing strong contrasts