Literary Devices

Similes

Comparison between two unlike things USING like or as

Metaphors

Comparison between two things WITHOUT comparison words. Saying one thing IS something different.

Diction

Specific word choices made by the author

Dialect:

specific to a region or social group

Slang:

informal, commonly understood to have unique meaning 

Jargon:

associated with a particular field/activity 

Syntax:

How words and phrases are put together in a sentence Works with diction (previous slide) to create tone/mood)

MOTIF

is an image or a symbol that an author deliberately includes multiple times throughout a text.

SYMBOL

 is something CONCRETE representing something ABSTRACT. 

Poetic Structure

Physical arrangement of the poem on the page

Mood

 the feelings felt by the reader

Characterization

how the author chooses to reveal a character’s personality

Personification

Human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea.

Hyperbole

Exaggerating the truth for emphasis or for humorous effect.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words such as pow, buzz, and crunch whose sounds suggest their meanings.

Idiom

A figure of speech which has a different meaning from its literal meaning

Alliteration

Repetition of beginning sounds.

Rhyme

Repetition of end sounds (vowel or consonant). 100% match of sounds.

Repetition

Intentional repeating of key phrases or words for emphasis or setting of tone and mood