Literary Devices/Techniques

Grade 10 Exam Review

Personification

giving human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human things (like animals, objects, or ideas)

Similie

comparing two different things using the words "like" or "as" to make a description more vivid

Metaphor

comparing two different things by saying one thing is the other

Oxymoron

a phrase that puts two contradictory (opposite) words right next to each other

Hyperbole

an extreme exaggeration used to make a point or show strong feeling

Aliteration

the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together

Onomatopoeia

a word that sounds like the actual noise or action it is describing

Juxtaposition

placing two very different things (like ideas, characters, or objects) side-by-side to highlight their differences

Repitition

using the same word, phrase, or sentence multiple times in a row or close together

Symbolism

using a concrete object, person, situation, or color to represent a deeper, abstract idea

Dramatic Irony

when the audience (the reader or viewer) knows an important piece of information that the characters in the story do not know

Verbal Irony

when a person says one thing but means the exact opposite

Situational Irony

when the actual outcome of a situation is the exact opposite of what you would logically expect to happen

Allusion

a brief, indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Idiom

a common phrase or expression with a figurative meaning that is completely different from its literal meaning

Imagery

the use of vivid, descriptive language that appeals to the five human senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch)