Mr. McCarthy's Lit Terms List 2

Symbol

usually an object that represents an idea

Theme

central idea(s) of a work of literature

Tone

a writer or speaker's attitude toward their subject matter

Genre

a major category or type of literature, like horror, sci-fi, etc.

Allusion

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event for a specific purpose

Tactile Imagery

language that appeals to the sense of touch

Olfactory Imagery

language that appeals to the sense of smell

Visual Imagery

language that appeals to the sense of sight

Gustatory Imagery

language that appeals to the sense of taste

Auditory Imagery

language that appeals to the sense of hearing

Figure of Speech

a device used to produce figurative language (language not intended to be literal)

Metaphor

a comparison without using like, as, or than

Extended Metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.

Conceit

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

Simile

a comparison of two unlike things using like, as, or than

Hyperbole

exaggeration for specific effect

Understatement

mild language used to express something clearly more serious

Analogy

a comparison that employs the formula "A is to B as C is to D"

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole

Metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, like the throne for the power of a monarch

Oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines seemingly contradictory terms consecutively to create a layer of meaning

Paradox

a statement that seems self-contradictory but actually reveals a layer ofmeaning

Personification

the giving of human qualities to something not human