Literary Devices

What is a figure of speech?

A figure of speech is a way of using words to create a special effect or meaning.

What is a simile?

Comparing one thing to another thing using the words 'like' or 'as'.

What is a metaphor?

Comparing two unlike things to each other without using 'like' or 'as'.

What is hyperbole?

Obvious exaggeration or overstatement.

What is personification?

Giving human qualities to animals or inanimate objects.

What is onomatopoeia?

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

What is imagery?

When a writer invokes the five senses. (Touch, Taste, Smell, Sound, Sight)

What is alliteration?

Repetition of the same consonant sound in words occurring near one another.

What is an allusion?

A casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event.

What is a paradox?

Reveals something true which at first seems contradictory.

What is an idiom?

A phrase or expression that has a meaning different from the literal meaning of the words.

What is a simile?

Comparing one thing to another thing using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Give an example of a simile.

Life is like a sunset.

What is a metaphor?

A figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

Provide an example of a metaphor.

Time is a thief.

What is personification?

Attributing human characteristics to non-human things.

Provide an example of personification.

The wind whispered through the trees.

What is hyperbole?

An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.

Give an example of hyperbole.

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.