Literary Elements Part 1

Allegory

A story or poem with a hidden moral or political meaning. (Example- Animal Farm representing the Russian Revolution)

Alliteration

Repeating the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words. (Example- "Peter Piper picked pickled peppers")

Allusion

A brief reference to a famous person, place, or story. (Example- "He was a real Romeo")

Analogy

A comparison between two things to show how they are alike. (Example- Finding staff is like finding a needle in a haystack)

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent person or inanimate object. (Example- "O, Death, where is thy sting?")

Approximate Rhyme / Slant Rhyme

A rhyme where the end sounds are similar but not exact. (Example- Pairing "shape" and "keep")

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds inside nearby words. (Example- "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain")

Conceit

An imaginative, surprising extended metaphor comparing two very different things. (Example- Comparing lovers to the two feet of a compass)

Connotation

The emotional or implied feeling a word carries. (Example- "Youthful" is positive, "childish" is negative)

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word. (Example- "Home" denotes a place where one lives)

Diction

An author’s specific choice of words. (Example- Choosing "physician" instead of "doc")

Elegy

A formal, reflective poem written to express grief for someone who has died.

Eulogy

A speech or piece of writing that praises someone who has died, usually at a funeral.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word used in place of one considered too harsh. (Example- Saying "passed away" instead of "died")

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that stretches across a long section of text or an entire work.

Extended Simile

A detailed comparison using "like" or "as" that spans across multiple lines.

Foil

A character who contrasts sharply with another to highlight their traits. (Example- Draco Malfoy to Harry Potter)

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally. (Example- "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse")

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses. (Example- "The golden sunlight flickered through the rustling leaves")

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing while meaning the opposite (sarcasm). (Example- Saying "What lovely weather!" during a storm)

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows information the characters do not. (Example- The audience sees the villain hiding, but the character doesn't)

Situational Irony

When the actual outcome is the exact opposite of what was expected. (Example- A fire station burning down)

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting things side-by-side to highlight differences. (Example- A quiet garden next to a loud factory)

Metaphor

A direct comparison stating one thing is another without using like or as. (Example- "Time is a thief")

Metonymy

Using a related concept or attribute to represent something. (Example- Using "The White House" for the President)

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds. (Example- "Buzz," "crash," "sizzle")

Oxymoron

Pairing two contradictory terms together. (Example- "Deafening silence" or "jumbo shrimp")

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth. (Example- "The only constant in life is change")

Parallelism

Repeating similar grammatical structures for balance. (Example- "Easy come, easy go")

Point-of-view

The perspective from which a story is narrated. (Example- First-person "I" or third-person "he/she")

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human objects or ideas. (Example- "The wind whispered through the trees")

Satire

Using humor or exaggeration to expose and criticize human flaws. (Example- Shows like The Simpsons)

Setting

The time, location, and environment where a story takes place.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as." (Example- "As cool as a cucumber")

Symbol

An object or person that represents a broader abstract idea. (Example- A dove symbolizing peace)

Synecdoche

Using a part of something to represent the whole. (Example- Calling a car "a new set of wheels")

Synesthesia

Describing one sensory experience using terms from another sense. (Example- "A loud shirt" or "sweet sound")

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Tone

The writer's or speaker's attitude toward their subject.

Understatement

Presenting something as much less important than it actually is. (Example- Saying "It rained a bit" during a massive flood)

Ballad

A narrative poem originally set to music telling a simple story.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Cacophony

The intentional use of harsh, discordant sounds. (Example- "Krag, clack, screeching iron against stone")

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.