English Technique + PEEL Flashcards
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.
e.g. Her eyes were diamonds
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
e.g. I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse”
Simile
a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to
e.g. Life is like a box of chocolates
Personification
a literary technique writers use to add human qualities to non-human things. It helps the reader relate to and create a picture in their mind when stars dance or opportunities knock.
e.g. “The sun smiled down on us.”
Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
e.g. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Pathetic fallacy
the attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature.
e.g. ‘The wind whispered through the trees.”
Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named
Motif
the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named
e.g. bright light in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Colloquial language
Colloquial language and expressions could be things like informal words, phrases, and slang words.
e.g. “y’all” or “gonna” or “wanna”
Enjambment
the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
Irony
This is where words or ideas are used humorously or sarcastically, to imply the opposite of what they mean.
e.g. if it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day!”
Repetition
This is where a word or phrase is repeated to achieve a particular effect.
Idiom
a widely used saying or expression containing a figurative meaning that differs from the phrase’s literal meaning.
e.g. “under the weather”
Rhetorical question
A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.
