Figurative Language Flashcards
What is an Allusion?
A reference to a literary or historical figure for descriptive purposes. Ex. “She showed up like Venus.”
What is an Antithesis?
Using parallelism to show contrast. Ex. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
What is an Apostrophe?
A direct address to an absent person, concept, or object. Ex. “Thou still unravished bride of quietness” - a vase.
What is a Hyperbole?
An extravagant exaggeration of a fact. Ex. “A doddering chauffeur who used to play poker with Roman chariot drivers.”
What is a Metonymy?
One word or phrase is substituted another with which it is closely associated. Ex. “The bright death quivered at the victim’s throat” - a knife; “the pen (writing) is mightier than the sword (military power).”
What is an Oxymoron?
The combination of two normally contradictory terms. Ex. “Bittersweet; deafening silence.”
What is a Personification?
Human qualities are attributed to inanimate objects. Ex. “The leaves danced in the wind.”
What is a Simile?
A comparison between two unlike things using like or as. Ex. “Love is like a rose that blooms.”
What is a Metaphor?
A direct comparison between to unlike things without using like or as. Ex. “Today is one page in the book of time.”
What is a Synecdoche?
A part of something is used to signify the whole. Ex. “All hands on deck!”
What is an Understatement?
A deliberate representation of something as less serious or important. Ex. “Last week I saw a woman flayed, And you will hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse.”
