Language Devices Flashcards
What is a simile?
A figure of speech that compares two different things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Example: ‘He is as brave as a lion.’
What is a metaphor?
A figure of speech that compares two different things by stating one is the other. Example: ‘The world is a stage.’
What is personification?
Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: ‘The flowers danced in the breeze.’
What is alliteration?
Repeating the same sound at the beginning of words in a sentence. Example: ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.’
What is onomatopoeia?
Words that imitate the sound they represent. Example: ‘The clock went tick-tock.’
What is hyperbole?
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Example: ‘I’ve told you a million times.’
What is oxymoron?
A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. Example: ‘Deafening silence.’
What is irony?
A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. Example: ‘The fire station burned down.’
What is imagery?
Using descriptive language to create a mental picture in the reader’s mind. Example: ‘The sky was a blanket of stars.’
What is a symbol?
An object or idea that represents something else. Example: A dove symbolizes peace.
What is foreshadowing?
Hinting at what will happen later in the story. Example: ‘As she looked back, she had no idea it would be the last time.’
What is a motif?
A recurring theme, idea, or symbol in a literary work. Example: The color red symbolizes passion throughout the novel.
What is parallelism?
Repeating grammatical structures for effect. Example: ‘Easy come, easy go.’
What is assonance?
Repeating vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: ‘The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.’
