Literary Terms Flashcards
Imagery
The use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses
Simile
Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two seemingly unlikely things by using a connection words such as like, as, than, or resembles
Metaphor
Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using a connecting words such as like, as, than, or resembles
Personification
Figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if it were human
Hyperbole
Figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comic effect
Idiom
A phrase or expression that means something different than what the words actually say
Symbol
Person, place, thing or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself
Allegory
A narrative(story) in which characters and settings stand as symbols expressing truths about human life
Allusion
A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature(often indirect or brief references to well known characters or events)
Stanza
A grouping of two or more lines in a poem
Line
A sequence of words printed as a separate entity on the page in a poem
Sound devices
A poet’s use of language to create specific sounds or add meaning to a poem
Alliteration
Repetition of the same or similar constant sounds in words that are close together, especially at the beginning of words
Onomatopoeia
Use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning
Rhyme
Repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds following them in words that are close together in a poem. End rhyme occurs at the end of the line.
