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Literary Terms

This document defines and provides examples of common literary terms including figures of speech, metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and personification. Figurative language is used for descriptive effect and not meant to be taken literally. A metaphor compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as", while a simile also compares two things but uses "like" or "as". Alliteration repeats consonant sounds. Hyperbole exaggerates, and onomatopoeia imitates sounds. Personification gives human traits to non-human things.

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290 views8 pages

Literary Terms

This document defines and provides examples of common literary terms including figures of speech, metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and personification. Figurative language is used for descriptive effect and not meant to be taken literally. A metaphor compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as", while a simile also compares two things but uses "like" or "as". Alliteration repeats consonant sounds. Hyperbole exaggerates, and onomatopoeia imitates sounds. Personification gives human traits to non-human things.

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Literary

Terms
Useful terms for
understanding literature

Adapted from Cheryl Walker


FIGURES OF SPEECH
A figure of speech is a specific device or kind
of figurative language, such as hyperbole,
metaphor, personification, simile, or
understatement.
Figurative language is used for descriptive
effect, often to imply ideas indirectly. It is
not meant to be taken literally. Figurative
language is used to state ideas in vivid and
imaginative ways.
METAPHOR
A Metaphor is a type of speech that compares or
equates two or more things that have something in
common. A metaphor does NOT use like or as.

Example: Life is a bowl


of cherries.
SIMILE
A Simile is another figure of speech that
compares seemingly unlike things. Similes
DO use the words like or as.

Example: Her voice was like nails on a


chalkboard.
ALLITERATION
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, most
often consonant sounds, at the beginning
of words. Alliteration is used to draw the
reader’s attention to something.
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of
pickled peppers
HYPERBOLE
 Hyperbole is a figure of speech
which is an exaggeration. Persons
often use expressions such as "I
nearly died laughing," "I was
hopping mad," and "I tried a
thousand times." Such statements
are not literally true, but people
make them to sound impressive or
to emphasize something, such as a
feeling, effort, or reaction.
ONOMATOPOEIA
 When I drop something, PLOP, it goes!
Sometimes, it goes, BOOM! When I mean
to close the door quietly, sometimes it
goes, SLAM! I really like to play basketball!
And when it goes on the ground, BOING,
it goes!
PERSONIFICATION
Personification is a figure of
speech in which an
animal, object, force of
nature, or idea is given
human qualities or
characteristics.

Example: Tears began to


fall from the dark
clouds.

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