Definitions
A direct comparison between two unlike things that does NOT use "like" or "as."
What is a Metaphor?
"The wind whistled through the winter woods."
What is a Alliteration?
Katy Perry sings, "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind?"
What is a Simile?
A poet uses vivid descriptions of scent, touch, and sound to create this for the reader.
What is Imagery (or Sensory Details)?
When an author drops hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
What is Foreshadowing?
"The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas."
What is Metaphor?
In Hamilton, Burr sings, "Death doesn't discriminate / Between the sinners and the saints / It takes and it takes and it takes."
What is Repetition (or Anaphora)?
A writer chooses words like "vibrant" instead of "loud" specifically to establish this.
What is Tone (or Mood)?
The use of an object, person, or situation to represent a deeper, more complex idea.
What is Symbolism?
"I've told you a million times to stop tapping your pen!"
What is Hyperbole?
Taylor Swift lyrics often reference "Romeo" or "Scarlett Letter" to rpovide context without explaining the whole story.
What is an Allusion?
This is the primary structural element created when a poet uses an AABB or ABAB pattern.
What is Rhyme Scheme (or Rhythm)?
The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
What is Enjambment?
"The sunflowers hung their heads in sorrow as the rain began to fall."
What is Personification?
A song where the lyrics describe a beautiful summer day, but the melody is dark, haunting, and minor, creating a clash between expectation and reality.
What is Irony?
Placing 2 very different things side by side in a poem is done to highlight this between them.
What is Juxtaposition?
An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor, not meant to be taken literally.
What is Hyperbole?
"The silence in the room was deafening."
What is Oxymoron?
In a rap battle, a performer says their flow is "cold as ice" but "fire on the mic."
What is Antithesis (or Juxtaposition)?
A writer uses a self-contradictory statement primarily to provoke thought/logic in the audience.
What is a Paradox?