Figurative Lang. Def
Creates a comparison between two things by using the words 'like' or 'as'.
simile
Creates a comparison by stating that one thing is another or does the actions of another
metaphor
Words that imitate the natural sound of the thing they describe
onomatopoeia
"Life is your restaurant
And I’m your maitre d’
C’mon whisper what it is you want
You ain’t never had a friend like me"
metaphor
Be a man
We must be swift as a coursing river
"Be a man
With all the force of a great typhoon
Be a man
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon"
simile
Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or abstract idea
personification
Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other or next to each other
Alliteration
The purposeful re-use of words and phrases to create emphasis or convey a particular effect
repetition
"The ray, he can
play the lings on
the strings
The trout rocking
out, the blackfish,
she sings"
personification
"Shining, Shimmering, Splendid"
alliteration
Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines
assonance
When a simple or ordinary object, event, animal, or person represents deeper meaning or significance
symbolism
A combination of two words that appear to contradict each other
oxymoron
"Boom, clap, boom
d'clap, d'clap"
onomatopoeia
"Let it go, let it go
I am one with the
wind and sky
Let it go, let it go"
repetition
A statement which seems contradictory but may reveal an unexpected truth
paradox
An understatement, used to lessen the effect of a statement that might sound harsh, offensive or hurtful
euphemism
A brief reference to a person, historical event, biblical or mythological situation or character
allusion
"I was on top of the
world living high
It was right in
my pocket"
idiom
"Little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were
throwing pebbles"
allusion
A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words
idiom
A figure of speech in which a person, place or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it
metonym
Descriptive language that engages the human senses
imagery
"And at last, I see
the light
And it's like
the fog has lifted"
symbolism
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