Figurative
Language
Language
Personification
Personification is attributing human characteristics to non-human things.
Ex: The storm drifted away, forgetting all about me.
Setting
The setting is the time and place of a story.
___________Fiction
Story that can happen and is true to life.
Realistic Fiction
Imagery
Uses visually descriptive or figurative language. "Shows instead of tells" using more sensory language versus blunt, plain words.
Simile
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like," "as" or "than."
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an over-exaggeration used to emphasize an emotion or description.
Ex: My mom will kill me if she knows I skipped class.Theme
The central idea that ties a story together
______ Tale
Humorous story with blatant exaggerations.
Tall Tale
Paronomasia
Commonly known as a pun, which is often used in literature to create humor, add layers of meaning, or create a sense of playfulness.
Examples:
Metaphor
A metaphor is a direct comparison without using the comparative words "like" or "as."
Metaphors equate the two things being compared to elicit a stronger connection and deepen the meaning of the comparison.
Onomatopoeia
The use of descriptive words that sound or mimic the noise they are describing.
Ex: Woof! Boom! Squeeeeeek.Exposition
The portion of a story that reveals background information.
Flashback
When the narrator goes back in time for a specific scene or chapter in order to give more context for the story.
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a description using two opposite ideas to create an effective description.
Ex: My father's thoughtless idea landed him in the middle of the lake without a life jacket.
Idiom
A phrase that cannot be taken literally.
Ex: It was raining cats and dogs.
Foreshadowing
A technique used by authors to provide clues to the reader to help them predict what will happen later in the story.
Anecdote
A brief narrative or story, often amusing or interesting, that is used to illustrate a point or support an argument.
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Alliteration
Ex: The seven songbirds sweetly sang.
Allusion
A literary device that references a person, place, thing, or event in the real world. Used to paint a clear picture or to connect with your readers.
Someone in a story who makes key decisions that primarily influence the plot. Is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles.
Protagonist
Allegory
A figure of speech where abstract ideas are described using characters, events, or other elements.
Paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or logically absurd, but upon closer examination reveals an underlying truth. Used to challenge thinking and provoke thought.
Examples: