Lit
simile
A figure of speech that compares two things using “like” or “as”.
hyperbole
Exaggeration or overstatement, not meant to be taken literally
foreshadowing
A literary device that indicates what is to come.
Rhyme
The repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line. Rhymed words conventionally share all sounds following the word’s last stressed syllable.
Irony
Linguistic and literary device, in spoken or written form, in which real meaning or outcome is the opposite.
metaphor
A figure of speech that compares two different things without the words “like” or “as”.
onomatopoeia
Words or the use of words with sounds that imitate the meaning of what they are describing.
imagery
Uses vivid description that appeals to a reader’s senses to create an image or idea in their head
Rhyming Couplet
A pair of successive rhyming lines, usually of the same length. Would be labelled AA BB…
Mood
the particular feeling or atmosphere something has or creates for the reader or listener.
personification
Giving human traits to non-humans.
oxymoron
A short phrase that combines two ordinarily contradictory terms.
Rhythm
The recurrence of specific sounds based on long and short patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, specifically in poetry in verse form. Beats provide the rhythm in poetry as rhythm is determined by the ear and has to do with the poem's tempo and structure.
situational irony
The unexpected outcome of an event creates humor, suspense, or tension.
verbal irony
The use of language to mean something different or opposite from its literal meaning, often to create humor, suspense, or tension.
alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close to each other to create a rhythm or lyrical effect.
allusion
An indirect reference to something, meant to call it to mind without mentioning it by name.
analogy
A statement that shows that a pair of things has the same relationship as another pair of things.
Sonnet
A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.
Tone
the writer or speaker's attitude toward the subject.
idiom
An expression that doesn’t exactly mean what the words say.
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants; sometimes called vowel rhyme.
dramatic irony
When the audience knows something characters do not, often used to create humor, suspense or tension.
Free Verse
Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.
Rhyme Scheme
The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse.