Literary Devices
A comparison using "like" or "as."
simile
"The thunder growled across the sky."
What literary device is used?
Personification
Who the story is mostly about.
The protagonist
Words that mean the same thing.
Synonyms
Dark clouds covered the sky. The wind howled through the empty streets, and every creak of the old house made Mia's heart race.
What is the mood of this passage?
Suspenseful or eerie
Giving human characteristics to animals or objects.
personification
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
What literary device is used?
Hyperbole
The struggle between opposing forces.
Conflict
Words that mean the opposite.
Antonyms
"Oh, fantastic," Jake muttered after spilling his lunch all over the cafeteria floor.
What is the author's tone?
Sarcastic
A comparison that does NOT use "like" or "as."
metaphor
"Her smile was sunshine."
What literary device is used?
Metaphor
The point of highest tension in a story.
Climax
Using clues around an unfamiliar word to determine its meaning.
Context clues
The doorknob slowly began to turn. Emma held her breath. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, then suddenly... silence.
Which literary technique is the author using?
Suspense
A hint about something that will happen later in the story.
foreshadowing
"Buzz," "Crash," and "Boom" are examples of...
What literary device is used?
Onomatopoeia
The lesson or message of a story.
Theme
The literal meaning of a word.
Denotation
Without being asked, Maya stayed after school to help organize the classroom library.
What character trait is revealed through Maya's actions?
helpful, responsible, kind, or hardworking
When the audience knows something the characters do not.
dramatic irony
"The slippery snake silently slithered."
What literary device is used?
Alliteration
The time and place where a story occurs.
Setting
The emotions or ideas associated with a word.
Connotation
The cracked mirror sat untouched in the hallway for years after the family moved away.
What literary device is most likely represented by the mirror?
Symbolism