Figures of Speech
"A comparison using 'like' or 'as'."
"What is a simile?"
"When someone says 'Oh great!' after their phone breaks, they’re using this type of irony."
"What is verbal irony?"
"This is the central idea or message of a story."
"What is the theme?"
"The main character in a story is called this."
"What is the protagonist?"
"The villain in a story is called this."
What is an antagonist?
"The phrase 'He’s a shining star' is an example of this figure of speech."
"What is a metaphor?"
"This type of irony occurs when the opposite of what is expected happens."
"What is situational irony?"
"The feeling or atmosphere created by a story."
"What is the mood?"
"The time and place in which a story takes place."
"What is the setting?"
"This is the author's attitude toward the subject, reflected through their word choice and writing style."
"What is tone?"
"A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear together, like 'deafening silence.'"
"What is an oxymoron?"
"In a horror movie, the audience knows the killer is hiding in the house, but the characters don’t."
"What is dramatic irony?"
"Man vs. nature and man vs. self are two examples of this story element."
"What is conflict?"
"A recurring structure, symbol, or idea that helps to develop the theme of a literary work."
"What is a motif?"
The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story."
"What is foreshadowing?"
"'The wind whispered through the trees' is an example of this."
"What is personification?"
"The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a sentence or phrase, like 'She sells seashells by the seashore.'"
"What is alliteration?"
"When the author tells the reader exactly what a character is like, it’s this type of characterization."
"What is direct characterization?"
"This narrative technique presents events that occurred earlier than the current point of the story."
"What is a flashback?"
"The 'I' or 'we' point of view, where the narrator is a character in the story."
"What is first-person point of view?"
"An extreme exaggeration, like 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.'"
"What is hyperbole?"
"A reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work, like 'He’s a real Romeo.'"
"What is an allusion?"
"This type of characterization is shown through a character’s actions, thoughts, and interactions."
"What is indirect characterization?"
"This literary device occurs when an object, person, or situation represents something beyond its literal meaning, like a dove representing peace."
"What is symbolism?"
"This refers to the emotional or psychological atmosphere of a story, also known as the story's 'feel'."
"What is mood?"