Figurative Language
A comparison between two distinctly unlike things explicitly using connecting words such as "like" or "as"
What is a simile?
A dynamic contrast created by placing two vastly different ideas, characters, or settings side-by-side to highlight their differences.
What is juxtaposition?
The deliberate reuse of exact words, phrases, or structural elements throughout a text to emphasize a core idea or build a rhythmic pattern.
What is repetition?
The specific time period, geographic location, and physical environment in which a story takes place.
What is setting?
The literal, objective, dictionary definition of a word, completely free of any emotional baggage or cultural associations.
What is denotation?
A direct comparison that asserts one thing is another, without using "like" or "as"—for example, "The classroom was a zoo."
What is a metaphor?
A contradiction between expectation and reality, which can be verbal (sarcasm), situational (unexpected outcome), or dramatic (the audience knows something the character doesn't).
What is irony?
The close repetition of initial consonant sounds in a string of neighboring words, such as "silently slipping through shadows."
What is alliteration?
A brief, passing reference to a well-known person, historical event, place, myth, or text outside of the current story.
What is an allusion?
The emotional, cultural, or social associations that a word carries with it, distinct from its rigid, literal dictionary definition.
What is connotation?
Attributing human thoughts, emotions, actions, or physical characteristics to non-human things, animals, or abstract concepts, such as "the sun smiled."
What is personification?
A character who underscores, sharpens, or enhances the distinctive traits of another character—usually the protagonist—through both resemblances and strong, direct contrast.
What is a literary foil?
Language that is harsh, clashing, and discordant to the ear, often utilizing sharp, explosive consonants like b, d, g, k, p, t to mirror chaos or discomfort.
What is cacophony?
A dynamic literary device where an author drops subtle hints or clues early in a story to suggest what will happen later in the plot.
What is foreshadowing?
A physical object, character, color, or action within a story that stands for or represents a much larger, abstract idea beyond its literal identity.
What is a symbol?
A deliberate, massive exaggeration used for emphasis or comic effect that is clearly not meant to be interpreted literally, such as "I've told you a million times!"
What is hyperbole?
A complete narrative (poem, story, or play) that acts as an extended metaphor, where every character, place, and event represents a specific abstract concept, moral lesson, or political reality.
What is an allegory?
Words whose pronunciations closely imitate the actual sound of the action or object they describe, such as "hiss," "buzz," "crash," or "sizzle."
What is onomatopoeia?
An interruption in the chronological sequence of a story where the narrative jumps back in time to show an event that happened before the current action.
What is a flashback narrative?
The emotional atmosphere or "feeling" an author intentionally evokes within the reader through their choice of imagery and setting.
What is mood?
Vivid, descriptive language that appeals heavily to our five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—to help the reader paint a picture in their mind.
What is imagery?
A meaningful, recurring element, image, object, or phrase in a work of literature that helps to develop and systematically inform the central theme.
What is a motif?
A poetic unit consisting of two successive lines of verse, typically in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a complete thought.
What is a couplet?
The central, underlying message, moral, or deeper insight about life that an author conveys through a literary work, distinct from the literal plot.
What is theme?
The author's personal attitude or stance toward their subject matter or audience, typically conveyed through specific word choices (diction).
What is tone?