Language features
A comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "as brave as a lion").
Simile
Words that imitate natural sounds (e.g., "buzz", "crash").
Onomatopoeia
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid mental pictures.
Imagery
A common phrase with a meaning different from its literal meaning (e.g., "kick the bucket").
Idiom
A phrase combining opposite or contradictory terms (e.g., "deafening silence").
Oxymoron
A direct comparison saying one thing is another (e.g., "time is a thief").
Metaphor
Placing two contrasting ideas or images close together for effect.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"
Juxtaposition
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words (e.g., "wild wind whipped").
Alliteration
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words (e.g., "the light of the fire is a sight").
Assonance
Giving human traits to non-human things (e.g., "the wind whispered").
Personification
Exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., "I've told you a million times").
Hyperbole
Repeating words or phrases for emphasis or effect.
Repetition
A humorous play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar sounds.
Pun
The repetition of similar ending sounds in words, often at the ends of lines in poetry.
Rhyme
Words used to evoke an emotional response from the audience.
Emotive Language