Literary Terms Guide PDF

Simile – A comparison using like or as ○​ "She was as fast as a cheetah." Metaphor – A direct comparison without like or as ○​ "Time is a thief." Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things ○​ "The wind whispered through the trees." Denotation – The...

Simile – A comparison using like or as ○​ "She was as fast as a cheetah." Metaphor – A direct comparison without like or as ○​ "Time is a thief." Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things ○​ "The wind whispered through the trees." Denotation – The literal dictionary meaning of a word ○​ "Snake" = a reptile (not a betrayer, which is connotation). Connotation – The emotional or implied meaning of a word ○​ "Snake" = betrayal, danger (negative connotation). Tone – The author's attitude toward the subject ​ Sarcastic, serious, joyful, etc. Mood – The feeling or atmosphere created for the reader ​ Eerie, romantic, suspenseful. Diction – The author's word choice ​ Using "slaughter" instead of "kill" intensifies the meaning. Onomatopoeia – Words that imitate sounds ○​ "Boom," "buzz," "crash." Alliteration – Repetition of the same beginning consonant sound ​ "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Foreshadowing – Hints or clues about future events ​ "A dark cloud loomed over the house." (suggests something bad will happen.) Pathetic Fallacy – Giving human emotions to nature ​ "The angry storm raged on." Irony – A contrast between expectations and reality ​ A fire station burns down. Dramatic Irony – When the audience knows something the characters don’t ​ In a horror movie, the character goes into a basement, but we know the killer is there. Allusion – A reference to a well-known person, place, or event ​ "He was a real Romeo with the ladies." (Shakespeare reference.) Anecdote – A short personal story ​ "When I was your age, I had to walk ten miles to school!" Pathos – An appeal to emotions ​ "Think of the poor, starving children." Assonance – Repetition of vowel sounds ​ "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." Symbol – Something that represents a deeper meaning ​ A dove = peace, a red rose = love. Inference – A logical guess based on evidence ​ If a character is crying, we infer they are sad. Implication – A hint at something without stating it directly ​ "He glanced nervously at his phone" (implies he’s hiding something). Syntax – Sentence structure and arrangement ​ "The boy ran quickly" vs. "Quickly, the boy ran." (same meaning, different syntax). Paradox – A statement that contradicts itself but has truth ​ "Less is more." Oxymoron – Two opposite words placed together ​ "Deafening silence," "bittersweet."