Figurative Language Terms

simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Flashback

A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

sensory language

Descriptive language that attempts to invoke one or more of the five senses.

Resolution

End of the story where you find out the impact of the climax

Theme

Overall idea or message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader.

characters

Persons — or animals or natural forces represented as persons — in a work of literature.

third-person omniscient point of view

Point of view in which an all-knowing narrator knows the thoughts and actions of any or all characters.

Repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

plot

Sequence of events in a story

second person point of view

The narrator tells the story using the pronouns "You", "Your," and "Yours" to address a reader or listener directly

first person point of view

Told from the viewpoint of one of the characters using the pronouns "I" and "me"

third person objective point of view

When the narrator only knows what the characters do and say. It's like a "camera view" of the story.

metaphor

comparison between two unlike things WITHOUT using like or as

Hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

Conflict

internal or external struggle for a character in a story

third-person limited point of view

the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character

Climax

the turning point of the story where the major conflict is addressed

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Personification

when a non-human thing is given human characteristics

dramatic irony

when the audience seems to know more about an event, situation, or a conversation than the characters do

verbal irony

when the speaker says the opposite of what he means

situational irony

when what happens is the exact opposite of what you expect to happen

setting

where and when the story takes place