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Literary Terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
analogy | an indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work with which the author believes the reader will be familiar |
analogy | a point by point comparison of two things for the purpose of clarifying the less familiar of the two subjects |
dialogue | conversation between two or more characters in either fiction or nonfiction |
diction | a writer or speakers choice of words |
figurative language | language that communicates ideas beyond the literal meaning of words |
hyperbole | a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect |
imagery | descriptive words or phrases used to re-create sensory experiences by appealing to the five senses |
metaphor | a figure of speech that compares two things that have something in common |
onomatopoeia | using words that imitate sounds |
personification | a figure of speech in which an object, animal, or idea is given human characteristics |
purpose | an author's reason for writing: either to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to express him or herself |
simile | a figure of speech that compares two things using the words like or as |
syntax | the way sentences are arranged; part of the writer's style |
theme | an underlying message or life lesson in a piece of literature |
tone | a writer's attitude toward his or her subject |
noun | a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea |
verb | a word that expresses an action of state of being |
adjective | a word that modifies a noun or pronoun |
adverb | a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb |
pronoun | a general word that replaces a specific noun |
preposition | a word that starts a prepositional phrase, which modifies another word or phrase |
conjunction | a word that joins two parts of a sentence |
interjection | a word that interrupts a phrase or sentence |
mood | the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader |