(Students took these notes in class on Friday.)
Literary Terms to Know:
~Sound Devices~
Alliteration- two or more words have repeated
initial consonant sounds
Example:
Fly away my fine feathered friend! Sally sells sea shells…
Onomatopoeia- words that mimic the
sound they make
Example:
pop, buzz, beep, bang
Personification- when inanimate objects
are given human-like traits
Example:
The wind yells as it blows. The moon smiled down on us.
Imagery- when a writer uses
sensory details to explain a scene in depth so that the reader can picture
exactly what is happening
Example:
The bright moon beams reflected off of the sparkling blue lake.
Dialect- the way characters
speak; a reader can often tell a lot about a character based on his/her dialect
Example:
“Ah, good evening madam. How delightful to see you!”
“I ‘spect they’ll be comin’ on
home soon ‘nuff.”
Simile- a comparison between two
unlike objects using “like” or “as”
Example:
The stars are as bright as diamonds.
Metaphor- a comparison between two
unlike objects NOT using “like” or “as”
Example:
The stars are bright diamonds.
Hyperbole- a statement that is an
over-exaggeration of the truth
Example:
I have a ton of homework. I’m starving!
Oxymoron- opposite words that form
a new meaning when put together
Example:
pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp
Idiom- an old expression that
doesn’t mean at all what it says
Example:
I really put my foot in my mouth when I said that. Break a leg!