Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like"

or "as."
Examples:
He was as brave as a lion.
She runs like the wind.
Her smile was bright like the sun.

Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within close proximity

in a sentence or phrase.
Examples:
Mike likes his bike.
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
Chuck picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Synecdoche: A figure of speech where a part of something represents the

whole or vice versa.
Examples:
"All hands on deck" (hands represent the whole crew).
"The White House declared" (referring to the President or
administration).
"The city cried for help" (city represents the people within it).

Metaphor: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two

unlike things without using "like" or "as."
Examples:
Her voice was music to his ears.
Time is a thief.
The world is a stage.

Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken

literally.
Examples:
I've told you a million times.
This bag weighs a ton.
He's as skinny as a toothpick.

Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human entities.

Examples:
The wind whispered through the trees.
The sun smiled down on the beach.
The stars danced in the night sky.

Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate the sound they represent.

Examples:
Buzz (sound of a bee)
Boom (sound of an explosion)
Sizzle (sound of frying)

Anthropomorphism: Attributing human characteristics or behavior to

animals or objects.
Examples:
The dog smiled at its owner.
The clock seemed to be watching me.

The trees waved their branches in the wind.

Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent
person or a personified object or idea.
Examples:
"O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"
"O Death, where is thy sting?"
"O, Wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but may

express a truth.
Examples:
"Less is more."
"I can resist anything but temptation."
"The beginning of the end."
Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring
words.
Examples:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
Big brown bears bounce balls beautifully.

Metonymy: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is

substituted for another with which it is closely associated.
Examples:
"The pen is mightier than the sword" (pen refers to writing, sword to
military force).
"The White House issued a statement" (White House refers to the
President or administration).
"The crown announced new tax laws" (crown refers to the monarchy or
government).

Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity in a

sentence or phrase.
Examples:
The cat sat on the mat.
Men sell the wedding bells.
Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese.

Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

Examples:
Bittersweet
Jumbo shrimp
Deafening silence
Characters: The individuals who drive the narrative or play a role in a
piece of literature.
Harry Potter (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

Allusion: A reference to a person, place, event, or literary work that the

author assumes the reader will recognize.
"He's a real Romeo with the ladies." (allusion to Romeo from
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)
"She has the Midas touch." (allusion to King Midas from Greek
mythology)
"That's his Achilles' heel." (allusion to Achilles from Greek mythology)

Tone: The attitude of the author toward the subject matter or audience.
Formal
Informal
Humorous

Plot: The sequence of events that make up a story.

Exposition
Rising Action
Climax

Flashback: A scene that interrupts the present action to describe an event

that happened earlier.
"Inception" (film)
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Memento" (film)

Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Dove (symbol of peace)
Red rose (symbol of love)
Owl (symbol of wisdom)
Setting: The time and place in which the story takes place.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Harry Potter series)
Victorian London (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
The island in Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Foreshadowing: Clues or hints about events that will occur later in the
story.
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

POV (Point of View): The perspective from which a story is told.

First-person
Second-person
Third-person (limited or omniscient)

Imagery: Vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

"The old man took the handful of dust, and sifted it through his fingers."
"The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars did wander darkling in
the eternal space."
"The fresh smell of coffee wafted through the air, mixing with the sound
of sizzling bacon."

Theme: The central message or insight into life revealed through a

literary work.
Love and sacrifice in "Romeo and Juliet"
Good versus evil in "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien
The corrupting influence of power in "Macbeth" by William
Shakespeare

Mood: The emotional atmosphere or tone of a literary work.

Gloomy
Suspenseful
Hopeful

Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot of a
story.
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Self