Literary Terms & Devices Review

2. A kind of language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It goes beyond the literal meaning to create a special effect or insight. (This is a broad category that includes many literary devices includin
4. The object or concept used to do the describing in a metaphor or figurative comparison.
5. A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as".
8. The subject being described in a metaphor or figurative comparison.
11. An object, person, place, or action that has its own meaning but also stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, an attitude, a belief, or a value.
12. A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as," stating that one thing is another.
14. The central idea, message, or insight into life that the poem conveys; the “so what?” of the poem. A theme is the poem's statement about the subject.
16. opposites, ex: light and dark, love and hate

1. The topic of the poem; what the poem is about in a literal sense.
3. The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words.
5. This word is the VEHICLE of the following comparison: "Like a stalker, [nature] is in the back seat of the car."
6. The overall feeling or atmosphere that a poem creates for the reader. The reader's feeling.
7. Giving human qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas.
9. The purposeful reiteration of words, phrases, or stanzas in a poem for emphasis or effect.
10. Descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch), creating a mental picture for the reader.
13. The poet's or speaker's attitude toward the subject, the reader, or themselves. How the author feels about what they're writing about.
15. A contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Think: A poem about disliking poetry.