Juxtaposition
Two words or ideas placed next to each other to highlight similarities and contrast differences.
Theme:
An underlying message or idea conveyed throughout a work
Apostrophe
When a speaker in a poem directly addresses someone or something that isn't present
Understatement
When a writer intentionally makes something seem less serious or important than it actually is
Pun
When a word is used in a way that suggests more than one meaning; usually humorous
Hyperbole
An exaggeration used to make a point
Allusion
A reference to another well-known work of art, person, or event
Personification
Attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object
Tone
The attitude of the author or speaker
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds
Imagery
The use of words and phrases to help paint a mental picture for the reader
Oxymoron
The combination of words with opposite meanings or contrasting images
Symbolism
An object or action that represents something else, like a theme or idea.
Consonance
The repetition of consonant sounds in closely connected words, often at the end of the words
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds at the beginning of closely connected words
Connotation
The idea or feeling that people associate with a word; a word's secondary meaning
Onomatopoeia
Sound words that are pronounced like the sound they represent
Metaphor
A comparison between two unlike things where one thing is the same as the other
Irony
Using words to express something opposite of their literal meaning; also, an outcome that is contrary to what is expected
Euphemism
A word or expression that replaces something harsh or unpleasant
Idiom
An expression that cannot be understood from the words involved, but instead, has its own separate meaning
Mood
The atmosphere created in a literary work; how the reader is intended to feel
Simile
The comparison of two unlike things using the words "like" or "as.
Denotation
A word's dictionary definition