Simile
A comparison of two unlike things using the words "like" or "as"
Example: Mrs. Borton is like a bear in the morning
Metaphor
A comparison of two unlike things without the words "like" or "as"
Example: Mrs. Borton is a chihuahua when she's angry
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration
Example: He's the funniest man alive
Personification
Giving human characteristics to non-human things
Example: The sunlight danced across the floor.
Alliteration
The same beginning consonant sounds of two or more words in a sentence or line of poetry
Example: The beautiful bluebonnets blossomed in the bright sun.
Onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like what it is imitating
Example: crash! boom! bang! zip! zoom!
Idiom
A figurative saying that has a different meaning that its literal meaning
Example: She let the cat out of the bag.
Allusion
A reference to something well-known in literature, history, religion, or pop culture
Example: He is a real Romeo with the ladies (reference to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)
Flashback
When a scene is interrupted to show a previous event
Foreshadowing
The author's use of hits or clues to suggest future events
Irony
The opposite of what you would expect
Example: A fire truck catching on fire
Suspense
A quality in literature that makes the reader uncertain or tense about the outcome of events
Symbolism
The use of any object, person, place, or action that has a higher meaning than itself
Example: The stars on the American flag represent the 50 states
Satire
The use of humorous devices like irony and hyperbole to highlight human folly or social problems
Mood
The overall feeling of a work of literature
Tone
The author's attitude toward a particular subject or character
Theme
The central message or lesson of a literary work
Exposition
The beginning of plot that introduces characters, setting, and conflict
Rising Action
The events of a story that lead up to the climax or turning point
Turning point or Climax
The one event in a story that changes the plot. This is usually the most exciting point of the story or the biggest conflict.
Falling Action
The events that happen in a story after the turning point or climax
Resolution
How the problems are solved or not solved in a story.