Literary Terms Cornerstone

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Literary Device

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A tool used by the author to enliven and provide voice to the text, such as dialogue or alliteration.

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Irony

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The use of a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its literal or usual meaning; incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result.

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Personification

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An object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form (e.g., 'Flowers danced about the lawn').

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Diction

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An author’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language that combine to help create meaning and tone.

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Paradox

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A seemingly contradictory statement that is nevertheless true (e.g., 'Less is more').

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

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Simile

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A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as'.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words (e.g., 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore').

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Mood

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The emotional atmosphere created by a literary work, influencing how the reader feels.

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Theme

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The central idea or underlying message in a literary work.