Literary Devices - Examples

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What is an oxymoron?

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An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear in conjunction, such as 'busy doing nothing.'

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What is hyperbole?

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Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect, such as 'I am dying of shame.'

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words, as in 'The purple pants were perfect on the professor.'

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What is an allusion?

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An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work, such as referring to someone as a 'Scrooge' to imply they are stingy.

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'Her hair shined like the sun.'

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What is imagery?

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Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things, suggesting they are alike in some way.

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What is onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia is a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound it describes, such as 'BOOM!'

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What is symbolism?

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Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, where a symbol stands for something beyond its literal meaning.

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What is personification?

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Personification is a literary device where human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts.