Poetry Terms

Front

What is it called when a nonhuman object is given human characteristics?

Back

Personification

Front

What is a play on the multiple meanings of a word or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings?

Back

Pun

Front

What is an exaggeration that is used for effect?

Back

Hyperbole

Front

What is a metaphor that directly states that one thing IS another?

Back

Direct metaphor

Front

What is a word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another and is not meant to be understood on a literal level?

Back

Figure of speech

Front

What is a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'?

Back

Simile

Front

What is the use of words that imitate sounds?

Back

Onomatopoeia

Front

What is a figure of speech that involves an understatement?

Back

Litotes

Front

What is a recurring theme or idea in a poem?

Back

Motif

Front

What is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art?

Back

Allusion