Figurative Language and Literary Devices

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Metaphor

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An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing.

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Simile

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A comparison between two unlike things using words such as like, as, resembles, or than.

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Tone

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The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and audience.

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Idiom

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An expression peculiar to a particular language that means something different from the literal meaning of the words.

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Allusion

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A reference to a statement, a person, place, or an event from literature, the arts, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, science, or pop culture.

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Personification

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Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities or objects.

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Hyperbole

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An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect.

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Onomatopoeia

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A word that imitates the natural sound of a thing, e.g., 'buzz', 'whisper', 'bang'.

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Analogy

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A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

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Diction

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The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.