Literary Devices Flashcards

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PARADOX

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A paradox is a statement that seems to go against itself but can still be true.

Example: "Less is more."

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ALLUSION

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A way of mentioning something or someone without saying it directly.

Example: Saying "He was a real Romeo with the ladies" is an allusion to Shakespeare's Romeo.

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LITOTES

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Using negative words to say something positive.
Example: "Not bad" means "good."

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OXYMORON

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A phrase that puts together two words that seem to mean opposite things.
Example: "jumbo shrimp" or "deafening silence".

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HYPERBOLE

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A way of saying something is much bigger, smaller, better, or worse than it really is.

Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

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SMILE

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A way to compare two things using 'like' or 'as'.
Example: She was as fast as a cheetah.

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METAPHOR

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A metaphor compares two different things without using 'like' or 'as'.
Example: "Time is a thief."

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PERSONIFICATION

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Giving something that is not human, like an animal or object, human qualities.
Example: The wind whispered through the trees.

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IRONY

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When something happens that is the opposite of what you expect.

Example: A fire station burns down.

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ALLITERATION

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When words that are close together start with the same sound or letter.

Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.