Literary Terms Examples

hyperbole

• super exaggeration

• an energetic word or phrase

• The bear was 60 feet tall, and when it growled, it shook the trees.

• when words take the shape of their subject

simile

• She is as fast as the wind.

• She was the wind blowing across the field.

• She felt the wind in her hair.

• She is like the wind.

metaphor

• She ran like the wind.

• She felt the wind in her hair.

• She was as fast as the wind.

• She was the wind blowing across the field.

repetition

• Where, oh where is my little dog?

• The song played over and over.

• Sorry, not sorry

• Dunkin Donuts

personification

• Blackbeard in "The Rule of Names"

• the lions in The Lion King

• Turtle Wexler in The Westing Game

• Rikki in "Rikki-tikki-tavi"

literal language

• The crab was as big as a whale.

• Whales swim in the ocean.

• Crows and ravens are intelligent birds.

• The sky misses the sun at night.

figurative language

• The crab was as big as a whale.

• Crows and ravens are intelligent birds.

• The sky misses the sun at night.

• Whales swim in the ocean.

exact rhyme

• cat

  bat

• orange

  tomato

• which

  way

• pans

  hams

half rhyme

• cat

  bat

• orange

  tomato

• which

  way

• pans

  hams

setting

• Sattins Island

  December

• Mr. Underhill kills Blackbeard.

• Mr. Underhill shows his true form to the village.

• Blackbeard is really an evil wizard.