Illustrating an idea by giving an example that is similar to it in significant ways. For example, the idea of a life cycle of a person can be represented by the life cycle of a tree

The repetition of consonant sounds in a line or lines of poetry. It is usually the first letter of each word with a few words in a row. For example, good, green grass is great.

A story that develops a symbolic pattern of ideas that is representative of something else. For example, Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian revolution.

A reference to a famous literary, mythological, religious, or historical figure, character, or person. For example, he is my Romeo (refers to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet).

A vagueness or uncertainty of meaning, where there are two possible meanings. For example, Anna saw Zoe go into her house (whose house?).

A short and often funny story about a real person or event. For example, the time my brother fell off his bike into the swimming pool.

A character that works in opposition to the central character or protagonist. For example, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.

An opposite definition of a word. For example, happy's opposite is cheerful, jovial, carefree, and joyful.

Words that are old-fashioned and no longer used in normal speech. For example, "Thou art a wondrous bard."

A literary device that can be defined as a technique in which a writer ascribes human traits, ambitions, emotions, or entire behaviors to animals, non-human beings, natural phenomena, or objects. For example, in the movie Cars, the cars take on characteristics that align with their make and model--a VW Bus is a hippie.

The mood or a feeling produced by a text. For example, a mystery novel creates an eerie, spooky sense.

A literary device used by writers for a prominent character that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. For example, the Joker to Batman.

The group of people who read or experience a piece of text.

A strong feeling of dislike or hostility toward someone or something.

The lack of feeling the joy, guilt, and desire, not the lack of verbalizing these emotions.

A short statement expressing general truths or opinions that are applied to matters of philosophical, moral, and literary principles, usually using metaphors and other creative imagery. For example, "The old law of an 'eye for an eye' leaves everyone blind."--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A poetic phrase or speech made by a character that is addressed to a subject that is not literally present in the literary work. The subject may be dead, absent, an inanimate object, or even an abstract idea. For example, "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, fr thou are not so."

A literary device in which the repetition of similar vowel sounds takes place in two or more words in proximity to each other within a line of poetry or prose. For example, son of a gun, dumb luck, chips, and dip.

One type of biography, which tells the life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the author’s life. Rather than being written by somebody else, the text comes through the person’s own pen, in his own words.