LITERARY TERMS Please write down the following notes in the “Literary Terms” or “Vocabulary” section of your binder

Diction  Generally speaking, diction is just word choice. Which words is the author using, and what's their effect?  Should you call your crush "sweetie," "dearest," "darling," "beloved," "boo," "sugar pie," or "Hey, you"? It makes a difference.

Figurative Language  This is just a fancy term for words that mean more than meets the eye. Figurative language uses figures of speech like similes and metaphors to build meaning beyond the literal. Think of figurative language as words that have more than one level of meaning.  We often use figurative language in our everyday speech without even realizing it. When we say "it's raining cats and dogs," we don't literally mean that felines and canines are falling from the sky. It's a metaphor for a major downpour. Here are a few other examples:  She runs like the wind.  I smell a rat.  America is a melting pot.  How could she marry a snake like that?  My head is spinning.  My love is a red, red rose.  This classroom is like a circus.

Figure of Speech  Figure of speech is a catch-all phrase that refers to the literary devices used in figurative language.  In our everyday conversations, we often use "figure of speech" to refer to a common metaphor that everyone understands. So when you tell your mother that you love her to death and she looks horrified, you can say, "Aw, it's okay, Ma. That's just a figure of speech." But then again, she probably already knew that.

Syntax  When it comes to syntax, it's all about sentence structure—how words and phrases relate to each other.  Sure, syntax can refer to the order of words in a sentence, but, more figuratively, it can refer to the organization of ideas or topics in a poem, as in, "Why did the poet go from talking about his mother to a description of an ostrich?"

Metaphor  Metaphors compare two different things; metaphors describe one object as another. It's almost as if the object becomes what it is being compared to, at least, in a figurative way. However, metaphors do this without using “like” or “as”

Simile  A simile is a figure of speech that makes use of the adverbs "like" or "as" to make a comparison or analogy.

Allusion  An allusion is, plain and simple, a reference.

Personification  Personification is figurative language that gives human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, or ideas).

Imagery  Imagery is all of the pictures and sensations a piece of writing conjures up in your noggin. Imagery is the key to literature— especially poetry. If you're reading a description that engages any one of your five senses, you're reading imagery, folks.

Exit Slip  Identify how these literary devices you just reviewed help contribute to the writing style in chapter 2.  Hand this in at the end of the block