Literary Terms

Imagery the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively used to help the reader visualize the reading

The following terms help create imagery.

Metaphor a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance (I.e. He spent his whole life chasing waterfalls)

Simile a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared using “like” or “as” (I.e. She is like a rose) or (The cat’s coat is as soft as silk)

Hyperbole an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, highly exaggerated (I.e. We waited in line for pizza for an eternity)

Personification Giving human characteristics to inanimate objects (I.e. The door slowly creaked open, warning me that danger was pushing through)

Alliteration the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same sound (I.e. The buzzing bee blew by the blossoming bouquet.)

Onomatopoeia The formation of a word with the intention of mocking the sound the author is implying in the reading (I.e. buzz, boom, whoosh, ribbit)