Alliteration The repetition of the first sound of several words in a piece of literature. ~ Aunt Alicia accumulated a lot of antique attire when she acquired her Aunt Abigail’s estate.

Allusion A reference present in one piece of literature that is found in another literary work. Levi’s parents were astounded by his Copperfield-like tactics for sneaking out of the house.

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in a piece of literature. Muttering under his breath a robust Gunther took his place on the line. The coach’s instructions stuck to him like glue.

Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds near one another in a piece of literature. A dove moved silently above the waves.

Foreshadowing A method of creating suspense by hinting about events that will occur later on in a piece of literature. “He didn’t know when. He didn’t know where, but he knew that something was amiss. His fate was yet to be determined.”

Metaphor A statement that makes a direct comparison between unlike objects, ideas or concepts. Life is a puzzle. (Life is compared to a puzzle.) Extended Metaphor: Life is a puzzle; you may have all the pieces, but the “big picture” isn’t complete until the last piece is snapped into place.

Simile A statement that makes a comparison between unlike objects, ideas or concepts using the words “like” or “as”. In a flash like lightening, he was gone. Your situation can change as quickly as a blink of an eye.

Onomatopoeia A word that is spelled like the sound it makes.

Personification A statement that gives a nonhuman object human characteristics. “The chair moaned in agony when I sat down on it.”

Flashback A device that allows the writer to present events that happened before the current events in the fiction. Flashback techniques include memories, dreams, or stories of the past told by characters. The author might simply say: "But back in Tom's youth...." or “Tom remember a time when he lived alone on the island.”

Irony Irony is the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Three kinds: Verbal: stressing a word in such a way that you mean the opposite of the word’s literal meaning Situational: the actions in the scene are ironic Dramatic: the audience knows something that a character in a drama doesn’t Verbal irony: Someone trips, and another person says, “Aren’t you graceful?” Situational: In The Crucible, Abigail Williams was the only one practicing witchcraft, yet everyone else gets convicted of it and hangs when she accuses them. Dramatic: In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet isn’t really dead, but Romeo thinks she is truly dead.