Literary Devices Similes, Metaphors, and Personification

What are Literary Devices? Techniques/creative language used by writers to capture the reader’s imagination. Make the story come alive and jump off the page.

Similes A comparison between two very different objects that uses “like” or “as” (Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms) Examples: Snow White: “Once upon a time, there was a princess fair as snow, with lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony…” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”: “…Like a diamond in the sky.”

Metaphors Comparison between two very different objects; does not use “like” or “as” to make that comparison (Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms). Examples: 1. The earth was covered by a blanket of snow (Website: enchantedlearning.net). 2. Trick-or-treaters were running from door to door on that pitch- black Halloween night.

Personification Literary device in which inanimate objects, ideas, animals are given human qualities/actions (Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms). Examples: 1. The wind was whistling cheerfully through the branches of the trees on that breezy day. 2. The sun smiled down at everyone on the first day of summer.

Hyperbole Exaggeration: used to emphasize an idea, and show its importance (Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms). Examples: 1. “Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.” (Folklore: Paul Bunyan; example found at literarydevices.net)

Onomatopoeia Words that create sounds and noises. Sound Effects! Examples: 1. The rain fell in a gentle plink! plink! on the rooftops. 2. The autumn leaves crackled and crunched underneath my feet.