F IGURATIVE L ANGUAGE

Language that cannot be taken literally, since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

H YPERBOLE An extreme exaggeration. Example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

I DIOM A common, often-used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally. Example: You crack me up! It’s time to hit the hay!

I MAGERY Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste). Example: It was dark and dim in the forest.

O XYMORON A combination of contradictory terms Example: Jumbo Shrimp Controlled Chaos

O NOMATOPOEIA A word that imitates the sound it represents. Example: Buzz Bam! Boom!

M ETAPHOR A figure of speech comparing two different things without using "like" or "as"; a symbol. Example: The assignment was a breeze. Her voice is music to my ears.

S IMILE A comparison using "like" or "as“. Example: He’s as sly as a fox. She smelled as sweet as a rose.

A LLITERATION Repetition of initial consonant sounds. Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

P ERSONIFICATION Giving human qualities to something non-human. Example: The leaves danced in the wind. The fire swallowed the entire forest.