| A | B |
|---|
| Apostrophe | Address to a dead person or inanimate object as in Walt Whitman's "O Captain, My Captain" where he is calling out to Abraham Lincoln |
| Allusion | Author makes a reference to a historical place, person, or even in a literary work |
| Alliteration | The repetition of similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
| Metaphor | The comparison of one thing to another that does not use 'like' or 'as.' |
| Oxymoron | The association of two contrary terms, as in the expression 'same difference' |
| Simile | A comparison of two things through the use of 'like' or 'as.' |
| Imagery | Poet's attempt to paint a mental picture in the mind of the reader by use of the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and hearing |
| Onomatopoeia | The use of words, such as 'pop,' 'hiss,' and 'boing,' that sound like the thing they refer to. |
| Paradox | A statement that seems absurd or even contradictory on its face but often expresses a deeper truth |
| Personification | The use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas |
| Hyperbole | An excessive overstatement or conscious exaggeration of fact |
