| A | B |
|---|
| repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence. "I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet." Robert Frost | alliteration |
| exaggeration for emphasis "I tried a thousand times." | hyperbole |
| expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning; the words say one thing but mean another "A fine thing indeed!" he muttered to himself as rain spoiled his golf game.. | irony |
| implied comparison achieved through a figurative use of words "Life's but a walking shadow..." Shakespeare's Macbeth | metaphor |
| use of words to imitate natural sounds "Buzz, buzz, buzz," went the bee. | onomatopoeia |
| a paradox created by combining words that seem to be opposite of each other example: jumbo shrimp or a wise fool | oxymoron |
| a statement that seems opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." George Bernard Shaw | paradox |
| giving personality to an impersonal thing "The sky cried over the loss of the sun." | personification |
| a comparison between two things using "like" or "as" example: Vines covered the windows like golden prisons. | simile |
| reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens refers to Shakespeare's Hamlet to emphasize Marley's death. | allusion |
| repetition of vowel sounds in a literary work example: Fleet feet sweep by sleeping sheep. | assonance |
| the repetition of consonant sounds, but not vowels example: Lady lizards lounges lazily. | consonance |
| a pattern of words that contain similar sounds example: go/show/glow/know/though | rhyme |
| in poetry, it is a recognizable "pulse" that gives a distinct beat to a line example: One, two, Buckle my shoe, Three, four, Shut the door. | rhythm |
| using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning example: the light bulb above a cartoon's head representing an idea | symbol |
