Vocabulary
Literary Devices
metaphor · simile · allusion · personification · paradox · irony
Metaphor
describing something by saying it is something else to suggest a similarity
Simile
a comparison using "like" or "as"
Allusion
an indirect reference to a person, place, or event
Personification
attributing human qualities to non-human things
Examples
"Life is a journey" is a common metaphor.
"As cold as ice" is a simile.
Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth
Hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration for dramatic or comic effect
Oxymoron
a phrase combining two contradictory terms
Allegory
a story where characters and events symbolise deeper moral truths
Examples
"Less is more" is a famous paradox.
"I've told you a million times" is an example of hyperbole.
Foreshadowing
giving an advance hint of what is to come later in the narrative
Motif
a recurring image or idea that develops a theme throughout a work
Examples
The storm in chapter one was foreshadowing the conflict ahead.
The recurring mirror motif suggests self-deception in the novel.
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