LITERARY TERMS

ALLITERATION

The repetition of the same consonants in lines of poetry or

prose.

EUPHEMISM

Using mild words to describe something instead of using

offensive words

HYPERBOLE

Exaggeration to create an effect or for emphasis

METAPHOR

Direct comparison between two unlike things without using the

words “like” or “as”

ONOMATOPOEIA

Words whose sound suggests their meaning

PERSONIFICATION

Giving human qualities to something not human

SIMILE

Comparison between two things using “like” or “as”

OXYMORON

A phrase that combines opposite or contradictory terms

“My mind is an open door.”

A. Simile

B. Hyperbole

C. Metaphor

D. Alliteration

“But the sea, the sea in darkness calls.”

A. Oxymoron

B. Alliteration

C. Hyperbole

D. Idiom

Splash, buzz, hiss, boom

A. Onomatopoeia

B. Alliteration

C. Symbol

D. Metaphor

A cross. A rose. A dove. Mama’s little plant in A Raisin in the Sun.

A. Onomatopoeia

B. Hyperbole

C. Simile

D. Symbol

“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

A. Oxymoron

B. Understatement

C. Hyperbole

D. Symbol

Friendly fire, icy hot, jumbo shrimp

A. Tone

B. Oxymoron

C. Onomatopoeia

D. Hyperbole

“He slithered like a snake in the grass.”

A. Hyperbole

B. Metaphor

C. Simile

D. Oxymoron

“The oak trees whispered softly in the night breeze.”

A. Understatement

B. Hyperbole

C. Personification

D. Simile

“Everyday is a winding road.”

A. Simile

B. Hyperbole

C. Alliteration

D. Metaphor

‘Passed away’ instead of ‘died.’

A. Hyperbole

B. Euphemism

C. Metaphor

D. Alliteration