Literary Terms These terms commonly appear in the narrative reading section of the HSPA.

Alliteration: the repetition of an initial consonant soundExample: Rabbits Running over Roses

Irony: when the result of something is opposite to what the reader expectsExample: “Trusting no man as his friend, he could not recognize his enemy when the latter actually appeared

Hyperbole: To exaggerate something for an effect

Simile: a comparison between two things, using like or as, to show or suggest that they are similar Examples: The little boy is as light as a feather. Your eyes sparkle like diamonds.

Metaphor: a comparison between two things to show or suggest that they are similar

Examples: She is a shining star. Johnny is a weasel.

Foreshadowing: giving clues to the reader about what is going to happen Examples: "put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed to-night“…”The sun is setting, and Faith's worries create a mood of apprehension. “

Understatement: a statement that makes something seem smaller or less important than it really is

Example: You've just finished the hardest workout of your entire life, you're moments away from dropping dead from exhaustion, and a friend comes by and sees you sweaty, huffing and puffing, and says, "Tired?" and you answer, "Just a little."

Theme: the central idea of a story; the message or main point the author wants to get across

Satire: making fun of something or someone with humor or sarcasmExamples: “Saturday Night Live,” “South Park”

Tone: the emotional attitude or feeling of an entire workExamples: playful, serious, funny

Allusion: a reference to a commonly known person, place, event, or piece of literatureExample: Taylor Swift’s song, “Love Story”…

…That you were RomeoYou were throwing pebblesAnd my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"And I was crying on the staircaseBegging you, "Please don't go"

Symbolism: something that stands for something else or suggests an ideaExamples: A heart symbolizes love.

Onomatopoeia: the creation of words that imitate natural sounds; words that look how they soundExamples: bang, boom, splat

Oxymoron: a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings

Examples: No-Smoking sign in an ashtray; Jumbo Shrimp

Personification: giving human qualities to nonhuman objectsExample: “…the moon gazed”