Literary terms, devices, and analytical vocabulary used in the IB English A Language and Literature course. Front: the term. Back: a plain-language definition with an example.
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- Metaphor
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A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Time is a thief.'- Simile
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A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Life is like a journey.'- Personification
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Giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human things. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'- Alliteration
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Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in neighboring words. Example: 'The quick brown fox.'- Assonance
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Repetition of vowel sounds within or at the end of words. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly plain.'- Consonance
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Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words. Example: 'Click, clack, clock.'- Irony
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Expression of meaning using language that suggests the opposite, often for emphasis or humor. Example: Saying 'Oh, that's just perfect' when something goes wrong.- Oxymoron
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A combination of contradictory or incongruous words placed together. Example: 'Bittersweet' or 'deafening silence.'- Pun
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A play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar-sounding words. Example: 'I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now.'- Hyperbole
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Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or dramatic effect. Example: 'I've told you a million times.'- Litotes
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A form of understatement that uses negative construction, often for ironic effect. Example: 'That's not bad' meaning 'That's good.'- Imagery
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Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses to create vivid mental pictures. Example: 'The golden sunrise painted the sky with crimson and amber.'- Motif
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A recurring theme, image, idea, or pattern throughout a work. Example: The recurrence of water symbolizing rebirth in a novel.- Symbol
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An object, person, or action that represents something beyond its literal meaning. Example: A dove representing peace and innocence.- Allegory
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A narrative in which characters and events represent broader abstract ideas or moral principles. Example: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe functioning as Christian allegory.
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