Elements of Literature: Definitions and Examples
1. Genre
A) Genre is a category or style of art and literature.
B) An example of genre would be fiction.
2. Figurative Language A) Figurative language is language that does not mean exactly what it says.
B) An example of figurative language would be: “that is a hamburger to die for”.
3. Personification A) Personification is giving human qualities to lifeless objects
B) An example of personification would be: “the stairs moaned under the heavy weight”.
4. Hyperbole A) A hyperbole is an exaggeration.
B) An example of hyperbole would be: “I have told you a million times”.
5. Literal Language A) Literal language is language that means exactly what it says.
B) An example of literal language would be: “The lamp is on”.
6. Alliteration A) Alliteration is the repetition of the first consonant in a group of words.
B) An example of alliteration would be: “peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”.
7. Simile A) Simile is a comparison that uses “like” or “as”.
B) An example of simile would be: “the plane is like a bird”.
8. Imagery A) Imagery is language that creates a picture in the reader’s mind.
B) An example of imagery would be: “at sunset, the clouds are laced with gold”.
9. Onomatopoeia A) Onomatopoeia is words that sound like what they mean.
B) An example of onomatopoeia would be: “buzz”.
10. Allegory A) Allegory is a story in which the characters represent abstract ideas or qualities.
B) An example of allegory would be the book Animal Farm.
11. Assonance A) Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in a group of words.
B) An example of assonance would be: “Days Wane Away”.
12. Metaphor A) Metaphor is a comparison that does not use “like” or “as”.
B) An example of metaphor would be: “you are my sunshine”.
13. Symbolism A) Symbolism is the use of one object to represent another.
B) An example of symbolism would be: “dove is a symbol of peace”.
14. Theme A) A theme of a piece of literature is its central idea.
B) An example of a theme would be: “truth endures time”.
15. Mood A) The mood of a piece of literature is its emotional atmosphere.
B) An example of a mood would be “depression”.