Allegory When a piece of writing can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
Alliteration The repetition of the same letter to begin words that are close together Allusion A reference to a well-known story, phrase, person or event
Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together, also known as internal rhyme
Enjambment When a line in a poem has no punctuation at the end so the meaning runs onto the next line; also known as a ‘run-on line’
Figurative Language that is intended to create an image, association or other eff ect in the reader’s mind that goes beyond the literal or expected use of the words
Hyperbole Exaggeration of ideas in order to create emphasis and gain the reader’s attention
Imagery Descriptions in poems that help to make a picture in the reader’s mind, appealing to their senses
Irony The use of words where the meaning is the opposite of their usual meaning or what is expected to happen/When a line has both a literal meaning and a fi gurative meaning (a deeper, hidden meaning)
Literal Taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration Metaphor Comparing things without using the words ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘than’ Onomatopoeia When the sound of the word refl ects the meaning Personifi cation Giving human qualities to non-human objects Pun A play on words that have diff erent meanings
