A Dictionary of Literary Terms

1. Metaphor a) Definition: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is describes an object or action, which it does not literally mean b) Examples: y Life is a Journey y the moon was a ghostly galleon y Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life y Conscience is a man s compass y All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree c) Function: In my opinion, the function of a metaphor is to convey to the reader, a different, but deeper perspective of the object they wish to portray. A metaphor also allows them to compare the object itself to the object it is described as, and therefore helps the reader to create a personal view as well. 2. Simile a) Definition: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, usually using the words like or as b) Examples: y "You could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all that hair" y "a pile of red rubies as big as glowing coals" y "His nostrils were like slits" y crisp as an apple y "Revulsion and fury rose in him like vomit." c) Function: In my opinion, the function of a simile is to portray an object in a more descriptive way, to show the reader how an object is. 3. Personification a) Definition: the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form b) Examples: y The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky y The run down house appeared depressed y The first rays of morning tiptoed through the meadow y The flowers waltzed in the gentle breeze y He did not realize that his last chance was walking out the door c) Function: In my opinion, the function of personification is paint a vivid picture from words, using human-like characteristics to represent actions that a human may do, since a human s capability of feeling and action extends much further than an object.