Mid year assessmentseventh grade

Literary Devices

•Personification•Giving human characteristics or thought to an object.

•The river swallowed the earth as the water continued to rise higher and higher.

•The first rays of light tiptoed through the meadow.

•I can hear Costa Rica calling my name.

•Simile•Comparing two things using “like” or “as”

RepetitionThe repeating of a word or phrase to

add rhythm, or to stress an idea.

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

MetaphorA figure of speech that compares

two things without using like or as.

IdiomsWords used in a special way that is different from their actual meaning.

IronyA technique that uses a word or phrase to

mean the exact opposite of its normal meaning.

Example:Danielle smiles and laughs all the time, so

we call her Grumpy.I would LOVE to help you move all of your

things from the basement to the attic!

HyperboleAn extreme exaggeration or overstatement that a writer uses for emphasis.

Example:My brother exploded when he saw the damage to his car.

SymbolismUsing a concrete or real object to represent an idea.

Example:A dove is a symbolism for peace.

Onomatopoeia•The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound (buzz, hiss)

•“SCREEEEEEEEECH!” SAID THE PENGUIN.

•Alliteration•The repeating of sounds, usually (not always) consonants in the beginning of words.

•Example: All albatross are aerial acrobats.

•Example 2: You need sufficient fish if friends with a fine penguin.

•Flashback•A scene showing a past time added into the current time in a story.

•Example: I picked up the baby penguin that had just hatched from Sparky’s egg. Five years ago, Sparky had felt just the same when he hatched. He was warm in my hands, and I could feel his little heart racing.

Foreshadowingwhen an author mentions or hints at something that will happen later in the story