Imaginative language features

• Connotation

  Meaning that suggested
• Anthropomorphism


  Giving human qualities to an animal or object
• Metaphor


  A comparative device that describes one thing as being another
• Metonymy


  Using a word to represent a larger concept to which it is related
• Pathetic fallacy


  Crediting nature with human straits, e.g a description of weather to symbolise a character's emotional state
• Personification


  Attributing human qualities to an object
• Simile


  A comparative device that describes one thing as being like another
• Symbolism


  An object or phrase that embodies a range of meanings that extend beyond its literal definition.
• Synecdoche


  Using a part to represent a whole concept or using a specific to represent the general, e.g using 'hands' to refer to workers
• Zoomorphism


  Giving animal-like qualities to something that is not an animal.
• Alliteration


  Using words with the same initial sound in quick succession
• Assonance


  Using words with the same vowel sounds in quick succession
• Cacophony


  Combining words to create or imply a harsh or unpleasant sound
• Consonance


  Using words with the same consonant sounds
• Euphony


  Combining words to create or imply a pleasing sound
• Onomatopoeia


  Words that sound similar to the sound they are meant to depict
• Caesura


  A break in the rhythm or line of poetry, created by splitting a sentence or interrupting its regular rhythm, resulting in a dramatic pause
• Rhythm


  Patterns created through the arrangement of words according to syllables or the natural emphasis created by their pronunciation.
• Irony


  Using words with intended meanings that are different from, or even the opposite of, their literal meanings; often conveyed by the tone of delivery
• Parody


  A deliberate exaggeration of particular textual features of another work for humorous effect
• Satire


  Using humour or parody to draw attention to human flaws
• Allegory


  Exploring a complex or abstract concept through the creation of a more concrete example
• Analogy


  Explaining something by comparing it with a similar thing that is more familiar to the audience.