You don't need a list of twenty technical terms. These three come up all the time, and you can spot them with a simple test.
Simile
A simile compares two things using "like" or "as".
- He ran like a startled deer.
- Her smile was as bright as the sun.
The test: can you see the word like or as doing the comparing? Then it's a simile.
Metaphor
A metaphor says one thing is another thing.
- Her eyes were diamonds.
- Time is a thief.
The test: the writer says it is the other thing, with no like or as.
Personification
Personification gives a non-human thing a human action or feeling.
- The wind whispered through the trees.
- The old house groaned in the storm.
The test: can only a person do that? Whispering, groaning, smiling, sleeping. If a thing is doing it, that's personification.
Don't stop at the name
Naming the technique is only half the job. Always add what it does: what idea it suggests, or how it makes the reader feel.
"The wind whispered" is personification. It makes the wind sound gentle and secretive, so the scene feels quiet and a little mysterious.
Try it now
Can you spot which one it is?
One line, one word
The rain was lashing down.
What does 'lashing' suggest here?