Allegory
A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and action in a narrative are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative text itself
ex. Animal Farm is a/n allegory to Soviet totalitarianism during Stalin's reign
Alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds
ex. The snake slithered slowly in the grass.
Allusion
An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art (usually conveying a meaning beyond the literal).
ex."My neighbor is never seen coming out of his house; he is a Boo Radley." (Boo Radley is a character from To Kill
Ambivalence
The existence of mutually conflicting feelings or attitudes.
ex. Graduation was swiftly approaching, and Lauren was filled with an uncertain blend of excitement, fear, and dread.
Anachronism
when an author puts an object in a time period in which it does not belong
ex. The characters in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar mention objects such as hats and doublets (large, heavy jackets) - neither of which existed in ancient Rome.
Analogy
Compares two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one.
ex. "Tom was as nervous the day of his wed
Antithesis
Juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas (often, although not always, in parallel structure).
ex. "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."�Abraham Lincoln
Aphorism
a wise saying that bears repetition
ex. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Apostrophe
A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an inanimate object or an absent or a personified quality.
ex. Jane grumbled at the sun to go away so that she could sleep a couple more hours.
Chiasmus
grammatical structure of the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words
ex. He exalts his enemies; his friends he destroys.
Connotation
The set of associations that occur to people when they hear or read a word.
ex. When people hear the word "gourmet," they think of an expensive delicacy.
Dramatic Irony
A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader, audience, or another character in the story knows to be true.
ex. At the end of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is about to come back to life, but
Epiphany
A sudden understanding or realization which prior to this time was not thought of or understood.
ex. With the evidence spread out in front of him, the detective suddenly realized who the thief was.
Euphemism
A device where being indirect replaces directness to avoid unpleasantness.
ex. "Her uncle passed away." (instead of "died")
Foreshadowing
The use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur.
ex. "The leaves fell early that year." --Ernest Hemingway's opening line of A Farewell to Arms (suggests that there will be an early death in the novel)
Hyperbole
A deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.
ex. "Man, we've been in this class FOREVER!
Idiom
A use of words, a construction particular to a given language or an expression that cannot be translated literally into a second language.
ex. "It's a piece of Cake!
Juxtaposition
A poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another for the purpose of comparison, often creating an effect of surprise and wit
ex. "His words were both fearful and reassuring.
Litotes
A special form of understatement in which we affirm something by negating its contrary.
ex. "She's not a bad cook." (meaning that she's quite a good cook)
Malapropism
The intentional misuse of a word by using one that sounds similar.
ex. "I think he's suffering from a nervous shakedown."�Stan Laurel, comedian ("Shakedown" is substituted for "breakdown.")
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.
ex. People often say "the White House" to refer to the president and his administration.
Motif
Recurrent images, words, phrases, objects, traits, actions, or ideas that tend to unify the work.
ex. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, fire is a recurring idea that represents destruction and death but also warmth and light, depending on how it's used.
Oxymoron
A two-word figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory ideas.
ex. jumbo shrimp, dry ice, freezer burn
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but that expresses the truth.
ex. "Deep down he's really very shallow.
Personification
A type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given lifelike characteristics
ex. The leaves danced in the wind.
Simile
A figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike objects.
ex. He was like a ticking time bomb ready to explode.
Situational Irony
A mode of expression through events conveying a reality different from and usually opposite to appearance or expectation.
ex. "Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink." (Coleridge)
Symbolism
A concrete object that has its own meaning, but also represents an abstract idea.
ex. In Fahrenheit 451, the phoenix is used as a symbol for rebirth. It shows that once something is created, it has to fall. Mankind would be compared to the phoenix that bu
Synaesthesia
A condition in which one type of sensory stimulation creates perception in another sense.
ex. The trumpet player blasted a sour note.
Synecdoche
A form of metaphor in which a part of something is used to stand for the whole thing.
ex. "He got a new set of wheels." (set of wheels = car)
Understatement
Saying less than is actually meant, generally in an ironic way
ex. In Monty Python the knight says, "it's just a flesh wound!' when his arms and legs are cut off.
Verbal Irony
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation
where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
ex. Saying "Oh, fantastic!" when you have a flat tire.
Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses; it helps to establish a strong rhythm and produces a powerful emotional effect.
ex. We will pursue him into the mountains; we will pursue him into the desert; we wil
Anastrophe (sentence inversion)
Involves constructing a sentence so the predicate comes before the subject.
ex. Among the weeds were a few wildflowers.
Asyndeton
A deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses; it speeds the pace of the
sentence.
ex. I saw the mountain; I climbed the mountain; I conquered the mountain.
Ellipses
The deliberate omission of a word or words which are readily implied by the context; it creates an elegant or daring economy of words.
ex. To err is human; to forgive, divine."
--Alexander Pope
("is" is omitted, but implied)
Epanalepsis
The repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause; it tends to make the sentence or clause in which it occurs stand apart from its surroundings.
ex. "He is noticeable for nothing in the world except for the mar
Epistrophe
The repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses; it sets up a pronounced rhythm and gains a specialemphasis both by repeating the word and by putting the word in the final position.
ex. "Unfortunately, it would have bee
Parallelism / parallel structure
Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.
ex. Singing a song or writing a poem is joyous.
Polysyndeton
The deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis�to highlight quantity or mass of detail or to create a flowing, continuous sentence pattern; it slows the pace of the sentence.
ex. The meal was amazing�my mother had cooked turkey and dressing