implied metaphor
Implies or suggests the comparison between the two thing without stating it directly. maetaphor lacking the actual "to be" verb. (oh my love has petals and sharp thorns)
extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally. (she was as cool as a cucumber)
dead metaphor/cliche
A comparison that has been so overused that we hardly notice it as a metaphor anymore. ("foot of the bed," "hands of a clock") (he hit the nail on the head)
Irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
dramatic irony
when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't
situational irony
An outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected
verbal irony
A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant (sarcasm)
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it (The white house is furious=the president is furious)
Synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (all hands on deck, lets buy 100 head of cattle)
Allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event (chocolate is my achilles heal)
Euphemism
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. (to die=moving to a better place) (lame, crippled, disabled, physically challenged)
Aphorism
A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life. (lost time is never found again)
Paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. (in hamlet... though this be madness, yet there is method in it)
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. (jumbo shrimp)
Symbolism
A device in literature where an object represents an idea. (american culture symbols=red, white and blue, bald eagle)
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. (so hungry i could eat a horse)
Understatement
the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended. (Monty Python... tis only a flesh wound)
Litote
A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite. ("she was not a little upset" for "she was extremely updet")
Apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. (oh sun i miss you, now that its december)
pun
A play on words (in a golf shop "when drinking dont drive)
Zeugma
type of pun in which the verb has two meanings and the objects complement both meanings. (you held your breath and the door for me)
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds
Consanance
the repitition of consonant sounds anywhere in the word, not just at the beginning
Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds. at the begining of the word
Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents.
Epithet
a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered into common usage. (honest abe, alexander the great)
Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight=visual, sound=auditory, smell=olfactory, touch=tactile, taste=gustatory)
Metaphor
A comparison without using like or as