Terms o' Literariness
Man vs. Nature is a common one. (Sofia Popov)
Theme
A short, clever saying such as Abe Lincoln's "the ballot is stronger than the bullet." (Evan Englert)
epigram
Dark Helmet: I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
Lone Star: What does that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing.”
(Martin Everett)
parody
"You are free to execute your laws and your citizens as you see fit." -Star Trek The Next Generation (Ollie Barton)
zeugma
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” This opening line from Dickens' Tale of Two Cities is a classic example of both paradox and ___________. (Matthew Cinelli)
anaphora
O death, where is thy sting? (John Strezewski)
apostrophe
Animals behaving like humans in Orwell's Animal Farm. --Ben Koontz
anthropomorphism
Protagonist Michael Corleone in The Godfather is one. (Brison Shira)
antihero
"I'm soooo happy the teacher gave us all this homework before spring break." (Jaden Diaz)
The soft, pleasing sounds in this verse:
Show me your motion
Tra la la la la
She looks like a sugar in a plum
Plum plum
(Inderpreet Singh)
euphony
"An unknown but terrible danger began to gnaw at Rimsky's soul." -The Master and Margarita (Paola Perez)
personification
harsh or jarring sound of explosive consonants as in Shakespeare's Macbeth:
"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!...Hell is murky. Fie my lord, fie!"
(Madison Risley)
cacophony
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. -Martin Everett
Pun
Critics often note the ______________ of baptism and murder in The Godfather. (Tyler Robinson)
juxtaposition
The audience knows that the car's breaks have been tampered with, as the hero brags about his safe driving. (Tyler Robinson)
Situational Irony
You buy yourself something after months of saving, and then someone gets it for you for Christmas. (Tyler Robinson)
situational irony
In Jeopardy and in skepticism, you don't answer the question, you question the answer. (Ian Morse)
chiasmus
This quote by General Douglas MacArthur contains an example of this. "Duty, honor, country: those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be." (Eleanor Weinzapfel)
asyndeton
The Great Eagles, who rescue Sam and Frodo on the side of Mt. Doom are an example. (Brison Shira)
deus ex machina
The character of Chick Hicks in Cars is one. (John Strezewski)
foil
“I refuse to call Megan Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct.” --Donald Trump (Brison Shira)
paralipsis
The ring, with its relationship to power and its ability to corrupt. (Ben Koontz)
symbol
This Walt Whitman poem is one.
"Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead."
(Abby Higgins)
elegy
"Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses and schools and lawns like carpets….” Maya Angelou, Caged Bird (Jaden Diaz)
polysyndeton
Can we get a head count? (Sofia Popov)
synecdoche