Figurative language and Tropes
a play on the meaning of words
pun
attributing human qualities to a force of nature
pathetic fallacy
expresses similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structures
parallelism
the deliberate omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context
ellipsis
repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of successive words
alliteration
appeals to an audience with logic
logos
an implied comparison between two unlike things
metaphor
use of words whose sounds reinforce the meaning
onomatopoeia
grammatical structure of the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words (“ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”)
chiasmus
repetition of the word or phrase that ends one phrase and begins the next phrase (example: "When I give, I give everything.")
anadiplosis
involves the repetition of vowel sounds within words
assonance
appealing to an audience’s emotions
pathos
attributing animal qualities that are not uniquely human to to an inanimate object
animism
a literal or sensual quality or item representing an abstract or suggestive aspect
symbol
the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas used for effect
antithesis
Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose
asyndeton
the recurrence of similar consonant sounds in close proximity at the end or middle of words
consonance
appealing to an audience with credibility
ethos
opposite of hyperbole; intensifies an idea by an understatement
litote
questions that do not require an answer
rhetorical questions
a poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to another, often creating an effect of surprise and wit
juxtaposition
repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses
anaphora
creating a pleasing effect by combining words or phonetic elements in spoken words to produce harmonious sounds
euphony
a satirical imitation of a work or of an author with the idea of ridiculing the author, his ideas, or work
parody
related to classification or division - a part is substituted for a whole (“bread” stands for food, “wheels” stands for car, “hands” stands for helpers)
synecdoche
the writer takes on another voice or role that states opposite of what is expressed
irony
the placing next to a noun another noun or phrase that explains it (example: “Pollution, the city’s primary problem, is an issue.”)
apposition
the use of many conjunctions for the purpose of slowing down the pace of the writing
polysyndeton
What sound device is used in: "The light shut off at that street"
Consonance
a brief, printed saying that has the nature of a proverb
epigram
addressing the absent as present or the inanimate or inhuman as if it could hear and understand
apostrophe
a statement that appears contradictory but, in fact, has some truth
paradox
The insertion of words, phrases, or a sentence that is not syntactically related to the rest of the sentence. Insertion is set off by using dashes or parentheses
parenthesis
the repetition of the same word or group of words at the end of successive clauses (opposite of anaphora)
epistrophe
creating a harsh effect by combining words that emphasize guttural, course sounds
cacophony
the substitution of a mild less negative word or phrase for a harsh, blunt one
euphemism