Other Terms
a group or set of three words, phrases, or clauses
TRIAD
emphasizes two separate and opposite things that are mutually exclusive (they can be one thing but not the other)
BINARY OPPOSITIONS
the repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause
ANADIPLOSIS
a stylistic device used to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in the sentence
ASYNDETON
a strong pause within a line, often found alongside enjambment
CAESURA
a form of metonymy that is restricted to cases where a part is used to signify the whole
SYNECDOCHE
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
DICHOTOMY
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
ANAPHORA
includes the addition of multiple conjunctions
POLYSYNDETON
a recurrent symbol or motif of a character in literature, art, or mythology
ARCHETYPE
slang; informal language
COLLOQUALISM - noun
COLLOQUIAL - adjective
a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true
PARADOX
an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other
ANTITHESIS
the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter
INVERSION
ANASTROPHE
the appearance of being true or real
VERISIMILITUDE
a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called “major” and the second called “minor”) that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion
SYLLOGISM
an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other
ANTITHESIS
the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences
EPISTROPHE
the saying of the same thing twice in different words (a fault in syntax and style)
TAUTOLOGY
a statement that expresses a general truth or a moral principle
APHORISM
a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses
ZEUGMA
an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary
LITOTE
uses the same words in two independent clauses but in reverse or changed order
CHIASMUS
using a word in a new grammatical form
ANTHIMERIA
a short, witty statement that uses humor or blatant statements to make a commentary on some sort of issue, whether it be political, social, religious, or just about day-to-day life
EPIGRAM