Rhetorical
This device involves reversing the order of words in parallel phrases, as in “Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country"
Chiasmus
Writing that aims to teach or instruct, often with a moral or educational purpose.
Didactic
Hemingway’s short, direct sentences versus Faulkner’s long, winding ones show differences in…
Style
When a word, phrase, or passage has multiple possible interpretations.
Ambiguity
A three-part parallel structure often used for emphasis, like “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Tricolon
Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal calls children “delicious” as food for the poor. This biting attack is an example of…
Invective
Ordinary written or spoken language that is not poetry.
Prose
Doctors might say “myocardial infarction” instead of “heart attack.” This specialized language is called…
Jargon
In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio says “’Tis but a scratch” after being fatally wounded. This is an example of…
Understatement
A style of writing that mimics the natural flow of thoughts, often fragmented or nonlinear.
Stream of Consciousness
n The Great Gatsby, Nick narrates events as both participant and observer. This illustrates…
Point of View
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in JFK’s inaugural address, he says: “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” This reversal of structure is an example of…
Chiasmus
A novel that teaches readers about social injustice while also entertaining them is using this type of writing, which blends instruction with artistry.
Didactic
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway shifts between Clarissa’s thoughts and Septimus’s hallucinations without clear transitions. This technique illustrates…
Stream of Consciousness
In Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken, the phrase “two roads diverged in a yellow wood” can symbolize both literal paths and life choices. This is an example of…
Ambiguity