Rhetorical Devices
Understatement
"I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain."
Prose
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." 1984 by George Orwell
Juxtaposition
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Rhetorical
(of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.
Extended Metaphor
A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.
Irony
A fire station burns down.
Hyperbole
A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar's back when he received the alms.
Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents.
Colloquial
A word, phrase, or form of pronunciation that is acceptable in casual conversation but not in formal, written communication. It is considered more acceptable than slang
Imagery
Glittering white, the blanket of snow covered everything in sight.
Metaphor
My brother was boiling mad.
Simile
Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
Alliteration
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Euphemism
The substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one, as in the use of "pass away" instead of "die."
Personification
The wind whispered through dry grass.
Dialect / Vernacular
Vernacular is the use of ordinary, everyday, and plain language in speaking or writing. Dialect is related to a particular region, geographical area, a particular social class, or an occupational group.
Paradox
You can save money by spending it.
Aphorism
a famous quotation
Synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa "wheels on a car"
Idiom
a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light ).
Literary Conceit
a kind of metaphor that compares two very unlike things in a surprising and clever way. = extended metaphor
3rd Person Point of View Omniscient
a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story
Anecdote
a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Proverb
a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice "A bad workman always blames his tools."
Maxim
a statement that gives behavioral advice
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Parody
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
Expository
are used in exposition, which is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, characters and other elements of a work to the audience
Jargon
defined as the use of specific phrases and words in a particular situation, profession, or trade. These specialized terms are used to convey hidden meanings accepted and understood in that field
Euphonious
defined as the use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create
Analogy
exploring a topic by explaining it in terms of another seemingly unlike but more commonplace and less complicated object, or experience
1st Person Point of View
first person is someone telling you his or her story, and second person is you being told how you should do something
Allegory
is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures, and events
Narrative
is a report of related events presented to listeners or readers, in words arranged in a logical sequence
Passive Voice
is a type of a clause or sentence in which an action (through verb), or an object of a sentence, is emphasized rather than its subject. Simply, the subject receives the action of the verb. The emphasis or focus is on the action, while the subject is not known or is less important.
Invective
is insulting or abusive language used to express blame or severe disapproval
3rd Person Point of View Limited
is writing from from the outsider's perspective, and uses pronouns like he, she, it, or they.
Figurative Language
language that uses nonliteral figures of speech (such as simile, hyperbole, and metaphor) to convey an idea in an imaginative way.
Epithet
nickname "Magic" Johnson
Ambiguity
open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.
Abstract
refers to a short summary or outline of a longer work. As an adjective applied to writing or literary works, abstract refers to words or phrases that name things not knowable through the five senses
Cacophonous
refers to the use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing, and unmelodious sounds - primarily those of consonants - to achieve desired results
Anachronism
something out of the proper time
Apostrophe
speaking to a non-living thing "I said to love"
Metonymy
the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant "crown for royalty"
Satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues
Oxymoron
two contradictory words, "sweet pain"