English Literary Device

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life. Example" If you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will spend its whole life thinking it's stupid"

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as Example: "You were as brave as a lion"

Loose Sentence

A complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows Example:"The mall is opening today, with a ice rink, candy store and movie theater"

Zeugma

A construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs—often in different, sometimes incongruent ways—two or more words in a sentence. Example:"You may execute your laws, and your citizens as you wish"

Metnonymy

A figure of speech in which a thing is referred to by name of something closely associated with that thing. Example: "Maybe WASHINGTON will listen to the voters"

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes Example:"The tired old car coughed and wheezed and crawled down the street"

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Example:"Jumbo shrimp", "Bittersweet", "Act Natural"

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds Example:"Beware the jabberwocky my son: The son that bites the claws that catch beware the jabjub bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch", "I detest war because cause of war is always trivial"

Rhetorical question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer Example:"Why would you not study for the test?"

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event. Example: "You're acting like a Scrooge"

Synesthesia

Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound", "Skittles! Taste the rainbow"

Anastrophe

Inversion of the natural or usual word order (Yoda language) Example: "Powerful you have become; the dark side I sense in you"

Litotes

Ironic understatement used to emphasize a point by stating a negative further affirm a positive (double negative) Example:"It wasn't a terrible trip", "He's not the unfunniest person"

Parrallelism

Parallel or similar sentence structure or grammatical construction. Example:"My face washed, my hair combed and my teeth brushed, I was ready to go"

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts. "All's fair in love and war"

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause Example:"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering"

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Examples: "She sells sea shells by the sea shore"

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence. Examples:"Friends for now, forever!", "

Polysyndeton

The use of a number of conjunctions in close succession(Usually it is and) Example: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers"

Euphony

To make phonetic changes for ease of pronunciation. Example:"Season of mist and mellow fruitiness. Close blossom friend of the maturing sun."

Periodic sentence

a complex sentence in which the main clause comes last and is preceded by the subordinate clause Example: "In spite of the cold temp, and heavy snow, the game continued", Low taxes, mild climate, and beautiful view, the city is a great place to live"

Metaphor

a direct comparison of two different things also shows the similarities. Example: "The calm lake was a mirror", "The snow is a white blanket"

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt. Example:"Passed away instead of died", "Downsized rather than fired"

Paradox

a self-contradictory statement that on closer examination proves true; a person or thing with seemingly contradictory qualities. Opposed to common sense. Example: "I can resist anything but temptation" "I am Nobody"

Chiamus

a sentence strategy in which the arrangement of ideas in the second clause is a reversal of the first. Examples: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Example:"He's running faster than the wind", "He is the funniest person in the world"

Synedoche

figure of speech that uses a part to represent the whole Examples: "Shoulder to cry on", "All hands on deck", I got new wheels"

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines Example: "My life is my purpose, My life is my goal, My life is my inspiration"

Antithesis

the direct opposite of something. Must be parallel structure and has polar opposites. Example: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

Epistrophe

the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences Example: "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"