MetaphorMetaphor
Metaphor compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Unlike a simile or analogy, metaphor asserts that one thing is another thing, not just that one is like another.
Affliction then is ours; / We are the trees whom shaking fastens more. --George Herbert
SynecdocheSynecdocheSynecdoche is a type of metaphor
in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, the genus for the species, the species for the genus, the material for the thing made, or in short, any portion, section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa).
Farmer Jones has two hundred head of cattle and three hired hands.
MetonymyMetonymyMetonymy is another form of
metaphor, very similar to synecdoche (and, in fact, some rhetoricians do not distinguish between the two), in which the thing chosen for the metaphorical image is closely associated with (but not an actual part of) the subject with which it is to be compared.
The orders came directly from the White House.
PersonificationPersonificationPersonification metaphorically
represents an animal or inanimate object as having human attributes--attributes of form, character, feelings, behavior, and so on. Ideas and abstractions can also be personified.
The ship began to creak and protest as it struggled against the rising sea.
We bought this house instead of the one on Maple because this one is more friendly.
HyperboleHyperboleHyperbole, the counterpart of
understatement, deliberately exaggerates conditions for emphasis or effect.
There are a thousand reasons why more research is needed on solar energy.
AllusionAllusionAllusion is a short, informal
reference to a literary work, famous person or event.
“We had traveled too far into a net of expectations and left no crumbs behind.” The Scarlet Ibis
OxymoronOxymoronOxymoron is a paradox reduced
to two words, usually in an adjective-noun.
Jumbo shrimpAct naturallyCold fire
AlliterationAlliterationAlliteration is the recurrence of
initial consonant sounds.
Done well, alliteration is a satisfying sensation.
OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia is the use of words
whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes. "Buzz," for example, when spoken is intended to resemble the sound of a flying insect. Other examples include these: slam, pow, screech, whirr, crush, sizzle, crunch, wring, wrench, gouge, grind, mangle, bang, blam, pow, zap, fizz, urp, roar, growl, blip, click, whimper, and, of course, snap, crackle, and pop.
ApostropheApostropheApostrophe interrupts the
discussion or discourse and addresses directly a person or personified thing, either present or absent.
O books who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully! -- Richard de Bury
Assonance: similar vowel sounds repeated in successive or proximate words containing different consonants:
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
AllegoryAllegoryA multi-layered literary work in
which characters, objects, or actions represent distractions.
Animal Farm is an allegory.
AdageAdageA familiar proverb or wise saying.
AnalogyAnalogyA comparison of two different
things that are similar in some way.
Foot::leg as hand::arm
"His head was like the dome of a cathedral."
ClichéClichéOverused expression
Easy as pie
There’s no place like home.
ClimaxClimaxHighest point of interest in a
literary work
ColloquialismColloquialismInformal words or expressions
not acceptable in formal writing
Y’all wanna get some grub?
ConceitConceitFanciful extended metaphor
ConnotationConnotationThe implied or associated
meaning of a word
Brother has many more accepted meanings than a male sibling.
DenotationDenotationThe literal or dictionary meaning
of a word.
DialectDialectA variety of speech characterized
by its own particular grammar of pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographic region.
*think To Kill a Mockingbird
DialogueDialogueConversation between two or
more people
DictionDictionWord choice made by a writer
EllipsesEllipsesOmission of a word or phrase
which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from context.
Some people prefer dogs; others cats.
EpiphanyEpiphanyA moment of sudden revelation
EpitaphEpitaphInscription on tombstone
FlashbackFlashbackInsertion of an earlier event into
the normal chronological order
Flat CharacterFlat CharacterEmbodies a single quality; does
not develop in the course of the story
ForeshadowingForeshadowingPrepares reader for what is to
come next
GenreGenreMajor category of literature
Poetry, fiction, drama
HyperboleHyperboleIntentional exaggeration for
effect
Her bag weighed a ton.
IdiomIdiomAn expression in a given
language which cannot be understood in a lteral sense.
It was raining cats and dogs.
We were in a pickle.
ImageryImageryUsing language to create vivid
images that appeal to one of the senses.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” -Hamlet
InferenceInferenceUsing evidence to draw a
conclusion
IronyIronyIncongruity between what
happens and what is expected to happen
It was ironic that the kids wished Miss Brown many more happy birthdays when she would not live to see another one.
JargonJargonSpecialized language
Doctors: stethoscope, malpractice, scalpel
Auto Mechanics: carburetor, muffler, transmission
JuxtapositionJuxtapositionPlacing two elements side by side
to show contrast
Romeo and Juliet is full of structural juxtapositions between light and dark and between age and youth.
MetaphorMetaphorDirect comparison of two unlike
things
“All the world’s a stage”
MetonymyMetonymySubstituting the name of one
object for another closely associated
The pen is mightier than the sword.
MoodMoodEmotional atmosphere of a work
*the reader’s side
ToneToneThe attitude a writer has toward
his subject
*writer’s side
NarratorNarratorWho tells the story
ParallelismParallelismThe use of corresponding
syntactical forms (creating balance in the sentence)
We added the milk, beat the eggs, and sifted the flour.
ParaphraseParaphraseRestatement of text in a different
form
ParodyParodyHumorous interpretation of a
serious work
PunPunA play on words
Round CharacterRound CharacterA character who develops or
changes throughout the course of a work
SatireSatireUse of humor to point out
imperfections in people or social institutions
SimileSimileLike is like a box of chocolates
SettingSettingTime, place, and environment
SymbolSymbolStands for itself as well as
something outside itself
SyntaxSyntaxHow words are arranged in
sentences
Subject + Verb
Prepositional Phrase + Subject + Verb
Subject + Verb + Direct Object
ThemeThemeThe central idea of a work of
literature
ThesisThesisThe primary position taken by a
speaker or writer
TragedyTragedyProtagonist engaged in a struggle
which ends in destruction or ruin
Romeo and Juliet
Understatement Understatement Deliberate under-emphasis
