Rhetorical Devices & Figures of Speech PDF

A rhetorical device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective, using sentences designed to...

A rhetorical device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective, using sentences designed to A figure of speech is figurative/rhetorical language in the form of a single Rhetorical Devices encourage or provoke a rational argument from an emotional display of a given word or phrase. It can be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of & Figures of perspective or action. Note that although rhetorical devices may be used to evoke words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based Speech an emotional response in the audience, this is not their primary purpose. on the literal meaning of the words. Definition Example a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Allegories are narratives that represent something else entirely, like a historical event or significant ideology, to illustrate a deeper Animal Farm, by George Orwell. On its surface, Animal Farm is a story about meaning. Sometimes the stories are entirely fabricated and only loosely tied to their farm animals that rebel against their farmer. The underlying story, however, source, but sometimes the individual characters act as fictional stand-ins for real- concerns Orwell's disillusionment with the Bolshevik Revolution and is an Allegory life historical figures. indictment of the Russian government (Grammarly) The most famous type of consonance, alliteration is when the beginnings of words use the same consonant sound, like Bruce Banner or Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers. Some linguists also suggest alliteration encompasses vowel sounds at the beginnings of words too, like auburn autumn. Alliteration with vowel Alliteration sounds is not consonance. An allusion is an indirect reference to another figure, event, place, or work of art Example: The title of Haruki Murakami’s novel 1Q84 is itself an allusion to that exists outside the story. Allusions are made to famous subjects so that they George Orwell’s novel 1984. The Japanese word for the number nine is Allusion don't need explanation—the reader should already understand the reference. pronounced the same as the English letter Q. (Grammarly) Example: In The Dragons of Eden, Carl Sagan compares the universe’s entire history with a single Earth year to better demonstrate the context of when An analogy compares one thing to something else to help explain a similarity that major events occurred; i.e., the Earth formed on September 9, humans first Analogy might not be easy to see. appeared at 10:30 p.m. on December 31. (Grammarly) Most American schoolchildren know this anecdote about George Washington, the first US president. As the story goes, when George Washington was a child he cut down a cherry tree without permission. When his father saw the An anecdote is simply a story that’s short and self-contained. Most anecdotes fallen tree and asked who did it, George famously replied, “I cannot tell a lie” revolve around a central theme or event without too much complexity. Anecdotes and confessed. Although almost certainly not true, this story acts to can be true or fictional (or somewhere in between when it comes to exaggeration), emphasize Washington’s honesty. Anecdotes like this enforce certain ideals in and their tone can range from serious warnings to lighthearted jokes. Unlike other individuals, in this case to accent the virtues of an important cultural figure. Anecdote narratives, most anecdotes tend to focus exclusively on a single character. (Grammarly) Similarly, when you hear the word antagonist, you probably think of a story’s bad guy. This is only partially accurate. The character definition of antagonist is actually the opposition the protagonist faces. This could be another character, but it could also be the protagonist’s environment, social expectations, or a part of themselves. Antagonist By definition, a story’s antagonist stands between the protagonist and their goals. Anthropomorphism is when non-human things like animals or objects act human, Anthropomorphis exhibiting traits such as speech, thoughts, complex emotions, and sometimes even m wearing clothes and standing upright. One of the most famous examples of antithesis is Neil Armstrong’s real-life quote when landing on the moon: That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. There are two different pairs of antonyms here: small and giant, and step and leap. By putting the opposite concepts of “small step” and “giant leap” together in the same sentence, his statement makes each of them Antithesis places two contrasting and polarized sentiments next to each other in seem more significant. If Neil’s first words on the moon were “I took a small Antithesis order to accent both. step” and nothing more, his quote wouldn’t be nearly as popular! (Grammarly) An apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the writer addresses an inanimate “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (In Shakespeare’s Romeo object, a concept, or a person who is not physically present. (Don’t confuse this and Juliet, Juliet speaks to Romeo, whom she believes is not present.) Apostrophe with the other kind of apostrophe, which is a punctuation mark.) (Grammarly) An archetype is an emotion, character type, or event that is notably recurrent across the human experience. In the arts, an archetype creates an immediate sense of familiarity, allowing an audience member to relate to an event or character without having to necessarily ponder why they relate. Thanks to our instincts and life experiences, we’re able to recognize archetypes without any need for explanation. Although there is overlap among archetypes, stereotypes, stock characters, and clichés, the words are not synonyms. As a general rule, common archetypes and stock characters provide guidelines for characterization, while stereotypes and clichés are negative labels, used to describe bad writing or shallow Archetype thinking. (Masterclass) E.g. The Lover, The Hero, The Outlaw... etc.  “No pain, no gain.” The “ai” sound is repeated to make a catchy phrase, and it happens to rhyme. But assonance is also a way for writers to create rhythm and repetition without rhyming. For example, in this line from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 1”: “His tender heir might bear his memory.” “Heir” and “bear” rhyme, Assonance is sometimes called “vowel rhyme” because its effect on a reader is but they are aided by the repetition of the “eh” sound in “tender” and Assonance similar to that of a rhyme. “memory.” (Grammarly) There’s a reason so many songs are also called ballads—ballads are narrative poems characterized by their melodious rhyme scheme. A ballad can be any length, but it must be a series of rhyming quatrains. These quatrains, four-line stanzas, can follow any rhyme scheme. Commonly, the quatrains in a ballad follow an ABCB pattern, like this quatrain from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Grammarly) ABCB isn’t the only acceptable rhyme scheme for ballads. Some follow an ABAB scheme, which means the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. Whichever rhyme scheme a ballad And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen Nor shapes of Ballad follows, the rhyme and meter give the poem a feeling of musicality. men nor beasts we ken— The ice was all between “Blank verse” is a literary term that refers to poetry written in unrhymed but Blank Verse metered lines, almost always iambic pentameter. a word or phrase, often an item of jargon, that is fashionable at a particular time or Buzzword in a particular context. A cacophony is a combination of words that sound harsh or unpleasant together, usually because they pack a lot of percussive or "explosive" consonants (like T, P, or K) into relatively little space. For instance, the protagonist of the children's book "The Jabberwocky" - This famous poem by Lewis Carroll uses lots of made- Tikki Tikki Tembo has a very long, very cacophonous name: Tikki Tikki Tembo No up words to create a jumble of cacophonous sounds. When read aloud, the Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom poem might feels like a tongue-twister, or like you have marbles in your Barako. (LitCharts) To fully understand, it's helpful to know about explosive mouth. That's often one of the effects of cacophony. In this case, it helps consonants: An explosive consonant is a consonant that "pops" or has a "release" create a feeling of distortion and disorientation—almost as if the reader has —like a tiny explosion—when you say it. The consonants B, D, K, P, T, and G (as in entered another world (which is fitting because the poem itself is about a Gorilla, not George) are all explosive. You can think of explosive consonants as all mythical monster and takes place a fantastical world). - 'Twas brillig, and the the letters you would want to use if you were going to try to write out the sounds a slithy toves frying pan would make if you threw it down a stairwell: ting, ping, klang, dong, Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: bang, crash. Other consonants that can have explosive sounds are C, CH, Q, and All mimsy were the borogoves, Cacophony X. And the mome raths outgrabe. A character arc is the path a character takes over the course of a story. A character’s arc involves adversity and challenges, as well as some changes to the character, and ultimately leads to resolution. Character arcs generally progress in tandem with traditional three-act story structure. Most protagonist character arcs start with the inciting incident that sets up the stakes and central conflict facing this character. The way the arc progresses from there depends on what sort of story Character Arch you are telling and how the character functions. (MasterClass) When discussing characters in books, a foil is a character whose traits are opposite the protagonist’s. This notably different character serves to highlight the Character Foil protagonist’s traits. One example of a foil is Adele Ratignolle in The Awakening. The literary technique of chiasmus takes two parallel clauses and inverts the word Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for Chiasmus order of one to create a greater meaning. your country.” —John F. Kennedy (adapted from Khalil Gibran) (Grammarly) Circumlocution is when the writer deliberately uses excessive words and overcomplicated sentence structures to intentionally convolute their meaning. In Example: In Shrek the Third, Pinocchio uses circumlocution to avoid giving an Circumlocution other words, it means to write lengthily and confusingly on purpose. honest answer to the Prince’s question. (Grammarly) A cliché is a phrase that, due to overuse, is seen as lacking in substance or originality. For example, telling a heartbroken friend that there are "Plenty of fish in the sea" is such a cliché that it would probably not be all that comforting for them to hear, even though the saying is meant to be a reassurance. While "cliché" is most often used to describe expressions or phrases, it can be used to label nearly anything related to literature as being boring, tired, or uncreative, including settings, character traits, actions, ideas, images, and plot events or even entire storylines. Cliche (LitCharts) Colloquialism is using casual and informal speech, including slang, in formal writing Colloquial to make dialogue seem more realistic and authentic. It often incorporates respelling Example: “How you doin’?” asked Friends character Joey Tribbiani. Language words and adding apostrophes to communicate the pronunciation. (Grammarly)  Comedy, type of drama or other art form the chief object of which, according to modern notions, is to amuse. It is contrasted on the one hand with tragedy and on the other with farce, burlesque, and other forms of humorous amusement. The classic conception of comedy, which began with Aristotle in ancient Greece of the 4th century BCE and persists through the present, holds that it is primarily concerned with humans as social beings, rather than as private persons, and that Comedy its function is frankly corrective. (Britannica) A conceit is a fanciful metaphor, especially a highly elaborate or extended metaphor in which an unlikely, far-fetched, or strained comparison is made between two things. A famous example comes from John Donne's poem, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," in which two lovers are compared to the two points of a compass (the drawing tool) using a long and elaborate metaphor. - In classical poetry, there are two categories of conceit: Petrarchan conceits and metaphysical conceits. Petrarchan conceits are a fixture of the Petrarchan sonnet, while metaphysical conceits can be found in a school of poetry known as metaphysical poetry. - The word "conceit" is also sometimes used to refer to the central premise or guiding concept of a film, novel, or other artwork. - The modern meaning of conceit is the same as an extended metaphor, but it a more technical, traditional meaningis: A particularly fanciful or elaborate extended metaphor in which the comparison that the metaphor is making is far-fetched, or even so far- Conceit fetched as to be strained. (LitCharts) In literature, a conflict is a literary device characterized by a struggle between two Conflict opposing forces. Connotation an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. For example, take a look at this excerpt from “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” by Emily Dickinson, who is known for her slant rhymes: “Hope” is Consonance is a literary device that repeats the same consonant sounds in the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without adjacent or nearby words, like the –ck sound in tick tock or the n sound in lone the words – And never stops – at all – Dickinson uses consonance in the ranger. The same vowel sounds are not required, so consonance words don’t words soul and all, for sound of the consonant l. Because the l sound comes always rhyme. Moreover, unlike rhymes, the shared sound can come anywhere in at the ends of the words, soul and all sound similar. However, they each use a Consonance the word—the beginning, middle, or end. different vowel sound, so they are not a true rhyme. (Grammarly) A pair of successive rhyming lines, usually of the same length. A couplet is “closed” when the lines form a bounded grammatical unit like a sentence (see Dorothy Parker’s “Interview”: “The ladies men admire, I’ve heard, /Would shudder at a wicked word.”). The “heroic couplet” is written in iambic pentameter and features prominently in the work of 17th- and 18th-century didactic and satirical poets such as Alexander Pope: “Some have at first for wits, then poets pass’d, /Turn’d critics Couplet next, and proved plain fools at last.” (Poetry Foundation) the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the Denotation word suggests. Diction refers to the linguistic choices a writer makes to effectively convey an idea, a point of view, or tell a story. In literature, the words used by an author can help Diction establish a distinct voice and style. (MasterClass) Didactic intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more Dilemma alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones. Direct characterization is a type of literary device used to tell conclusive details about a character to the reader with little or no ambiguity. The idea is that the author is stating a definitive fact about the character, as opposed to more subtle For example, let’s say you have a character who doesn’t like children. A direct descriptions that leave some things up to the reader’s imagination.(Grammarly) characterization example would take a straightforward approach. The author Direct could state it clearly: Old man Humphrey never liked children, even when he Characterization himself was a child. Dissonance means a lack of harmony or agreement between things. In poetry, dissonance refers to a disruption in the harmonic sounds or rhythm of a verse. It is a deliberate awkwardness inserted into the work for disturbing effect. It can be: 1. Layout of sounds. Using vowel sounds that clash together. 2. Irregular rhythm. Disrupting the flow of a poem by changing the rhyme scheme. 3. Using harsh- Dissonance sounding words. Incorporating unusual or harsh-sounding words. (Masterclass)  Dramatic literature, the texts of plays that can be read, as distinct from being seen and heard in performance. The term dramatic literature implies a contradiction in that literature originally meant something written and drama meant something Drama performed. (Britannica) “Dirge Without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay is a well-known elegy. Take there are no length or form rules for elegies. However, there is a content a look at this excerpt: I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts requirement: Elegies are about death. Generally, elegies are reflective and written to in the hard ground. mourn an individual or group. They also frequently end with lines about hope and So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind: redemption. Elegies originated in ancient Greece, and over time, they morphed into Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned Elegy the mourning poems we know them as today. (Grammarly) With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned. the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able Ellipsis to be understood from contextual clues. Empathy the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Emphatically With empahsis or in a forceful way Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, the poet John Donne uses enjambment in his poem "The Good-Morrow" when he continues the opening sentence across the line break between the first and second lines: "I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I / Did, till we loved? Were Enjambment we not weaned till then?" (LitCharts) Epics have a long history. In fact, The Epic of Gilgamesh, considered by many to be the oldest surviving piece of literature, is an epic poem. Here is a snippet from the epic’s more than 2,000 words: When the gods created Gilgamesh There’s a reason the adjective epic refers to things that are huge, complex, and/or they gave him a perfect body. Shamash the glorious sun endowed him with over-the-top: Epics are long, detailed poems that tell fantastical stories of larger- beauty, Adad the god of the storm endowed him with courage, the great gods than-life characters. These stories can be fictional, historical, or historical with a made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, terrifying like a great wild bull. Epic generous helping of fiction and drama to heighten the emotion. (Grammarly) Two thirds they made him god and one third man. Example: “He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man,” a quote by Samuel Johnson, is the epigraph that opens Hunter S. An epigraph is an independent, pre-existing quotation that introduces a piece of Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a novel that deals largely with Epigraph work, typically with some thematic or symbolic relevance. substance abuse and escapism. (Grammarly) In fiction writing, an epilogue is a literary device that functions as a supplemental, but separate, part of the main story. It is often used to reveal the fates of the characters in a story and wrap up any loose ends. An epilogue is always set at some point in the future, after the main events of the story have taken place. Sometimes, particularly in genre fiction, it is also used to hint at the next installment Epilogue in a series of works. (Masterclass) Epiphany is when a character has a sudden realization with which they gain insight into the deeper meaning of something relating to the story. Almost anything could trigger a character’s epiphany including objects, dialogue, action, etc. Epiphanies will often change the trajectory of the narrative structure, taking the story either in a slightly different direction or drastically altering the movement of the plot altogether. Epiphanies serve to bring the character who experiences it greater clarity or awareness as they start to see a certain issue or event in a new light. It is common for epiphanies to be thought of as a character’s “ah-ha!” moment. (Wood Head Epiphany Publishing) For example, one of the most common epithets describes a dog as man’s best friend. This instantly suggests that a dog embodies all of the qualities of a Epithets are characterizing words or phrases firmly associated with a person or best friend: loyalty, devotion, support, love, and protection. You can use this thing and typically used in place of an actual name or title. More than a simple expression without using the word “dog” at all—for instance, you might say, adjective, epithets attribute a specific quality or characteristic to what is being “The park was full of man’s best friends”—because it clearly and vividly Epithet described. (Grammarly) expresses what a dog can mean to a person. Equivocation is a rhetorical way of speaking that is purposely vague with the intention of confusing or misleading the listener or making the argument so Equivocation ambiguous that listeners think they are in agreement. (Grammarly) Ethos is an element of argument and persuasion through which a speaker establishes their credibility and knowledge, as well as their good moral character. Ethos can be applied to writing and public speaking, and all writers use ethos to a certain extent to establish authority on a given subject and to build trust with Ethos readers. (Masterclass)  a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically Eulogy someone who has just died. Example: Euphemisms like “passed away” and “downsizing” are quite common in everyday speech, but a good example in literature comes from A euphemism is a soft and inoffensive word or phrase that replaces a harsh, Harry Potter, where the wizarding community refers to the villain Voldemort as Euphemism unpleasant, or hurtful one for the sake of sympathy or civility. “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” in fear of invoking him. (Grammarly) it's useful, when you're trying to identify euphony, to know what types of letters are used most often to make euphonic sounds. Generally speaking, those letters include: - Consonants with muted or muffled sounds, like L, M, Euphony is the combining of words that sound pleasant together or are easy to N, R, and W. pronounce, usually because they contain lots of consonants with soft or muffled - Consonants with buzzing sounds, like V, Z, and hard Th sounds (as in sounds (like L, M, N, and R) instead of consonants with harsh, percussive sounds "The"). (like T, P, and K). Other factors, like rhyme and rhythm, can also be used to create - Consonants with hissing sounds, like F, H, S, and Sh. - *assonance, euphony. An example of euphony is the end of Shakespeare's famous "Sonnet 18," consonance, and alliteration are some of the devices that help breate which goes "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and Euphony Euphony this gives life to thee." (LitCharts) a word (such as it in "make it clear which you prefer") that occupies the position of the subject or object of a verb in normal English word order and a syllable, word, or phrase inserted to fill a vacancy (as in a sentence or a metrical anticipates a subsequent word or phrase that supplies the needed meaningful Expletive line) without adding to the sense (Merriam Webster) content Fable, narrative form, usually featuring animals that behave and speak as human beings, told in order to highlight human follies and weaknesses. A moral—or lesson for behaviour—is woven into the story and often explicitly formulated at the end. Fable (Britannica) Fallacy a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument. Farce, a comic dramatic piece that uses highly improbable situations, stereotyped characters, extravagant exaggeration, and violent horseplay. The term also refers to the class or form of drama made up of such compositions. Farce is generally regarded as intellectually and aesthetically inferior to comedy in its crude The Three Stooges (2012), the Home Alone movies (1990–1997), The Pink Farce characterizations and implausible plots (Britannica) Panther movies (1963– 1993), and The Hangover movies (2009–2013) a flashback is a scene that takes place before a story begins. Flashbacks interrupt the chronological order of the main narrative to take a reader back in time to the Flashback past events in a character's life. Example: In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker’s vision of himself Foreshadowing is the technique of hinting at future events in a story using subtle wearing Darth Vader’s mask foreshadows the later revelation that Vader is in Foreshadowing parallels, usually to generate more suspense or engage the reader’s curiosity. fact Luke’s father. (Grammarly) “Autumn” by T.E. Hulme is example of a short free verse poem: A touch of cold in the Autumn night— I walked abroad, And saw the ruddy moon lean over a hedge Free verse poetry explicitly does away with a consistent rhyme scheme and meter. Like a red-faced farmer. A free verse poem can be long or short, and it can cover any subject matter—as I did not stop to speak, but nodded, long as it doesn’t have a consistent rhyme scheme or meter, it’s a free verse poem! And round about were the wistful stars Free Verse (Grammarly) With white faces like town children. Free verse vs. blank verse While their names are similar, free verse poetry is quite different from Hubris refers to excessive pride or overconfidence, which drives a person to In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Dr. Victor Frankenstein is determined to create blank verse poetry. Blank verse poetry overstep limits in a way that leads to their downfall. In Greek mythology, the legend life—an ability belonging only to nature or the gods. He succeeds in this is poetry with a specific meter, but no of Icarus involves an iconic case of hubris: Icarus is given artificial wings made of hubristic ambition and creates a living, intelligent being, but the being has the rhyme scheme. Although many blank wax and feathers so that he can fly (a superhuman feat), but he ignores his father's shape of a monster that so disgusts and terrifies Victor that he abandons it. verse poems are written in iambic warnings and flies too close to the sun, melting his wings and drowning in the The monster, in retaliation for this abandonment, resolves to make Victor's life pentameter, this is not a requirement. ocean. In classical definitions, hubris referred specifically to a defiance of the gods just as lonely as its own, and murders his loved ones. Victor's hubristic The only requirements for blank verse or of divine order. The contemporary definition of hubris, however, is broader. It aspiration to create life leads to life-shattering consequences when he can't poetry are that the poem not rhyme includes the defiance of other types of authority, such as a general disregard for the live up to the responsibilities of being a creator, and painfully reaffirms the and that it adheres to a consistent Hubris limits of human capability (LitCharts) "natural order" and his position within it as a mortal with limited capabilities. meter. (Grammarly) Hyperbole is using exaggeration to add more power to what you’re saying, often to Hyperbole an unrealistic or unlikely degree. An idiom is a phrase that, when taken as a whole, has a meaning you wouldn’t be able to deduce from the meanings of the individual words. It’s essentially the verbal The phrase “kill two birds with one stone” is an example of an idiom. Fluent equivalent of using the wrong math formula but still getting the correct answer. and native English speakers understand that this doesn’t refer to harming Idiom (Grammarly) birds or using stones, but that someone is completing two tasks at once.  Example: “The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell Imagery refers to writing that invokes the reader’s senses with descriptive word as though nothing bad could happen ever again in the world.” —E. B. White, Imagery choice to create a more vivid and realistic recreation of the scene in their mind. Charlotte’s Web (Grammarly) Indirect characterization is a type of literary device that reveals details about a character without stating them explicitly. Instead of describing a character in a straightforward way, the author shows their traits through that character’s actions, speech, thoughts, appearance, and how other characters react to them. - At times Indirect characterization would take a more roundabout approach. The author it’s tough to pinpoint an exact indirect characterization meaning, but in general it’s could describe a scene that shows the character’s dislike of children through whenever the reader learns something about a character without being told action or dialogue without explicitly stating it: Old man Humphrey stiffened the Indirect outright. - Unlike direct characterization, indirect characterization has more nuance moment the child came close. “Get out of here!” he snapped abruptly. “I’m Characterization and ambiguity, with more room for interpretation. (Grammarly) sick of you kids trampling my lawn!” Innuendo is an elusive or oblique remark; it is a way of saying something without saying it outright. Often, innuendo is used to suggest something sexual or disparaging. It is one form of euphemism, or an expression that softens uncomfortable topics. Innuendo is similar to circumlocution in that it does not describe the thing directly. However, it is not necessarily complicated or excessive. Innuendo (Grammarly) Internal rhyme is rhyme that occurs in the middle of lines of poetry, instead of at the ends of lines. A single line of poetry can contain internal rhyme (with multiple words in the same line rhyming), or the rhyming words can occur across multiple lines. An example of internal rhyme would be "I drove myself to the lake / and dove into the Internal Rhyme water." (LitCharts) Irony When something unexpected happens (more on Grammarly) special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and Jargon are difficult for others to understand. Juxtaposition Using contrast to create meaning (more on Grammarly) Logos is a persuasive device that’s used in writing and public speaking. It employs facts, figures, data, and other credible evidence to support an opinion, argument, or conclusion. These facts appeal to the audience’s sense of reason and reinforce Logos the writer’s claims. (Grammarly) Lyric Lyricism is the emotional or song-like quality, the lyrical property, of lyric poetry. Maxim : a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct; a proverbial saying Example: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women nearly players: Similar to an analogy, a metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different They have thier exists and their entrances, And one man in his time plays Metaphor things to show their similarities by insisting that they’re the same. many parts." - William Shakespeare, As You Like It (Grammarly) A poem’s meter is its rhythmic structure. The number of syllables in a line and their Meter emphasis compose a poem’s meter. (Grammarly) I could lend a hand (a hand means help). ; O, that record could with a backward look, Even of five hundred courses of the sun, Show me your image Metonymy involves replacing the name of something with the name of a closely in some antique book, Since mind at first in character was done! ―Sonnet 59, Metonym related thing. It appears in famous literature and everyday speech. Shakespeare (Five hundred courses of the sun replaces years.) the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops - a person's Milieu social environment/contexts Example: In the horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the literary mood of A story’s mood is the emotional response the author is targeting. A writer sets the vampires is scary and ominous, but in the comedic film What We Do In mood not just with the plot and characters, but also with tone and the aspects they Shadows, the literary mood of vampires is friendly and light-hearted. Mood choose to describe. (Grammarly) A motif is a recurring element in a story that holds some symbolic or conceptual meaning. It’s closely related to theme, but motifs are specific objects or events, Example: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s obsession with washing Motif while themes are abstract ideas. her hands is a motif that symbolizes her guilt. (Grammarly) Narration The way the story is told Fancy literary term onomatopoeia refers to words that represent sounds, with Example: The word “buzz” as in “a buzzing bee” is actually pronounced like Onomatopoeia pronunciations similar to those sounds. the noise a bee makes. (Grammarly) An oxymoron combines two contradictory words to give them a deeper and more Example: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Oxymoron poetic meaning. Juliet (Grammarly) Similar to an oxymoron, a paradox combines two contradictory ideas in a way that, Example: “I know only one thing, and that is I know nothing.” —Socrates in Paradox although illogical, still seems to make sense. Plato’s Apology (Grammarly)  Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, Additional details about Parallelism: Parallelism can be as simple as choosing emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. The following well-known adage is an example grammatically similar elements when writing a list, as in "First do X, second do of parallelism: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, Y, third do Z." - In some cases, parallelism involves the exact repetition of and you feed him for a lifetime." The grammatical structures of the first and second words, but all that is required to fit the definition of parallelism is the repetition Parallelism sentences parallel each other. (Lit Charts) of grammatical elements. Parenthesis or Parentheses? The singular form is parenthesis, which is only one of the curved brackets, while the plural parentheses denotes the pair of open and closed curved brackets. - a word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage that is grammatically complete without it, in writing Parenthesis usually marked off by curved brackets, dashes, or commas. A parody is a work that mimics the style of another work, artist, or genre in an exaggerated way, usually for comic effect. Parodies can take many forms, including fiction, poetry, film, visual art, and more. For instance, Scary Movie and its many Parody sequels are films that parody the conventions of the horror film genre. (LitCharts) Pathetic fallacy occurs when a writer attributes human emotions to things that aren't human, such as objects, weather, or animals. It is often used to make the environment reflect the inner experience of a narrator or other characters. For example, if a writer mourning the death of a loved one writes that "the flowers on the grave drooped in sadness," this would be an example of pathetic fallacy, since the flowers do not, in fact, feel sad. - Pathetic fallacy is a specific type of personification, or the attribution of human qualities to non-human things. Pathetic Fallacy (LitCharts) Pathos is a persuasive device that elicits a strong emotion from an audience. - The word pathos is derived from the Greek word páthos, which means “experience,” “suffering,” or “emotion.” The Greek philosopher Aristotle introduced the concept Pathos of pathos in his written work Rhetoric (Grammarly) Periphrasis and circumlocution are synonyms and can be used interchangeably. The definition of circumlocution is a way of writing something using more words For example, throughout the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort is referred to than are necessary. It is the opposite of concision. A writer might use as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This title refers to the antagonist, Periphrasis circumlocution to be deliberately obscure or to create vivid imagery. (Grammarly) introducing an air of danger and foreboding without having to elaborate. Personification is when an author attributes human characteristics metaphorically to nonhuman things like the weather or inanimate objects. Personification is strictly figurative, whereas anthropomorphism posits that those things really do act like Example: “The heart wants what it wants—or else it does not care...” — Personification humans. Emily Dickinson (Grammarly) Plot is the sequence of interconnected events within the story of a play, novel, film, epic, or other narrative literary work. More than simply an account of what happened, plot reveals the cause-and-effect relationships between the events that Plot occur. (LitCharts) Poetic justice in literature describes a literary device in which evil characters are punished or brought to justice for their actions, and good characters are rewarded. Literature that utilizes poetic justice will often have happy endings with moral Poetic Justice lessons for the reader to learn. (Masterclass) Point of view is the writer’s way of deciding who is telling the story to whom. Point of View (Grammarly) Example: Words like “blog” (web + log), “paratrooper” (parachute + trooper), Portmanteau is the literary device of joining two words together to form a new word “motel” (motor + hotel), and “telethon” (telephone + marathon) are all Portmanteau with a hybrid meaning. portmanteaus in common English. (Grammarly) A prologue is a separate introductory section of a literary work that comes before the main narrative. It sets the stage for the story or provides background information about the characters, setting, or events. Prologues are commonly found in books, plays, and other literary works, particularly in fiction. The length of a prologue can vary depending on the author and the work, but it is typically shorter than the main narrative. It can range from a few paragraphs to several Prologue pages. (Grammarly)  When you hear the phrase “main character,” the protagonist is usually the first character who comes to mind. In a story, the protagonist is the character the story is about. Their arc remains in focus throughout the story, and typically their choices, motivations, needs, and/or reactions to their circumstances drive the Protagonist story’s plot. Puns are a type of comedic wordplay that involve homophones (different words Example: “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” —Groucho Marx Pun that are pronounced the same) or two separate meanings of the same word. (Grammarly) An author's purpose is his reason for or intent in writing. An author's purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, to inform the reader, or to satirize Purpose a condition. Quatrain A four-line stanza, often with various rhyme schemes (Poetry Foundation) Repetition is a literary device that involves using the same word or phrase over and Repetition over again in a piece of writing or speech. the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of Rhetoric speech and other compositional techniques. A rhetorical question is an inquiry that ends in a question mark but is asked for effect rather than to elicit an answer. It’s often used in persuasive writing but is also common in everyday conversation. Depending on the context of the rhetorical question, its purpose may be to emphasize a point, prompt the audience to consider a topic, or lend intrigue to an argument. The answer to a rhetorical Rhetorical question is usually very obvious or the opposite, meaning it can’t be easily Question discerned. (Grammarly) Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, Additional details about Parallelism: Parallelism can be as simple as choosing Rhythm *Synonym emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. The following well-known adage is an example grammatically similar elements when writing a list, as in "First do X, second do for Parallelism - of parallelism: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, Y, third do Z." - In some cases, parallelism involves the exact repetition of definition is the and you feed him for a lifetime." The grammatical structures of the first and second words, but all that is required to fit the definition of parallelism is the repetition same here sentences parallel each other. (Lit Charts) of grammatical elements. Example: The works of Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels) and Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) are well known for being satirical. A Satire is a style of writing that uses parody and exaggeration to criticize the faults more modern example is the TV show South Park, which often satirizes Satire of society or human nature. society by addressing current events. (Grammarly) Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined location, like Middle Earth in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Similarly, the when can be a real time period (past or present) or imagined (the future). Other aspects that determine a setting include landscape, architecture, time of day, social context, and weather. For example, the setting of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the upper-middle class countryside of 19th century England, while the setting of Edward Albee's The Setting Zoo Story is a park bench in New York's Central Park. (LitCharts) A sestet is a six-line stanza of poetry. It can be any six-line stanza—one that is, itself, a whole poem, or one that makes up a part of a longer poem. Most Sextet commonly, the term refers to the final six lines of a sonnet. (LitCharts) Like metaphors, similes also compare two different things to point out their similarities. However, the difference between similes and metaphors is that similes Example: “Time has not stood still. It has washed over me, washed me away, use the words “like” or “as” to soften the connection and explicitly show it’s just a as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a careless child too near Simile comparison. the water.” —Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale (Grammarly) a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a Slang particular context or group of people. A soliloquy is a monologue in which a character in a play expresses thoughts and feelings while being alone on stage. Soliloquies allow dramatists to communicate information about a character’s state of mind, hopes, and intentions directly to an audience. Soliloquies became a dramatic convention in the 1590s and 1600s, when playwrights used the technique to allow characters to reveal important plot points. The opening speech in Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is an early example, but the most famous soliloquies in English come from Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet, Soliloquy Macbeth, and Othello. (Poetry Foundation)  two main types of sonnet: Shakespearean and Petrarchan. Both are named for poets who not only made the form their own but also made it famous. Sonnets have roots in thirteenth century Italy. Both types of sonnet adhere to specific rules. Sonnet (Grammarly) Shakespearean: - Three quatrains (four lines) and a couplet, which typically concludes the poem - ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG rhyme scheme Here is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet, “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Petrarchan: - Two stanzas: one octave (eight lines) and one sestet (six lines) - The Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, first eight lines present an argument or question - A volta, or “turn,” begins the The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. sestet, which responds to the argument posed in the octave - ABBAABBA, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, CDCDCD/CDECDE rhyme scheme I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” A stanza is a section of a poem. Think of it like a verse in a song or a paragraph in an essay. Stanzas compose a poem’s form. In a poem, the stanzas can all fit the Stanza same meter, or they can vary. (Grammarly) Closely related to motifs, symbolism is when objects, characters, actions, or other Example: In J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (and The Hobbit), it is recurring elements in a story take on another, more profound meaning and/or said the ring of Sauron symbolizes evil, corruption, and greed, which everyday Symbol represent an abstract concept. people, symbolized by Frodo, must strive to resist. (Grammarly) Synecdoche (pronounced sin-ek-duh-kee) is a figure of speech in which a specific part of something is used to refer to the whole thing. Synecdoche also works in the reverse direction by substituting the whole thing for a part. Although these For example, using synecdoche, the word threads means clothing, heels examples are harder to come by, below we’ll look at some poems that use this means high-heeled shoes, and a suit is a businessperson who wears suits to Synecdoche technique. (Grammarly) work. syntax in linguistics refers to the arrangement of words and phrases. Syntax covers topics like word order and grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement or the Syntax correct placement of direct and indirect objects. (Grammarly) A theme is a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature. One key characteristic of literary themes is their universality, which is to For instance, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (about a family of tenant say that themes are ideas that not only apply to the specific characters and events farmers who are displaced from their land in Oklahoma) is a book whose of a book or play, but also express broader truths about human experience that themes might be said to include the inhumanity of capitalism, as well as the Theme readers can apply to their own lives (Lit Charts ) vitality and necessity of family and friendship. A thesis statement is the sentence in a composition that introduces the main Thesis argument or main point of view. Tone refers to the language and word choice an author uses with their subject matter, like a playful tone when describing children playing, or a hostile tone when describing the emergence of a villain. If you’re confused about tone vs. mood, tone Example: Told in the first person, J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye uses the refers mostly to individual aspects and details, while mood refers to the emotional angsty and sardonic tone of its teenage protagonist to depict the character’s Tone attitude of the entire piece of work. mindset, including slang and curse words. (Grammarly) Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. By extension the term may be applied to other literary works, such as the novel. Although the word tragedy is often used loosely to describe any sort of disaster or misfortune, it more precisely refers to a work of art that probes with high seriousness questions Tragedy concerning the role of man in the universe. (Britannica) An understatement is a literary device used to downplay a situation as less serious, less significant, or smaller than it really is. Understatements are typically used to emphasize the very quality they downplay. When used ironically, understatements are powerful tools for humor and depth. When used unironically, understatements can be used to downplay expressions that would otherwise come off as inappropriate or immodest, such as saying “I did alright” after winning an Olympic Understatement gold medal. (Grammarly)  Verbosity is a way of speaking that uses excess words. With circumlocution, a writer or speaker uses too many words to get to a point. With verbosity, a speaker uses excess words without a purpose. In other words, there is no point to verbosity Verbosity other than the speaker hearing themself speak. (Grammarly) Verisimilitude is the idea that literature should somehow be true to reality: the idea that textual elements—characters, dialogue, setting, images—should be believable, Verisimilitude plausible, authentic, lifelike. A Verse is a collection of metrical lines of poetry. It is used to define the difference of poetry and prose. It contains rhythm and pattern and more often than not, Verse rhyme. The voice of a literary work is then the specific group of characteristics displayed by the narrator or poetic ‘speaker’ (or, in some uses, the actual author behind them), assessed in terms of tone, style, or personality. Distinctions between various kinds of narrative voice tend to be distinctions between kinds of narrator in terms of how they address the reader (rather than in terms of their perception of events, as in the distinct concept of point of view). Likewise in non-narrative poems, distinctions can be made between the personal voice of a private lyric and the Voice assumed voice (the persona) of a dramatic monologue. (Oxford Reference) Passive: In the passive voice, the action’s target, ball, is positioned first as the Active: In the active voice, the subject is performing an action: The dog chases the focus of the sentence. The sentence gets flipped, and the subject is now Voice (active and ball. Notice how the subject, dog, is performing the action, chase, on the target of being acted upon by the verb. In other words, the subject is passive: The ball passive) the action, ball. This is a simple, direct example of the active voice. (Grammarly) is being chased by the dog. The family trip was so hectic that by the end Lola had lost her patience and her car keys. The phrase “lost her patience and her car keys” is a zeugma. Losing one’s patience is a figure of speech, while losing one’s car keys is a physical act of misplacement. Typically these two phrases would appear in A zeugma is a rhetorical device in which a single word, often a verb, governs two or separate sentences. By smashing them together in a zeugma, the writer gives Zeugma more words, even though it may not grammatically or logically apply to both. the reader a sense of Lola’s frantic trip. (Grammarly)