Lang Tropes and Schemes

Allusion

brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.

Anthimeria

rhetorical device that involves the use of a word in a new grammatical form, often turning a noun into a verb.

Hyperbole

figure of speech that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Irony

literary technique or situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting incongruities.

Metaphor

figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another.

Metonymy

figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.

Oxymoron

figure of speech that combines contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect.

Paradox

statement that appears self-contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth.

Personification

literary device in which human qualities are attributed to non-human objects or abstract concepts.

Pun

form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect.

Simile

figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Synecdoche

figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

Understatement

figure of speech that intentionally makes a situation seem less important than it really is.

Alliteration

repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words.

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Epistrophe

repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

Parallelism

the use of similar grammatical structures to create a sense of rhythm and balance.

Antimetabole

rhetorical device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order.

Antithesis

figure of speech that contrasts opposing ideas in a balanced manner.

Circumlocution

rhetorical device that involves speaking around a subject, often to avoid directness.

Climax

the point of highest tension in a narrative, often leading to a turning point.

Hypophora

technique where a speaker poses a question and then immediately answers it.

Juxtaposition

the act of placing two elements close together to highlight their differences.

Zeugma

rhetorical device in which a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.

Polysyndeton

the use of multiple conjunctions in close succession for emphasis.

Asyndeton

the omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence.