lit devices

alliteration

repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases

anastrophe

transposition of normal word order; most often found in Latin in the case of prepositions and the words they control

antithesis

opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction

aposiopesis

a form of ellipse by which a speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly overcome by passion or modesty

apostraphe

a sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction absent or present

asyndeton

lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words

chiasmus

pairs of words arranged in inverted order (a-b-b-a)

from the shape of the greek letter chi

hendiadys

use of two words connected by a conjunction, instead of subordinating one to the other
“it sure is nice and cool today!”

hyperbaton

separation of words which belong together, often to emphasize the first of the separated words

hyperbole

exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect

“an hundred years should got to praise”

hysteron proteron

inversion of the natural sequence of events

“put on your shoes and socks”

irony

expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning

“yet brutus says he was ambitious”

litotes

understatement, by denying the contrary of the thing being affirmed

“not unintelligent”

metaphor

implied comparison

“life’s but a walking shadow; a poor layer”

metonymy

substitution of one word for another which it suggests

“he is a man of the cloth”

onomatapeia

use of words to imitate natural sounds
“bow bow bow bow”

oxymoron

apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another

“festina lente” —> make haste quickly

personification

attribution of personality to an impersonal thing

“england expects every man to do his duty”

pleonasm

use of redundant words, often enriching the thought

“no one, rich or poor, will be excepted”

polysyndeton

repetition of conjunctions in a series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses

prolepsis

the anticipation of the result of the action of a verb

“overwhelmed the sunken ships…”

simile

an explicit comparison between two things using “like” or “as”

synchysis

interlocked word order (a-b-a-b)

synecdoche

understanding one thing with another; part for the whole

“scuttling across the floors of silent seas”

zeugma

two different words linked to one verb

“he opened the door and her heart”

assonance

recurrence of vowel sounds

ecphrasis

a digression describing a place, connected at the end of the description to the main narrative

enjambment

running over of a sentence from one verse or couplet into another

praeteritio

claiming to not mention or “pass over” something that one plans to say

tmesis

separation of the parts of a compound word, usually for metrical convenience

transferred epithet

a device of emphasis in which the poet attributes some characteristic of a thing to another thing closely associated with it

tricolon crescens

a three part increase of emphasis or enlargement of meaning