Tropes

Litotes

A for of understatement in which a thing is affirmed by the negative of its opposite; a double negative. (this means bad thing will not happen): "Those who examine themselves will not remain ignorant of their failings and shortcomings."

Meiosis

a humorous understatement that makes something or someone seem less significant than it really is: "In a democracy at least, civil liberties are upheld. No citizen can be wantonly searched, tortured, imprisoned, or made to sit through certain Broadway shows."

Allusion

a brief reference to a famous historical or literary figure, event, or place: "In moments such as these, I can't help but feel a bit like Sisyphus."

Eponym

a specific type of allusion, substituting the name of a person famous for some attribute in place of the attribute itself: "This lid is stuck so tight I need a Hercules to remove it."

Paradox

an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but yet may have some truth in it: "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young."

Analogy

compares two things which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea by showing how it is similar to one more familiar: "Knowledge always desires increase: it is like fire, which must first be kindled by some external agent, but which will afterwards propagate itself."

Metaphor

let's be fr we know this one

Irony

expression that is contradictory to the indended meaning; the words say one thing but mean another: "Hapiness is having a large, loving, caring, cloes-knit family in another city."