Scholardome techniques

Metaphor

Directly compares two things by saying one is another. E.g. "Time is a thief."

Simile

Compares two things using "like" or "as." E.g. "As brave as a lion."

Personification

Gives human qualities to non-human things. E.g. "The wind whispered."

Pathetic fallacy

Uses weather or nature to reflect human emotions. E.g. a storm during a tragic scene.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds. E.g. "Bang!" or "Buzz!"

Rhetorical question

A question asked for effect rather than an answer. E.g. "Who wouldn't want freedom?"

Hypophora

A speaker asks a question and then answers it. E.g. "Why study? To succeed."

Listing

Presents several items or ideas in succession. E.g. "Books, pens, bags and shoes."

Enumeration / Cumulative listing

Lists details or characteristics to build a cumulative impression of a subject.

Contrast

Highlights differences between two things. E.g. wealth versus poverty.

Juxtaposition

Places contrasting ideas or images close together to emphasise their differences.

Oxymoron

Combines two contradictory terms. E.g. "Deafening silence."

Exaggeration

Overstates something for emphasis or effect. E.g. "That bag weighs a tonne."

Hyperbole

Uses extreme, deliberate exaggeration not intended literally. E.g. "I've told you a million times."

Symbolism

Uses an object, image or idea to represent a deeper meaning. E.g. a dove symbolising peace.

Motif

A recurring image, idea or symbol that develops a theme throughout a text.

Extended metaphor

A metaphor developed across multiple lines, sentences or an entire text.

Conceit

An elaborate, often surprising metaphor comparing very different things.

Fricatives

Repetition or emphasis of friction sounds such as f, v or th to create sound effects.

Sibilance

Repetition of hissing sounds such as s and sh. E.g. "Silently the serpent slithered."

Plosives

Repetition of explosive consonant sounds such as p, b, t, d, k and g.

Metonymy

Replaces something with a closely associated name. E.g. "The crown" for the monarchy.

Synecdoche

Uses a part to represent the whole or vice versa. E.g. "All hands on deck."

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words. E.g. "Peter Piper picked."

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. E.g. "The rain in Spain."

Anecdote

A short story or personal account used to illustrate a point.

Analogy

A comparison explaining an idea through similarities with something familiar.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters and events represent broader moral, political or social meanings.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines. E.g. "We will fight… We will win…"

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or lines. E.g. "Of the people, by the people, for the people."

Epizeuxis

Immediate repetition of a word for emphasis. E.g. "Never, never, never!"

Epanalepsis

Repetition of the opening word or phrase at the end of the same clause or sentence. E.g. "Nothing is worse than doing nothing."

Anadiplosis

Repeats the final word of one clause at the beginning of the next. E.g. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate."

Antanaclasis

Repeats the same word with different meanings. E.g. "We must hang together or we shall hang separately."

Allusion

An indirect or brief reference to a person, event, text or cultural idea.

Textual allusion

A reference to another written text, its characters, language or events.

Biblical allusion

A reference to the Bible, its stories, characters or teachings.

Classical / Mythological allusion

A reference to ancient Greek or Roman mythology, literature or history.

Intertextuality

The relationship between texts through references, shared ideas, quotations or adaptations.

Anthropomorphism

Portrays animals or non-human beings as having human traits or behaviours. E.g. a talking pig.

Zoomorphism

Gives humans or other subjects animal characteristics. E.g. "He snarled like a wolf."

First-person narrative voice

Narration using "I" or "me" from a speaker's personal perspective.

Second-person pronouns

Uses "you" or "your" to address the reader or another person directly.

Third-person narrative voice

Narration using "he", "she", "they" or character names.

Collective / Inclusive pronouns

Uses "we", "us" or "our" to create unity or shared identity.

Unreliable narrator

A narrator whose account may be biased, deceptive, mistaken or incomplete.

Stream of consciousness

Presents the continuous flow of a character's thoughts and impressions.

Syntax

The arrangement and structure of words, phrases and sentences.

Diction

An author's deliberate choice of words to convey meaning or create effects.

Tone

The attitude or emotional quality conveyed by a speaker or writer. E.g. sarcastic, solemn or exclamatory.

Ellipsis

Three dots indicating omitted words, a pause or an unfinished thought. E.g. "I thought… never mind."

Short / Truncated sentence

A deliberately brief or incomplete sentence used for impact. E.g. "Gone. Forever."

Dialogue

Conversation between two or more characters.

Monologue

An extended speech delivered by one character or speaker.

Epilogue

A concluding section that reveals what happens after the main narrative.

Epigraph

A quotation or statement placed at the beginning of a text or section to suggest its themes.

Prologue

An introductory section that establishes background before the main narrative.

Direct quotation

The exact words of a speaker or source reproduced verbatim.

High modality

Language expressing certainty, strong obligation or authority. E.g. "Must", "Always", "Never."

Low modality

Language expressing possibility, uncertainty or limited obligation. E.g. "Might", "Perhaps", "Could."

Isocolon

Parallel clauses or phrases of similar length and grammatical structure.

Tricolon

A series of three parallel words, phrases or clauses. E.g. "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Hypotaxis

Uses subordinate clauses to establish relationships between ideas. E.g. "Because it rained, we stayed inside."

Parataxis

Places clauses or phrases alongside each other without subordination. E.g. "The sun rose; the birds sang."

Imperative mood

Gives commands, instructions or requests. E.g. "Stop!" or "Listen carefully."

Formal language

Uses professional, conventional vocabulary and grammar. E.g. "I would appreciate your assistance."

Informal language

Uses casual, conversational expressions. E.g. "Hey, what's up?"

Colloquialism

An everyday expression typical of casual speech or a region. E.g. "G'day, mate."

Slang

Very informal vocabulary associated with particular groups or social contexts. E.g. "No cap."

Jargon

Specialised terminology used by a particular profession or group.

Informative language

Language intended to explain, describe or communicate knowledge clearly.

Factual language

Uses objective, verifiable statements rather than personal opinions.

Statistics

Numerical evidence used to support a claim. E.g. "75% of students agreed."

Pun

Wordplay exploiting multiple meanings or similar sounds, often for humour.

Paradox

An apparently contradictory statement that may reveal an underlying truth. E.g. "Less is more."

Parody

Imitates and exaggerates the style of another work for comic or critical effect.

Double entendre

A phrase with two interpretations, often including a suggestive or humorous meaning.

Humour

Language or situations intended to provoke amusement or laughter.

Dark humour

Finds humour in disturbing, tragic or taboo subjects.

Satire

Uses humour, irony or ridicule to criticise flaws in people or society. Horatian is gentle; Juvenalian is harsh; Menippean critiques attitudes or ways of thinking.

Cliché

An overused expression or idea that has lost originality. E.g. "At the end of the day."

Irony

A discrepancy between appearance and reality, expectation and outcome, or literal words and intended meaning.

Dramatic irony

The audience knows important information that one or more characters do not.

Verbal irony

A speaker's intended meaning differs from their literal words. E.g. saying "Lovely weather" during a storm.

Situational irony

An outcome contrasts sharply with what is expected. E.g. a fire station burning down.

Rhyme

Repetition of similar sounds, usually at the ends of lines. E.g. "Light" and "Night."

Rhythm

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates a sense of beat.

Enjambment

A sentence or idea continues beyond the end of a poetic line without a major pause.

End-stopped line

A poetic line ending with a natural grammatical pause or punctuation.

Pentameter

A metrical line containing five poetic feet. E.g. iambic pentameter has five iambs.

Prose

Ordinary written or spoken language organised into sentences and paragraphs rather than verse lines.

Verse

Writing arranged in poetic lines; free verse lacks regular metre, while blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Zeugma / Syllepsis

A word governs multiple parts of a sentence, often with different meanings or grammatical relationships. E.g. "She broke his car and his heart."

Caesura

A deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

Quatrain

A stanza consisting of four lines.

Tercet

A stanza consisting of three lines.

Rhyming couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme.

Internal rhyme

Rhyme occurring within a line rather than only at line endings.

Stage directions

Instructions in a script describing movement, actions, setting or delivery.

Aside

A remark spoken to the audience or oneself that other characters are conventionally unable to hear.