tropes and schemes

Allusion

A reference to something well-known ex. “hes a Romeo”

Anthimeria

Using one part of speech as another ex. “I’ll Google it.”

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect. ex. "I’m so hungry I could eat a horse."

Irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant or when something unexpected happens. ex. A fire station burns down.

Metapho

A direct comparison between two unlike things. ex. "Time is a thief."

Metonymy

Using something closely related to stand for something else. ex. "The White House issued a statement." (White House = President/government)

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words placed together. ex. "Jumbo shrimp"

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but has truth. ex."Less is more."

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things. ex. "The wind whispered through the trees."

Pun

A play on words, often humorous. ex. "I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough."

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as." ex. "She was as fast as a cheetah."

Synecdoche

A part of something represents the whole. ex. "All hands on deck!" (Hands = sailors)

Understatement (Litotes)

Saying less than what is meant, often using negation. ex. "It’s just a scratch." (When it’s actually a big wound)

Alliteration

Repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words. ex. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Anaphora

Repeating the same word/phrase at the start of sentences or clauses.

• Example: "I have a dream… I have a dream…"

Epistrophe

Repeating the same word/phrase at the end of clauses.

• Example: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Parallelism

Using the same grammatical structure in a series.

• Example: "She likes reading, writing, and dancing."

Antimetabole

Repeating words in reverse order.

• Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

Antithesis

Contrasting two opposite ideas in a sentence.

• Example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Circumlocution

Talking around something instead of being direct.

• Example: Instead of saying "he died," saying "he passed away peacefully."

Climax

Arranging words in increasing order of importance.

• Example: "He came, he saw, he conquered."

Hypophora

Asking a question and then answering it.

• Example: "Why do we study history? To learn from the past."

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas close together.

• Example: "Darkness and light."

Rhetorical Question

Asking a question with no expected answer.

• Example: "Who doesn’t love a good story?"

Zeugma

Using one word to apply to multiple parts of a sentence.

• Example: "She broke his heart and his car."

Polysyndeton

Using many conjunctions (and, but, or).

• Example: "We have ships and men and money and supplies."

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions for a fast-paced effect.

• Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."