Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies for Analyzing Texts

repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

Synecdoche

figure of speech that uses a part to represent the whole ( Cleveland won by six runs, Cleveland as in the baseball team)

Litotes

A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite ( You wont be sorry, meaning you'll be glad)

Irony

the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning (The titanic was an unsinkable ship, yet it sank on its first voyage)

Pun

a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. ( I'm so tired I could sleep for a year)

omonatopoeia

words whose meaning is suggested by the sound of the words themselves (buzz, hiss, bam, crash)

Symbolism

A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well ( Red roses symbolize love)

Asyndeton

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence. (She ran over the log and around the trees and through the river and up the hill - where "and" is the conjunction)

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions ( We ate roast beef and squash and biscuits and potatoes and corn and cheese and cherry pie - where "and" is the conjunction in the sentence )

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines. ( MLK Jr saying "I have a dream" in his famous speech to create rhythm and emphasize his vision for the future)

Anadiplosis

Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase. ("Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task")

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Alliteration

The repetition of the initial consonant sounds. EXAMPLE: Peter Piper picked a peck of peppers.

Hypophora

a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question

Chiasmus

a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases ( Fair is foul, and foul is fair)

Rhetorical Question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. (I felt like Caesar getting stabbed in the back)

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. ( Jumbo shrimp- where jumbo is big and shrimp is small)