Diction + Rhetorical Devices

alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words

consonance

repetition of consonant sounds (esp. at end or middle)

onomatopoeia

words that imitate sounds

sibilance

repetition of “s” or “sh” sounds

euphony

use of pleasant, harmonious sounds

cacophony

harsh or discordant sounds

internal rhyme

rhyme within a single line

end rhyme

rhyme at the ends of lines

meter

regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

caesura

a natural pause in a line of poetry

enjambment

continuation of a thought across lines

idiom

a phrase whose meaning differs from its literal meaning

adage

a short, memorable saying expressing general truth; traditional wisdom

aphorism

a concise, witty statement of truth or principle

epithet

a descriptive title or nickname expressing a characteristic

colloquialism

informal expression or slang used in everyday speech

jargon

specialized language used by a specific profession or group

slang

informal, trendy language often tied to a specific era

archaism

use of old-fashioned words

neologism

newly coined word or phrase

euphemism

mild word replacing something harsh or taboo

dysphemism

harsh word replacing something neutral

vernacular

the language of ordinary people in a region

cliche

overused expression that has lost impact

malapropism

mistaken use of a word in place of a similar one

idiolect

a person’s unique way of speaking

metaphor

a comparison without “like” or “as”

simile

a comparison using “like” or “as”

personification

giving human traits to nonhuman things

hyperbole

exaggeration for emphasis or humor

litotes

making something seem smaller than it is; understatement

paradox

a self-contradictory statement that reveals truth

oxymoron

two contradictory words combined

metonymy

substituting something related for the thing itself

synechdoche

a part stands for the whole (or vice versa)