Glossary 6

irony

literary device that involves a contradiction between what is expected and what happens

verbal irony

speaker says something but means something else

situational irony

when the opposite of what is expected happens

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something the characters don’t

Litotes

a negative statement (understatement)

rhetorical question

A question that is asked for effect and that does not actually require an answer.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two things that are essentially different.

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, or mythical

homage

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known. The purpose is to give respect to an inspiration or earlier work.

pun

A play on words based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but have different meanings.

wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.  A witty statement is humorous, while suggesting the speaker’s verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks.

cliche

A word or phrase, often a figure of speech that has become lifeless because of overuse.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence or passage that opens the subject to more than one interpretation. 

circumlocution

“Talking around” or “talking in circles,” avoiding any direct reference to a subject or object.

catolog

A list of things, people or events

tricolon

A list of three

amplification

Extending a sentence or phrase in order to further explain, emphasize, or exaggerate certain points of a definition, description, or argument.

antonomasia

A descriptive phrase that replaces a person’s name; this can be lighthearted nicknames to epic names.

metanoia

A device used to retract a statement just made and then state in a better way. A deliberate rephrasing for emphasis