english lit devices

Juxtaposition

Contrast

Oxymoron

Contrast of Words with opposite meaning

Antithesis

Contrast of ideas that emphasizes a point.

Paradox

Contradictory Statement that creates a truth

Chiasmus

Reversal (crossing of words) in two successive parts

Allusion

Reference to some fairly-known event, person, or biblical historical context.

Allegory

A story that can be interpreted to represent a deeper meaning.

Apostrophe

Breaks from traditional writing style to address a person or audience.

Euphemism

Replacing an unpleasant word with a less unpleasant one.

Synecdoche

Physical part to represent something (e.g., 'All hands on deck').

Metonymy

Symbolic part to represent the whole.

Anaphora

Repetition of the beginning of clauses or sentences.

Epistrophe

Repetition at the end of clauses or sentences.

Amplification

Repeating something but adding or 'amplifying' the idea.

Enumerations/Enumeratio

Listing of ideas/items that are related.

Polysyndeton

Puts conjunctions between every item for emphasis.

Asyndeton

Opposite of polysyndeton; leaves out any conjunctions.

Exemplification

A series of examples to support your point.

Exigency

Why it exists, what is going on

Litotes

Using an opposite word to emphasize a point

Hyperbole

Exaggeration to give emphasis

Understatement

Giving less emphasis to an idea for ironic effect

Analogies

Comparison of situations bc they have something in common

Motif

Repeated symbol

Diction

Word choice

Syntax

Sentence Structure