Language technique sheet

Essay skills

Allegory

Meaning : When characters and plot represent ideas that relate to morality, politics or religion

Effect : Allegory allows authors and creators to explore often overwhelming or controversial ideas in an approachable manner

Alliteration

Meaning : Use of the same letter or sound at the beginning of consecutive words or words in close proximity

Effect : Alliteration draws attention to certain phrases or sentences. It not only draws the eye of the reader on the page, but the phrase has more emphasis when read

Allusion

Meaning : A way of making reference to something else without explicitly stating what it is you are referring to

Effect : Allows authors to infer meaning by creating parallels between their text and whatever it is they are alluding to. It can also be used in the opposite manner, to create contrast between the author’s argument and their allusion

Anaphora

Meaning : When words or a phrases repeat at the beginning of consecutive sentences, clauses, or lines in poetry

Effect : Anaphora is used like alliteration to create emphasis and draw the eye of the reader, creating rhythm and injecting emotion into the text

Archetypes

Meaning: An archetype is effectively a stereotype of a character or thing. It is a model around which certain character types are built (i.e., a tragic hero).

Effect : Archetypes are used to build a connection between the reader and the characters in the text. It prompts a feeling of familiarity, which causes readers to become more emotionally invested in a text

Aphorism

Meaning : A short statement about widely accepted truth. These are often amusing or witty in nature

Effect : Use of aphorism builds trust between the reader and the writer, by making use of universal truths, the reader comes to understand the writer as trustworthy, increasing engagement and helping persuade them of the writer’s argument

Assonance

Meaning : Repetition of a similar vowel sound in consecutive words or words in close proximity

Effect : Like alliteration and anaphora, assonance creates rhythm in a text. It allows readers to interpret a sentence the way the author intended by making clear which vowel sound should be stressed

Caesura

Meaning : A stop in the middle of a metrical line. This usually comes in the form of commas, dashes or colons in the middle of a line of poetry

Effect : Gives a choppy and dysfunctional tone to the text, while simultaneously increasing reading pace. Increasing pace builds tension, and can help relay feelings of frustration or confusion to a reader

Chiasmus

Meaning : The reversal of phrases or grammatical structures in consecutive phrases or sentences

Effect : Adds emphasis to a portion of the text, drawing the reader’s eye and making sentences stand out more. Reversing a phrase just after using it engages the reader’s attention by disrupting the structure of the text

Connotation

Meaning : When a word, phrase or other component of a text is intended to carry a certain meaning

Effect : Writers often use connotations to help convey emotions or feelings, allowing them to invoke a deeper emotional response in the reader