literary devices (33 terms version)

Adnomination

Repetition of words with the same root word, e.g somewhere and something

Allegory

a hidden interpretation or representation of a concept

Anadiplosis

repetition of the last word of one phrase at the beginning of the following phrase, e.g. fair is foul and foul is fair (Epanalepsis in multiple phrases)

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, e.g. "Is there still another card in this Quizlet? Is there another card for our remembrance to bear? Is there another card for our colander memory to hold?"

Antanaclasis

repetition of a word in two different meanings, e.g. if you aren't fired (up) with enthusiasm, you will be fired, with enthusiasm

Antethisis

Contrasting parallel structures representing objects and concepts in direct opposition.

"When the rich wage war, it's the poor that die."

Aporia

Expression of doubt (often feigned) by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what he should think, say, or do.

e.g. "how should I start? Well, it all began..."

Aposiopesis

a sentence that is deliberately broken off

e.g. "How could you...?"

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds (consonance is repetition of consonants) e.g. "oh mY, what a beautiful skY"

Bathos

an anticlimax created by inversion of emotion (often serious to humorous); e.g. "The thought has often come into my mind... if I shall see thy glorious behind"

Catharsis

a release of emotional tension after it's buildup

Chiasmus

A repetition of concepts in inverted order (antimetabole is words instead of concepts.) e.g. "it's hard to make time, but to waste it is easy"

Circumlocution

a way of communicating an idea or concept by deliberately avoiding a straightforward or concise explanation, instead opting for a more extended, roundabout way of describing it, often by employing additional words, phrases, or expressions that serve to dance around the central meaning rather than confronting it head-on with directness or brevity. (yapping)

By contrast, Pleonasm is used to enrich an idea

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds (assonance is repetition of vowels) e.g. "miKe liKes his new biKe"

Epistrophe

The repetition of a word / words at the end of phrases

"Is there another card in this Quizlet? Yes there is! And another one after that? Yes there is!"

Enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Epanalepsis

ending a phrase with the same word as the beginning - nothing is worse than doing nothing. (Anadiplosis in a single phrase)

Ethos

Ethical appeal, e.g. credibility - doctors reccomending toothpaste

Euphemism

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

e.g. "let go" instead of "fired"

Homophone

words that sound the same but are written differently or have different meanings, e.g. knew and new

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, e.g. I could eat a horse. Still technically possible, unlike Adynaton

In medias res

starting a story in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things

Isocolon

Parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length. "let us [come] to the task, to the battle, to the toil"

Kairos

A sense of urgency, an opportune moment

e.g. "Who knows when we will meet again?"

Logos

an appeal based on logic or reason, using data or explanations

Metonym

a specific physical object used as a vague suggestive symbol for a more general idea, e.g. the crown for the king

Onomatopeia

AHHHH! Why does this quizlet have so many terms!

(A word that sounds like what it describes. Buzzy bees is another example)

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. "The silence was loud."

Pathos

Appeal to emotion

"we're all going to die!"

Pleonasm

use of superfluous or redundant words, often enriching the thought

"Burning fire." In comparison, circumlocution is used to get evade the idea

Soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

Synechdoche

Uses a part to represent a whole or a whole to represent a part. e.g.. "Lend me an ear."

Tmesis

breaking down a word for emotive effect

"dis-gus-ting!"