Alliteration
a literary device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial consonant sounds
allusion
a reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar
connotation
a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly
denotation
a word’s literal, dictionary definition
diction
the linguistic choices made by a writer to convey an idea or point of view, or tell a story, in an effective way
figurative language
used to make writing more effective
ex: metaphors, similes, allusions, alliterations, imageries, onomatopoeias
imagery
a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader
verbal irony
occurs when a speaker speaks something contradictory to what he intends to say
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things
parallel structure
a stylistic device, and a grammatical construction having two or more clauses, phrases or words, with similar grammatical form and length
repetition
a literary device that involves intentionally using a word or phrase for effect, two or more times in a speech or written work
rhetorical question
asked just for effect, or to lay emphasis on some point being discussed when no real answer is expected
sarcasm
generally takes the form of an ironic remark, somewhat rooted in humor, that is intended to mock or satirize something
satire
a literary device for the artful ridicule of folly or vice as a means of exposing or correcting it
simile
a figure of speech in which two essentially dissimilar objects or concepts are expressly compared with one another through the use of “like” or “as.”
structure
the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex
style
the way a writer writes
styles include: argumentative, descriptive, persuasive, narrative
syllogism
a rhetorical device that starts an argument with a reference to something general, and from this it draws a conclusion about something more specific
symbol
an object, image, place, person, or idea that represents a message beyond the literal meaning
syntax
a set of rules in a language