Comprehensive Notes: Speech Analysis

Alliteration

Repetition of sounds at the beginning of words

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words (e.g., "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain").

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds, typically in the middle or end of words (e.g., "Mike likes his new bike").

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds (e.g., "buzz," "hiss").

Metaphor

Directly equating two things without using "like" or "as."

Simile

Comparing two things using "like" or "as."

Analogy

Explaining a concept by comparing it to another, highlighting similarities.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., "Less is more").

Anaphora

Repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive clauses (e.g., "What the hammer? What the chain?").

Hypophora

Asking a question and immediately answering it (e.g., "What should young people do? They should...").

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for effect, not requiring an answer (e.g., "Are you paying attention?").

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas or images side by side for effect.

Parallelism

Use of similar grammatical structures in a sentence or series of sentences.

Antithesis

Contrasting two ideas in a sequence for effect.

Tricolon

Presenting three parallel elements (e.g., "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness").

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions in a list (e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered").

Polysyndeton

Overuse of conjunctions for emphasis (e.g., "He laughed and cried and screamed and shouted").

Repetition

General reuse of words or phrases to emphasize a point.

Anaphora

Specific type of repetition at the beginning of clauses.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect, not meant to be taken literally (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").

Allusion

Indirect reference to a person, event, or work (e.g., "He's a real Romeo").

Idiom

Expression with a meaning different from the literal words (e.g., "It's raining cats and dogs").