Literary Terms/ Rhetorical Devices Sjostrom/mixon

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Allegory

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A form of extended metaphor in which objects and persons in a narrative, either in prose or verse, are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself

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Alliteration

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The recurrence of initial consonant sounds. The repetition is usually limited to two words.

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Allusion

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A casual and brief reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event

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Anadiplosis

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A rhetorical trope formed by repeating the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or very near the beginning of the next

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Analogy

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The comparison of two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one

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Anaphora

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The repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences, commonly in conjunction with climax and parallelism.

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Antithesis

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Establishing a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure.

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Apostrophe

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The direct address of a person or personified thing either present or absent. Usually to portray intense emotion which can no longer be held back. Hint: uses O at the start.

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Assonance

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The use of similar vowel sounds repeated in successive or proximate words containing different consonants

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Chiasmus

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A crossing parallelism, where the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order.

AB BA

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Conceit

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An elaborate, usually intellectually ingenious poetic comparison or image, such as an analogy or metaphor in which, say a beloved is compared to a ship, planet, etc.

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Epistrophe

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The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences. The counterpart of Anaphora.

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Euphemism

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The substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one.

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Hyperbole

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Exaggeration used for emphasis

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Irony

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A mode of expression, through words or events, conveying a reality different from and usually opposite to apearence or expectation

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Metaphor

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A comparison which imaginatively identifies one thing with another dissimilar thing, and transfers or ascribes to the first thing some qualities of the second

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Metonymy

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Another form of metaphor, in which a closely associated object is substituted for the object or idea in mind (The orders cam directly from the White House)

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Onomatopoeia

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The use of words which in their pronunciation suggest their meaning (Hiss, bang, whirr)

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Oxymoron

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A paradox reduced to two words used for effect, to emphasize contrasts

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Personification

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The metaphorical representation of an animal or inanimate object as having human attributes

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Sarcasm

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A form of verbal irony, expressing sneering, personal disapproval in the guise of praise

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Satire

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A manner of writing that mixes a critical attitude with wit and humor in an effort to improve mankind and human institutions

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Simile

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A direct, expressed comparison between two things essentially unlike each other, but resembling each other in at least one way using like or as

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Synecdoche

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A from of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, etc (head of cattle, hired hands)

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Tone

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The writer's attitude toward his readers and his subject; his mood or moral view

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Understatement

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Expressing an idea with less emphasis or in a lesser degree than ins the actual case. Opposite of hyperbole

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Zeugma

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Any of several similar rhetorical devices, all involving a grammatically correct linkage or two or more parts of speech by another part of speech. (a subject with two or more verbs, vice versa)

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Aphorism

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A concise statement of a principle; or a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment

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Ellipsis

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Omission of one or more words, which must be supplied by the audience

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Enthymeme

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A syllogism with one part of the argument missing.

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Syllepsis

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A type of zeugma in which a single word, usually a verb or adjective, agrees grammatically with two or more other words, but semantically with only one.

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Syllogism

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A method of presenting a logical argument

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Tautology

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The unnecessary and excessive repitition of the same idea in different words in the same sentence

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Subjunctive mood

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A verb's mood which indicates whether it is being used to express a fact, command, or wish

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Ad Hominem

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An attack on the author or speaker to discredit their argument (means "Against Man")

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Red Herring

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An irrelevant topic presented in order to divert attention from the original issue

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Slippery Slope

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An assertion that some event must inevitably follow from another with out any argument for the inevitability of the event in question.

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Post hoc

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Assuming that because B comes after A, A caused B, while this is not always true (also called "False Cause")

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False Dilemma

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A limited number of options (usually 2) is given, while in reality there are more optioins

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Non Sequitur

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Something that just doesn't follow