Stylistic devices: alliteration

alliteration?
Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.
Alliteration draws attention to the phrase and is often used for emphasis.The
initial consonant sound is usually repeated in two neighboring words
although sometimes the repetition occurs also in words that are not
neighbors.
Examples:

sweet smell of success,

a dime a dozen,

bigger and better,

jump for joy

share a continent but not a country

Here is an example of alliteration in a poem by Wordsworth:

And sings a solitary song That whistles in the wind.
Remember
1. Only the repetition of the same sound is valid in an alliteration not the
consonants themselves.
Examples:

keen camarad.

philosophy fan.

A neat knot need not be re-knotted.

Although they start with different consonants, they constitute perfect

instances of alliteration;
2. By contrast, if neighboring words start with the same consonant but have
a different initial sound, the words are not alliterated.
Examples:

a cute child

highly honored (pay attention to the h in honored; it is silent)

Although they start with the same consonants, they are not instances of
alliteration since the sounds differ.
Stylistic Devices - Allusion
What is an allusion?
Allusion

The act of alluding is to make indirect reference. It is a literary device, a

figure of speech that quickly stimulates different ideas and associations
using only a couple of words.
Allusion relies on the reader being able to understand the allusion and being
familiar with the meaning hidden behind the words.
Example:
Describing someone as a "Romeo" makes an allusion to the famous young
lover in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
In an allusion the reference may be to a place, event, literary work, myth, or
work of art, either directly or by implication.
Examples of allusion:

1. David was being such a scrooge!. (Scrooge" is the allusion, and it

refers to Charles Dicken's novel, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge was very
greedy and unkind, which David was being compared to.)
2. The software included a Trojan Horse. (allusion on the Trojan horse from
Greek mythology)
3. to wash ones hands of it. (allusion on Pontius Pilatus, who sentenced
Jesus to death, but washed his hands afterwards to demonstrate that
he was not to blame for it.)

4. to be as old as Methusalem (allusion on Josephs grandfather, who was

969 years old according to the Old Testament)
There are many advantages when you use an allusion:
1. You don't need to explain or clarify a problem in a lengthy way.
2. You make the reader become active by reflecting on the analogy.
3. You make your message memorable.

Stylistic Devices - Anaphora

What is anaphora?
Anaphora is a stylistic device that consists of repeating a sequence of words
at the beginnings of neighboring clauses to give them emphasis. This
rhetorical device is contrasted with epiphora, also called epistrophe, which
consists of repeating words at the end of clauses.
Examples of anaphora

Some examples of the literary works that use anaphora are listed below:
In time the savage bull sustains the yoke,
In time all haggard hawks will stoop to lure,
In time small wedges cleave the hardest oak,
In time the flint is pierced with softest shower.
Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, I, vi. 3
Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!

William Shakespeare, King John, II,

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
William Blake, "The Tyger"
Strike as I struck the foe!
Strike as I would
Have struck those tyrants!
Strike deep as my curse!
Strike!and but once!
Byron, Marino Faliero
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct
to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Stylistic Devices - Anticlimax

Anticlimax (figure of speech)

Anticlimax refers to a figure of speech in which statements gradually

descend in order of importance. Unlike climax, anticlimax is the arrangement
of a series of words, phrases, or clauses in order of decreasing importance.
Examples of anticlimax
These are some examples of anticlimax:
1. She is a great writer, a mother and a good humorist.
2. He lost his family, his car and his cell phone.

Figures of Speech - Antithesis

What is antithesis?
Antithesis is a figure of speech which refers to the juxtaposition of opposing
or contrasting ideas. It involves the bringing out of a contrast in the ideas by
an obvious contrast in the words, clauses, or sentences, within a parallel
grammatical structure.
Examples:
These are examples of antithesis:

"Man proposes, God disposes." - Source unknown.

"Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." - Goethe.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong.

"To err is human; to forgive divine." - Alexander Pope.

"Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." - William
Shakespeare.

"Many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14.

Stylistic Devices - Apostrophe

What is apostrophe?
Apostrophe is an exclamatory rhetorical figure of speech, when a speaker
or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract
quality or idea.
Examples

Some examples of apostrophe are listed below:

1.
"O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times."
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1
2.
"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so."
John Donne, Holy Sonnet X
3.
"Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again."
Paul Simon, The Sounds of Silence

Stylistic Devices - Assonance

Assonance
Assonance is a figure of speech that is found more often in verse than in
prose. It refers to the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming
within phrases or sentences.
Examples of Assonance
These are some examples:

"the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" - The

Raven By Edgar Allan Poe

"The crumbling thunder of seas" - Robert Louis Stevenson

"That solitude which suits abstruser musings" - The Princess

VII.203 by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Listen to the Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Stylistic Devices - Cataphora

Cataphora
Cataphora refers to a figure of speech where an earlier expression refers to
or describes a forward expression. Cataphora is the opposite of anaphora, a
reference forward as opposed to backward in the discourse.
Examples of cataphora
These are some examples:

If you want them, there are cookies in the kitchen. (them is an

instance of cataphora because it refers to cookies which hasn't
been mentioned in the discourse prior to that point.)

After he had received his orders, the soldier left the barracks. (he
is also a cataphoric reference to the soldier which is mentioned
later in the discourse)

Figures of Speech - Dysphemism

What is Dysphemism?
Dysphemism is the use of a harsh, more offensive word instead of one
considered less harsh. Dysphemism is often contrasted with euphemism.
Dysphemisms are generally used to shock or offend.
Examples:
These are examples of dysphemism:

Snail mail for postal mail,

Cancer stick in reference to a cigarette.

Egghead for genius.

Worm food for dead.

Pig for policeman.

Bullshit for lies.

Dead tree edition for the paper version of a publication that can
be found online

Fag for homosexual man.

Stylistic Devices - Climax

Climax (figure of speech)
Climax refers to a figure of speech in which words, phrases, or clauses are
arranged in order of increasing importance.
Examples of climax
These are some examples:
1.
Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good;
A shining gloss that vadeth suddenly;
A flower that dies when first it gins to bud;
A brittle glass that's broken presently:
A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower,
Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour.
Shakespear, The Passionate Pilgrim
2.

"There are three things that will endure: faith, hope, and love. But the
greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
3.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men,
would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness."
Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream

Stylistic Devices - Ellipsis

What is ellipsis?
Ellipsis (or elliptical construction ) is the omission of a word or words. It
refers to constructions in which words are left out of a sentence but the
sentence can still be understood.
Ellipsis helps us avoid a lot of redundancy. In fact there is a lot of redundancy
in language and it can be surprising how much can be left out without losing
much meaning, particularly when there are contextual clues as to the real
meaning.
Examples
Some examples of ellipsis are listed below:

Lacy can do something about the problem, but I dont know what
(she can do.)

She can help with the housework; Nancy can (help with the
housework), too.

John can speak seven languages, but Ron can speak only two
(languages.)

The words between parentheses can be omitted and the sentences can still
be meaningful.

Figures of Speech - Euphemism

What is euphemism?
Euphemism is used to express a mild, indirect, or vague term to substitute
for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Euphemism is often contrasted with
dysphemism. Some euphemisms intend to amuse, while others intend to
give positive appearances to negative events or even mislead entirely.
Examples:

Going to the other side for death,

Do it or come together in reference to a sexual act.

Passed away for die.

On the streets for homeless.

Adult entertainment for pornography.

Comfort woman for prostitute

Between jobs for unemployed.

Stylistic Devices - Hyperbole

Hyperbole
What is hyperbole?
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of
speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong

impression, but is not meant to be taken literally. Hyperboles are

exaggerations to create emphasis or effect.
Examples
Examples of hyperbole include:

The bag weighed a ton.

I was so hungry; I could eat a horse!

She's older than the hills.

I could sleep for a year; I was so tired.

He's filthy rich. He's got tons of money.

I've told you a million times to help with the housework.

Figures of Speech - Oxymoron

What is oxymoron?
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines incongruous or
contradictory terms. The plural is oxymorons or oxymora.
Examples:
An oximoron can be made of an adjective and a noun:

Dark light

Deafening silence

Living dead

Open secret

Virtual reality

Oximorons can also be a combination of a noun and a verb.

The silence whistles

Stylistic Devices - Personification

Personification

What is Personification?

Personification is a figure of speech in which human characteristics are

attributed to an abstract quality, animal, or inanimate object.
Examples

Notice the use of personification in William Blake's poem below:

Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room.
"Ah, William, we're weary of weather,"
said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
"Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?"
They arranged themselves at the window
and counted the steps of the sun,
and they both took root in the carpet
where the topaz tortoises run.
William Blake
(1757-1827)

Figures of Speech - Metonymy

What is metonymy?
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is not called by
its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that
thing or concept.
Examples:
Here are some examples of metonymy:

Crown. (For the power of a king.)

The White House. (Referring to the American administration.)

Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)

The Pentagon. (For the Department of Defense and the offices of

the U.S. Armed Forces.)

Pen. (For the written word.)

Sword - (For military force.)

Hollywood. (For US Cinema.)

Hand. (For help.)

Consider this quote which is a metonymic adage coined by English author

Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy:
"The pen is mightier than the sword."

Stylistic devices: Synecdoche

What is a synecdoche?
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to
represent the whole or the whole of something is used to represent part of it.
It is considered to be a special kind of metonymy.
Types and examples of synecdoche

Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing A hundred head of cattle (using the part head to refer to the whole
animal)

The whole of a thing is used to represent part of it The world treated him badly (using the world to refer to part of the
world)

A specific class of thing is used to refer to a larger, more general class A bug (used to refer to any kind of insect or arachnid, even if it is not a
true bug)

A general class of thing is used to refer to a smaller, more specific

class The good book (referring to the Bible or the Qur'an)

A material is used to refer to an object composed of that material Glasses or steel ( referring to spectacles or sword)

A container is used to refer to its contents A barrel (referring to a barrel of oil)

Stylistic Devices: Understatement

What is understatement?
Understatement is a figure of speech used by writers or speakers to
deliberately make a situation seem less important or serious than it really is.
Examples of understatement

"It stings a bit" - a soldier describing the pain he feels after he has just
lost his leg.

"It has rained a little more than the average" - describing a flooded
area.

"It was an interesting experience." - describing a difficult unbearable

experience.

"The grave's a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace."
(Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress")

Stylistic Devices - Epigram

What is an epigram?
An epigram refers to a concise, witty, memorable, and sometimes surprising
or satirical statement. The origin of the word epigram is Greek, from
epigraphein (epi- + graphein to write)
Examples
Some examples of epigram are listed below:

The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."
(Tacitus)

"I am not young enough to know everything."

(Oscar Wilde)

"Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often

convincing."
(Oscar Wilde)

"I can resist everything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put and end to
mankind." - John F. Kennedy

Stylistic Devices - Epiphora (Epistrophe)

What is epiphora?
Epiphora (also called epistrophe) is a rhetorical device that consists of
repeating a sequence of words at the end of neighboring clauses to give
them emphasis. This stylistic device is contrasted with anaphora which
consists of repeating words at the beginning of clauses.
Examples of anaphora

Some examples of epiphora are listed below:

1. There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no
Northern problem. There is only an American problem.
Lyndon B. Johnson in We Shall Overcome
2. ... this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that
government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address

Stylistic Devices - Irony

What is irony?
Irony is a figure of speech in which there is a contradiction of expectation
between what is said what is really meant. It is characterized by an
incongruity, a contrast, between reality and appearance. There are three
types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational.
Types of irony
1. Verbal irony:
It is a contrast between what is said and what is meant
2. Dramatic irony:
It occurs when the audience or the reader knows more than the
character about events. In other words, what the character
thinks is true is incongruous with what the audience knows.

3. Situational irony:
This refers to the contrast between the actual result of a
situation and what was intended or expected to happen.
Examples of irony

His argument was as clear as mud.

The two identical twins were arguing. One of them told the
other: "You're ugly"

The thieves robbed the police station.

Stylistic Devices - Lilotes

What is lilotes?
Lilotes is a figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an
affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite. For example, instead of
saying that someone is mean, you can say he is not very generous.
Examples of lilotes

He's not a very generous man.

She is not very beautiful.
He is not the friendliest person I 've met.
Don't be too wicked.
It won't be an easy trip
He is not unaware of his wife's foolishness.

Stylistic Devices - Metaphor

What is a metaphor?
Unlike simile, metaphor (from the Greek language: meaning "transfer") is
language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure
of speech that compares two or more things not using like or as. In the
simplest case, this takes the form:
X - is - Y
Examples of metaphor:

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
(William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2/7)

Stylistic devices: simile

What is a simile?
A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced
with the word "like" or "as". It takes the form of:

X is (not) like Y

X is (not) as Y

X is (not) similar to Y

Examples of simile:

He fights like a lion.

He swims as fast as a fish.

He slithers like a snake.

"My dad was a mechanic by trade when he was in the Army, When he
got the tools out, he was like a surgeon."