FIg lang Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem.
Assonance
The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words in prose or poetry.
Consonance
The repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a unit of speech or writing.
Allusion
A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea.
Irony
A mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected.
Imagery
The use of words or phrases representing that which one can see, touch, taste, smell, or feel.
Simile
A figure of speech using the words like or as. (Example: “She sings like a canary.”)
Metaphor
A figure comparison that compares unlike objects. (Example: “He is a beast.”)
Analogy
A comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Metonymy
Substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it. (Example: “The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war / fighting].”)
Synecdoche
Using one part of an object to represent the entire object. (Example: referring to a car simply as “wheels.”)
Symbolism
The use of one object to evoke ideas and associations not literally part of the original object. (Example: The American flag may symbolize freedom, the fifty states, and the American way of life, among many other things.)
Euphemism
A mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term. (Example: “pass away” is a euphemism for “die.”)
Personification
A figure of speech in which objects and animals are given human characteristics.
Hyperbole
Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
