Literary devices Flashcards
Alliteration
repetition of the first letter ot the first sound
- GIlmore and Geller
Hyperbole
Exaggerated statements
- “Only the best coffee for the best you”
Tricolon
the rule of three: a rhythmic pattern involving three repeating parts
- Example: the true, the good and the beautiful
Facts
True information
- for advertisements: it is for the sake of logos (the reader’s reason)
Repetition
repeating an element
- includes anaphora, tricolon, alliteration
Pun
homonyms with two relevant meanings for the sake of humor
Example: one story, two points
-> The Sharpie ad
Anaphora
Repetition of the words for emphasis
- “If you can keep your head” - repetition of “if”
- “Till the bridge you will need be formed” - repetition of “till”
-“—Shotgun shot in the dark!” (Getaway car)
Superlatives
The use of extremes but to the highest degree
- So it is like the highest degree of a hyperbole
- “This is the height of luxury!” - John Mulaney
- “The best coffee for the best you
Rhetorical questions
questions for dramatic effect and make a point rather than achieve an answer
- That one butter commercial in CXG: “When’s the last time you have been happy?”
Imperative
command, can be used for call to action
- “Save the Earth”
Connotation and dennontation
nonliteral and literal meaning
- “covered” in the women’s abuse ad
Image
foreground, background, and the other visual elements
- see anatomy of an image in the other deck
Synthetic personalization
The advertisement addressing the reader as if they were an individual
Logos
The appeal to the audience’s logic/reason
e.g.: For an anti-slavery ad, an appropriate use of logos would be the statistics on slavery in the current world or the history of it.
Ethos
The appeal to the author’s status or authority.
- e.g.: For an anti-slavery ad, an appropriate use of ethos would be the author being a ngo/non-profit that specializes in anti-slavery
