Stylistic devices Flashcards
alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sound
it draws attention to the phrase and is often used for emphasis
ex: for the greater good of …
safety and security
share a continent but not a country
anaphora
successive clauses or sentences start with the same word(s)
the reader’s / listener’s attention is drawn directly to the message of the sentence.
ex: Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.
antithesis
contrasting relationship between two ideas
The structure of the phrases / clauses is usually similar in order to draw the reader’s / listener’s attention directly to the contrast.
ex: That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong)
To err is human; to forgive, divine. (Pope)
It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration
Used sparingly, hyperbole effectively draws the attention to a message that you want to emphasise.
ex: I was so hungry, I could eat an elephant.
I have told you a thousand times.
hypophora
question raised and answered by the author / speaker
Used to get the audience’s attention and make them curious. Often the question is raised at the beginning of a paragraph and answered in the course of that paragraph.
ex: Why is it better to love than be loved? It is surer. (Sarah Guitry)
How many countries have actually hit […] the targets set at Rio, or in Kyoto in 1998, for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions? Precious few.
litote
form of understatement
Uses the denied opposite of a word to weaken or soften a message.
ex: That’s not bad. (instead of: That’s good/great.)
Boats aren’t easy to find in the dark. (instead of: Boats are hard/difficult to find in the dark.)
metaphor
figurative expression
Unlike in a simile (A is like B.), “like” is not used in metaphor (A is B.).
ex: Truths are first clouds, then rain, then harvest and food. (Henry Ward Beecher)
Through much of the last century, America’s faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations.
metonymy
figurative expression, closely associated with the subject
Uses figurative expressions that are closely associated with the subject in terms of place, time or background. The figurative expression is not a physical part of the subject, however (see synecdoche).
ex: The White House declared … (White House = US government / President)
The land belongs to the crown. (crown = king / queen / royal family / monarchy)
The spit-and-polish command post (meaning: shiny clean)
onomatopoeia
word imitating a sound
A story becomes more lively and interesting by the use of onomatopoeia.
ex: The lion roared.
The steaks sizzled in the pan.
The bomb went off with a bang.
parallelism
parallel sentence structure
This similarity makes it easier for the reader / listener to concentrate on the message.
ex: We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interest, and teach us what it means to be citizens.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I will learn. (Benjamin Franklin)
personification
attribution of human characteristics to animals, inanimate objects or abstractions
It can make a narration more interesting and lively.
ex: Why these two countries would remain at each other’s throat for so long.
I closed the door, and my stubborn car refused to open it again.
The flowers nodded their heads as if to greet us.
The frogs began their concert.
simile
direct comparison
ex: Conrete box-style buildings are spreading like inkblots
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel
synechdoche
using a part instead of the whole or vice versa
- ex: Turning our long boat round […] on the last morning required all hands on deck … (hands = people)*
- Troops halt the drivers (troops = soldiers)*
repetition of initial consonant sound
it draws attention to the phrase and is often used for emphasis
ex: for the greater good of …
safety and security
share a continent but not a country
alliteration
successive clauses or sentences start with the same word(s)
the reader’s / listener’s attention is drawn directly to the message of the sentence.
ex: Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.
anaphora
