Dozen Figures of Speech Flashcards
Alliteration
Closely connected words “Be lenient with lobsters, and ever kind to crabs”
Allusion
Implicit reference to another work of literature/art/person/event enriching the work by association “We’re not in Kansas anymore!”
Anaphora
Rhetorical device involving repetition of a word/group of words “I have a dream”
Antithesis
opposite or noticeably different meanings “People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan”
Aphorism
pithy observation that has general truth. Aphorism exposes and condenses a part of the truth and is insightful
Assonance
vocalic rhyme that consists of the repetition of similar vowel sounds, close together. “Round and round the spicy downs the yellow”
Euphemism
Substitution of a mild + pleasant expression for a harsh blunt one “PTSD”
Illusion
enables the audience to think it is really seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling experience. Extra sensory. “Chatter birds two by two”
Metaphor
Implicit comparison “The man is a dinosaur”
Onomatopoeia
Formation and use of words to imitate sounds “Gong, crackle, snap, pop”
Oxymoron
combo of incongruous and contradicting words + means for special effect “Jumpo Shrimp”
Simile
comparison using “like” or “as” one thing is likened to clarify and enhance an image “Sly as a fox”
