Writing Tools Flashcards
(35 cards)
Allusion
Reference to a famous person
Direct address
Whenever someone is called by name in a sentence
Imperative sentences
Request, commanding the understood you
Ex: “eat this joe”
Assonance
Repetition of vowels
Ex: on a proud* round* cloud* (o,o,o)
Motif
A repeated object in a novel
Denotation
Primary meaning of a word
Connotation
The meaning in slang
Anadiplosis
The repetition of the last word (or phrase) from the previous line, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next.
Ex: The love of wicked men converts to fear,
That fear to hate, and hate turns…
antithesis
contrasting two differing things in a parallel, balanced way.
Examples: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” “To err is human; to forgive divine.”
chiasmus
similar to antithesis except the parallelism features a reverse
order of words in the second part of the sentence.
Examples: That’s one small step for a man, for mankind has taken a giant leap, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” –Macbeth, “He labors without complaining, and without bragging rests.”
epanalepsis
repeating the same word twice in a phrase or sentence
for dramatic effect. Examples: “Blood hath brought blood; blows have answered blows.” “The theory sounds all wrong, but if the machine works, we cannot worry about theory.” “Food, I must have food!”
anaphora
repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of
successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Examples: “To think on death is a misery; to think on life is a vanity.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; blessed are they that mourn…”
epistrophe
similar to anaphora except the repeated word(s) are at
the end of each phrase, clause, or sentence. Examples: “And all the night he did nothing but weep Philoclea, sign Philoclea, and cry out, Philoclea.” “What do I earn for my work?-nothing; how much pride can a man have with that? -nothing.
polysyndeton
repetition of the same conjunction in a group of words.
Examples: “…and smothered in mud and lamed by stones and cut by
flints, and stung…”
asyndeton
no conjunctions used to separate lists of word(s).
Examples: She wept, staggered, fell. They spent the day working, searching, thinking, understanding.
synedoche
a part represents the whole. Examples: I wish I had some
wheels. Give me a hand. “Give us this day our daily bread.”
epithet
creative use of adjectives to emphasize nouns. Examples: life-giving words, oily personality, sneering contempt, untroubled sleep.
apostrophe
direct address to someone or something that cannot answer. Examples: “Jefferson! This nation needs your wisdom.” “Come on, car, start up, you can do it.”
Expletive
an interrupting word or phrase, set off by commas, to emphasize the words before and/or after it. Examples: He was, as usual, invited. Of course, it rained yesterday. Sid won again, naturally.
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration for effect. Examples: I am
starving to death. I’ve told you a thousand times.
understatement
a deliberate expression that something is less
important than it really is. Examples: “War is not good for children and other living things.” Being struck by lightning will get your attention.
amplification
repeating a word or expression and adding rich detail.
She went to New York, cruel, dirty, fascinating New York. What we
need are jobs-jobs with dignity and security.
paradox
assertion that seems contrary to good sense, but contains
truth. Examples: We are all born to die. “What a pity youth must be wasted on the young.” –Shaw.
eponym
attributes a famous person’s characteristic to another.
Examples: My uncle is such a Scrooge. Joe is a regular Ulysses with his world travels.
