LITERARY,

RHETORICAL, Definitions and

AND SOUND Examples

DEVICES
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Language that is not literal
Language that uses a variety of devices to create
images, ideas, or comparisons for the reader.
The following slides define a variety of figurative
language techniques.
ALLUSION
A references to another literary work or historical
event.
Allusions can be:
 Literary
 Biblical
 Mythical
 Historical

The choice of a writer to use an allusion gives you

more information about the speaker and/or author.
IRONY

Irony usually signals a difference between the

appearance of things and reality.
There are 3 types of irony:
•Ironic statements (verbal irony) often convey a
meaning exactly opposite from their literal meaning.
•In ironic situations (situational irony), actions often
have an effect exactly opposite from what is intended.
•Dramatic Irony occurs in art, where the
reader/audience has an understanding of events that
some or all of the characters do not.
IMAGERY

to use figurative language to represent objects, actions

and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical
senses.
Examples: It was dark and dim in the forest. – The words “dark” and
“dim” are visual images.
The children were screaming and shouting in the fields. – “Screaming”
and “shouting” appeal to our sense of hearing or auditory sense.
He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee. – “whiff” and “aroma” evoke our
sense of smell or olfactory sense.
The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric. – The idea of “soft” in this
example appeals to our sense of touch or tactile sense.
The fresh and juicy orange are very cold and sweet. – “ juicy” and
“sweet” when associated with oranges have an effect on our sense of
taste or gustatory sense.
ONOMATOPOEIA

a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It

creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described,
making the description more expressive and
interesting.
Examples:
•The buzzing bee flew away.
•The sack fell into the river with a splash.
•The books fell on the table with a loud thump.
•He looked at the roaring sky.
•The rustling leaves kept me awake.
HYPERBOLE
an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and
metaphor. It does make a comparison but unlike simile
and metaphor, hyperbole has a humorous effect created
by an overstatement.
Examples:
•My grandmother is as old as the hills.
•Your suitcase weighs a ton!
•She is as heavy as an elephant!
•I am dying of shame.
•I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
PERSONIFICATION

a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an

animal is given human attributes. The non-human
objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they
have the ability to act like human beings.
Examples:
•Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t it so?
•The wind whispered through dry grass.
•The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
•Time and tide waits for none.
•The fire swallowed the entire forest.
SIMILE
a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing
similarities between two different things. Unlike a
metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of
the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct
comparison.
Examples:
•Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
•Her cheeks are red like a rose.
•He is as funny as a monkey.
•The water well was as dry as a bone.
•He is as cunning as a fox.
METAPHOR
is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or
hidden comparison between two things or objects that are
poles apart from each other but have some characteristics
common between them. In other words, a resemblance of two
contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or
some common characteristics.
Examples:
My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.)
The assignment was a breeze. (This implies that the
assignment was not difficult.)
It is going to be clear skies from now on. (This implies that
clear skies are not a threat and life is going to be without
hardships)
 ALLITERATION
the repetition of initial consonant letters (or sounds) in two or
more different words across successive sentences, clauses, or
phrases.
Can be immediate or non-immediate juxtaposition
"No one standing in this house today can pass a puritanical
test of purity that some are demanding that our elected
leaders take." -- Richard Gephardt
TONE

is an attitude of a writer toward a

subject or an audience. Tone is
generally conveyed through the
choice of words or the viewpoint
of a writer on a particular subject.
Not the same as mood.
MOOD

a literary element that evokes

certain feelings or vibes in readers
through words and descriptions.
Not the same as tone.
CONNOTATION/
DENOTATION
Connotation refers to a meaning
that is implied by a word apart
from the thing which it describes
explicitly. Words carry cultural
and emotional associations or
meanings in addition to their
literal meanings or denotations.
CONSONANCE
Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or
more words in close proximity
Or within a compound word
 (ping-pong/fulfill)
ASSONANCE

Repetition of vowel sounds

between different consonants
Bay and Weigh
PARALLELISM
Parallelism is arranging words,
ideas, or structural parts side by
side by making them similar in
form
Easy come, easy go.
“To err is human, to forgive is
divine.”
Whether in class, at work or at
home, Tony was always busy.
OXYMORON

Contradictory words or phrases

Wise Fool
Jumbo Shrimp
Bitter-sweet
CLICHÉ
an expression that has been overused to the extent
that it loses its original meaning or novelty. A cliché
may also refer to actions and events which are
predictable because of some previous events.
Examples:
•in the nick of time – to happen just in time
•only time will tell – to become clear over time
•a matter of time – to happen sooner or later
•at the speed of light – to do something very quickly
•lost track of time – to stop paying attention to time
REPETITION

a literary device that repeats the same

words or phrases a few times to make
an idea clearer. There are several
types of repetitions commonly used in
both prose and poetry.
 ANAPHORA
repetition of the initial word(s) over successive phrases
or clauses.

"To raise a happy, healthy, and hopeful child, it takes a

family; it takes teachers; it takes clergy; it takes
business people; it takes community leaders; it takes
those who protect our health and safety. It takes all of
us."-- Hillary Clinton, 1996 Democratic National Convention Address
EUPHEMISM
refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace
words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or
which suggest something unpleasant.
Examples:
•You are becoming a little thin on top (bald).
•Our teacher is in the family way (pregnant).
•He passed away (died.)
EPISTROPHE

Repetition of the same word or

phrase at the end of successive
clauses.
The counterpart of anaphora

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I

understood as a child, I thought as a child. —
The Apostle Paul (King James Translation)
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny compared to what lies within us." — Ralph
Waldo Emerson