Figures of Speech

AP English Literature with Keelan at North Cross School

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By: Lara Min
Created: 2011-11-16
Size: 20 flashcards
Views: 10

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Anaphora

the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of the successive clauses or verses
"Of ALL the gin joints in ALL the towns in ALL the world, she walks into mine."

Antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Apostrophe

breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an inanimate object, or a nonexistent character
"O western wind, when wilt thou blow?"

Chiasmus

a verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

Euphemism

the substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit

Hyperbole

an extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or heightened effect

Irony

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning, a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea

Litotes

a figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating the opposite
"I am not unaware how the productions of the Grub Street brotherhood have of late years fallen under many prejudices."

Metaphor

an implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in common
"A man may break a word with you, sir, and words are but wind."

Metonymy

one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it
The suits on Wall Street walked off with most of our savings"

Oxymoron

incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side
"Plastic silverware"

Paradox

a statement that appears to contradict itself
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

Personification

an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities
Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered."

Pun

a play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words
"Kings worry about their receding heir line."

Simile

a stated comparison between two fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common
"My face looks like a wedding-cake left our in the rain."

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or the whole for a part
"All hands on deck."

Understatement

a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is
"It's just a flesh wound."

Logos

an appeal to logic

Pathos

an appeal to emotion

Ethos

an appeal to authority or credibility

About this deck

By: Lara Min
Created: 2011-11-16
Size: 20 flashcards
Views: 10

About StudyBlue

“Simply amazing. The flash cards are smooth, there are many different types of studying tools, and there is a great search engine. I praise you on the awesomeness.”
Dennis