metonymy This is the use of word for an object/concept which is linked with the object/concept originally denoted by the word. tongue language Examples: sweat hard work the press news media

synecdoche A part is used to represent the whole. A car is referred to as “wheels” Examples: Hungry people are “mouths to feed” Sailors as “hands on deck” Let two more summers wither in their pride Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride - Lord Capulet from Romeo & Juliet referring to summers as “years” (speaking about Juliet)

allusion Indirect reference to a person, event, statement, history, art, religion, myth, popular culture. They enrich meaning and broaden the impact of a statement via connotation. “He had the patience of Job.” – Biblical allusion The Sound and the Fury – Literary allusion (the title of Faulkner’s novel alludes to a line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth) “He was a Benedict Arnold.” – Historical/biographical allusion

anachrony Technique of placing events out of chronological order. There are three types: - analepsis (flashback) - prolepsis (preview of future events) - ellipsis (gap in events/omitted chronological material).

apostrophe When the speaker addresses a person who is dead or not present, an imaginary person or entity, something inhuman, or a place or idea (usually abstract). O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? - Shakespeare, Act II, Scene 2 Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains call on us? - John Donne, “The Sun Rising”

analogy Cognitive process of transferring one subject (source) to another subject (target). "Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo." - Don Marquis visual analogies Metaphors, similes and personification can be analogies as long as the comparison is analogous.

conceit Mostly shown in verse, it is an elaborate comparison between two seemingly different things—things that might seemingly be very different; however the author connects them. A Book There is no frigate like a book To take us lands away, Nor any coursers like a page Of prancing poetry. This traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of toll; How frugal is the chariot That bears a human soul! - Emily Dickinson Example: What is the conceit in this poem?

allegory Using concrete means in which to present an abstract idea. Underneath the surface-level narrative, there is a second, deeper meaning that may be moral, political, philosophical, or religious. Lord of the Flies is considered an allegory. How so?

anaphora (rhetorical figure) Exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences for emphasis. Example: “I have a dream that one day… “ – Martin Luther King. Example: We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender… - Winston Churchill

enjambment French for “striding over” or straddling. A poetic expression where an idea spans more than one line of verse. A continuation of a complete idea (a sentence or clause) from one line of a poem to the next line without a pause. Enjambment can evoke feelings of confusion, disorder, or urgency. A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and asleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. - from Keats’ Endymion Lines 2, 3 and 4 are enjambed. Example:

idiom A word or phrase that cannot be literally defined; it is a figure of speech, in which its meaning can only be defined with particular knowledge. His yelling only added fuel to the fire. Examples: That movie we saw the other night was a laugh a minute. They told me it was all in my head, but I’m sure I saw Bigfoot mowing the neighbor’s lawn.

foil A character that contrasts with the protagonist in order to emphasize the protagonist’s personality traits. Examples: Han Solo (gritty) is the foil to Luke Skywalker (idealistic) in Star Wars Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley are foils to Harry Potter Tybalt and Mercutio are Romeo’s foils in Romeo and Juliet Gollum is Frodo’s foil in The Lord of the Rings

mood Can be synonymous with either tone or atmosphere. The author’s mood (tone) might be positive or negative in a literary piece—the onus is on the writer, director, etc. The author creates a mood (atmosphere) in the audience/reader—the onus is on the audience.

paradox A statement that seems contradictory or nonsensical, but carries with it a deeper truth on closer examination/thought. “I can resist anything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde Examples: “I know that I know nothing.” “To believe with certainty we must begin with doubting.”

parallelism (rhetorical figure) Repetition of similar words, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs that accentuate or emphasize ideas and/or images. Juxtaposing two opposing ideas of similar importance is common in parallelism. Examples: "The more we do, the more we can do.“ - William Hazlitt “In a democracy we are all equal before the law. In a dictatorship we are all equal before the police.” - Fernandes "Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, teach gym.“ – Woody Allen

paralipsis (rhetorical figure) Latin for “leaving aside,” paralipsis involves the speaker’s assertion that he or she will not discuss something that he or she in fact goes on to discuss. Example: “Since I need to finish warming up because the marathon is about to begin, I won’t take the time to tell you that I came in first in our age category in each of the last three races.” There are two types of paralipsis: 1) occultatio is when the speaker attempts to conceal his or her true motive in speaking 2) occupatio is when the speaker is too busy or preoccupied to address a topic.