Tropes Dependent on Contrasting Meanings Carina, Mosana, Vicky, Margie, Missy

Tropes and Figure of Thought Tropes: a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression Figure of Thought: the styles a rhetoric can take o Similar to Figure of Speech

Hyperbole A hyperbole is a trope in which a point is expressed in a greatly exaggerated way. Example: “It was so cold outside, I saw polar bears wearing jackets”

Understatement An understatement is the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is. Example: “It is a bit cold today” when temperature is 5 below.

Paradox A trope in which a statement that appears on the surface to be contradictory or impossible turns out to express an often striking truth. Example: “less is more,” “the beginning of the end,” “Nobody goes to that restaurant because it is too crowded”

Oxymoron A compressed paradox that closely links two seemingly contrary elements in a way that, on further consideration, turns out to make good sense. (trope) Examples: “bittersweet,” “a living death,” “passive aggressive” The word itself is an oxymoron - the Greek roots “oxy” means “sharp” and “moron” means “dull or foolish” so oxymoron means “pointedly foolish.”

Litotes ●A figure of through in which a point is affirmed by negating its opposite ○ ex:He’s no fool, not uncommon ●Special form of understatement where the surface denial serves to reinforce the underlying assertion ○ usually through ironic contrast

Periphrasis ●A figure of thought in which a point is stated by vagueness rather than directly ○ sword-hate=warfare, ethnic cleansing=genocide ●Mostly used like euphemisms to cushion a painful or embarrassing idea or to vary word choice within a piece

Pun ●Pun is a figure of thought that plays on words that have the same sound, or closely similar sounds, but have sharply contrasted meanings. ●It’s a form of wordplay that suggests two or more meanings ○ Pun used a lot by shakespeare. "That dreamers often lie" the pun is that dreamers lie in bed but also lie about dreams.