Stylistic device Definition Example Effect Translation

Alliteration Recurrence of initial„The fair To convey Alliteration

sound breeze blew, (vermitteln)
the white foam auditory images
flew.”
Accumulation Series of expressions “He came, saw, To make the Anhäufung
that contribute fought and language
(beitragen) won” livelier
increasingly to the
meaning
Anaphora Repetition oft he In every town, To stress the Anapher
first word or words in every house, main point,
of a in every man, often used in
line/sentence/clause in every speeches
woman and in
every child…
Repetition and variation

Contrast

Stylistic Definition Example Effect Translation

device
Euphemism Figure of speech “He passed It may be Eupemismus
to play down the away” instead necessary to (Beschönigung)
real/more of “He died” spare a
unpleasant persons
expression feelings
Oxymoron Combination of “eloquent to express Oxymoron
two terms which silence” complex (Scheinwiderspruch)
are contradictory things or to
(widersprüchlich unite
) in meaning contrasting
ideas
Paradox Seemingly self- “I see it It may be Paradoxon
contradictory or feelingly” found to
absurd contain some
statement which truth on closer
in fact examination
establishes a
more complex
level of meaning
by way of
association
Antithesis Denotes the “God made Produce an Antithese
opposition of the country effective
ideas by means and man contrast
 of grammatical made the
parallel towns”
arrangements of
words, clauses or
sentences
Anti-climax A sudden “The love of Produce a /
transition from God, justice humorous
the idea of and sports effect
significance to an cars…”
idea trivial by
comparison
Rhethorical Assertion in form “Who does Give the Rhetorische Frage
question of a question not love this listener a false
which strongly country” (=of impression of
suggests a course taking part in
particular everybody a debate
response loves this
country”

Stylistic device Definition Example Effect Translation

Onomatopoeia Sounds imitator “engines roar” Activates Wortmalerei
of things they imagination and
refer to the sense of
hearing
Metaphor A reduced or “...the sand of Enriches the Metapher
implied time…” language (good
comparison style)
between
phenomena not
normally
associated with
each other not
a simile with
like
Symbol