STYLISTIC DEVICES (SYNONYMS: RHETORICAL DEVICES, FIGURES OF SPEECH)

DEVICE DEFINITION EXAMPLE EFFECT, FUNCTION

ALLITERATION repetition of sounds at the beginning of neighbouring Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. to produce a rhythmic effect
words
ALLUSION indirect reference to a famous event, person or piece of To meet one´s Waterloo to reveal the writer’s education
literature
AMBIGUITY the use of a word to convey two or more different feelings ambiguous - zweideutig
ANAPHORA the repetition of the same words in neighbouring In every cry of man… to heighten the effect
sentences; a form of parallelism In every cry of fear
ANTICLIMAX opposite of climax, a change from sth. noble to sth. more For God, for country, for football to have a humorous or satirical effect;
banal or uninteresting; string of statements ending with the to make fun of sth.
weakest
ANTITHESIS showing the exact opposite in parallel words Poor men seek meat for their stomach, rich emphasis of content through contrast in form
( s s) men stomach for their meat
CHIASMUS reversal in the order of words in two halves of a sentence Love´s fire heats water, water cools not love. emphasis
(ka æzm s) (Kreuzstellung) (Shakespeare, Sonnet 154)
GRADATION TO A row of statements from the weakest to the strongest Friends, Romans, countrymen! Shakespeare, emphasis
CLIMAX, CLIMACTIC Julius Caesar
ORDER
CONTRAST opposing views or words Roses have thorns, silver fountains mud to emphasize the difference, to heighten the
feeling
ELLIPSIS leaving out essential grammatical items that are clear from “Coming?” instead of “Are you coming?” to make a statement more compact and
the context direct
ENUMERATION a row of similar expressions I have dared to love you wildly, passionately, emphasis
devotedly, hopelessly. (Oscar Wilde)
EUPHEMISM using polite expressions for sth. unpleasant to pass away = to die; restroom = toilet; the to express sth in a more pleasant way ; to
( m z m) underprivileged = the poor amuse, to entertain, the tone is mild,
inoffensive,
IMAGERY see simile, metaphor, symbol to catch the reader’s attention, to create a
vivid image; to amuse or entertain the reader
INTENSIFYING indeed, particularly, mainly etc to give more force to a statement
ADJECTIVES /ADVERBS
INCLUSIVE WE to use the pronouns “we, us, our” We all agree in our common aim (Reagan) to show unity, solidarity, agreement, to be of
the same opinion
IRONY to say the opposite of what you mean What lovely weather we are having = looking to criticize, to show the speaker’s wit and
out at a thunderstorm superiority; to create a humorous effect
LITOTES (la t ) understatement: making sth less important than in reality The Queen was not amused. kind of irony
METAPHOR poetical comparison without like or as He was a lion in the battle. to convey the quality of a person or thing

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ONOMATOPOEIA using words which imitate the sound they refer to The cuckoo whizzed past the buzzing bees. to produce a sound effect
( n mæt ) (Lautmalerei)
OXYMORON condensed form of a paradox, two contradictory words "0 hateful love! 0 loving hate!" (Shakespeare, used to depict indecision or torment
( ks m n) Romeo and Juliet)
PARADOX seeming impossible at first glance, but being true on Fair is foul and foul is fair. (Shakespeare, surprise, amusement, makes the reader think
second thoughts Macbeth)
PARALLELISM repeating similar or identical words, phrases, constructions I’m over-dressed, I’m over-educated. emphasis
in neighbouring lines, sentences, paragraphs
PERSONIFICATION presenting ideas, objects, animals as persons Death pays all debts. to create a vivid image, have human qualities
PUN play on words (using homophones or homonyms) Seven days without water makes one weak. to create a humorous effect
REGISTER subset of language for a specific situation, purpose Baby talk, sports jargon to attract attention, same level, unity,
formal, neutral, informal, familiar solidarity
REPETITION deliberately using a word or phrase more than once Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow to intensify, poetic effect
(Shakespeare, Macbeth)
RHETORICAL question to which the answer is obvious Don’t we all love peace? emphasis, makes the listener feel he himself
QUESTION has found the answer and thus agree with the
speaker.
SARCASM strong, aggressive, bitter; contemptuous form of irony You are a brilliant student. (to someone who shows anger and contempt, criticism
(s ) has just failed an exam)
SIMILE comparison with like or as My love is like a red, red rose. to create a vivid image
SYMBOL sth. concrete (object, character, event) standing for sth. dove (peace), Cupid (love), scales (justice), to create a vivid image
abstract sceptre (royal power), horseshoe (luck)
SYNECDOCHE using a part instead of the whole (pars pro toto) “Lend me your ears.” (Sh, Julius Caesar) to evoke associations
(s nekd ki)
TAUTOLOGY pleonasm;the use of more words than is necessary at this moment in time; personally I myself to keep talking
(t l d i) repetition of meaning, using dissimilar words to say the
same thing twice
TELLING NAME a name that conveys certain character traits Willy Loman (Arthur Miller, Death of a to emphasize a trait, to characterize so.
Salesman) (= low man)
Lord Voldemort (flight of death) (J.K. Rowling,
Harry Potter)

Possible effects/functions depend on the specific context in which a stylistic device is used:
to emphasize a certain aspect to create humour to persuade sb of
to arouse the reader’s interest to amuse/ entertain the reader to convince the reader of
to attract attention to evoke funny associations to win the listener’s support
to make the reader think to create a graphic image
to criticize, satirize a to make the passage vivid
situation/person/idea/event to surprise the reader
to produce a fine rhythm to shock the reader/ listener/ audience P 13