Alliteration
Occurs when the initial sounds of a word, beginning with either
a consonant or a vowel are repeated. It is important to listen to the sound
rather than rely on the visual representation of the letter.
E.g.
photo - frame,
gigantic - jigsaw,
chicken 'n chips
People who pen poetry probably pamper pets.
Assonance:
The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or
prose. It is important to listen to the sound of the vowel and vowel
combinations rather than rely of the visual representation of the letters.
E.g. cow/ shout
too / blew.
bird/ curl/ her.
bear/mare/deer/there/their.
The round clown found himself rolling around on the
ground.
Dialogue:
The conversation of characters. In fiction, dialogue
is typically enclosed within quotation marks.
In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their names.
Euphemism:
When something not so nice is said in a nice way.
e.g. "passed away" instead of "died"
"came into this world" instead of "born"
Hyperbole: (pronounced: Hi - per - boll - ee)
A figure of speech involving exaggeration.
E.g.
"I am so hungry I could eat a horse"
or
"I laughed until I died."
Image
A concrete expression of a sense impression,
a feeling or an idea. Imagery refers to the pattern
of related details in a work.
Imagery
Descriptions which invoke mental images to the reader. Often uses similes and
metaphors. Often used in poetry and song lyrics. Imagery allows the writer to
show what he/she means instead of telling directly.
E.g.
I took a walk around the world to
Ease my troubled mind I
left my body laying somewhere
In the sands of time.
I watched the world float to the
dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do.
Kryptonite - Three
Doors
Down
Irony:
A difference or the opposite between what is said and what is actually
intended or implied - often used for humour.
E.g.
Your friend turns up in dirty ripped jeans and,
you say with a smirk, "I see you have your best clothes
on!"
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word
or phrase meaning one kind of idea is used
in place of another to suggest a similarity.
E.g.
"The ship ploughed through
the waves."
Onomatopoeia:
Words which sound like their meanings.
E.g.
drip, buzz, pop, etc.
Personification:
Giving human qualities or characteristics to a non-human thing.
This helps the writer bring a passage alive.
e.g.
"darkness crept through the forest"
Pun:
A "play on words"
E.g.
"An elevator makes ghosts happy because it lifts their
spirits".
Repetition:
A word or group of words is repeated
throughout the writing to create impact.
Rhetorical Question:
A question which is presented, not expecting an answer but to achieve an
emphasis stronger than a direct statement.
E.g.
"Why me?"
Satire:
Work that criticizes human misconduct and
ridicules.
Simile:
A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using:
like, as or as though.
E.g.
"My love is like a red, red rose."
Occurs when the initial sounds of a word, beginning with either
a consonant or a vowel are repeated. It is important to listen to the sound
rather than rely on the visual representation of the letter.
E.g.
photo - frame,
gigantic - jigsaw,
chicken 'n chips
People who pen poetry probably pamper pets.
Assonance:
The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or
prose. It is important to listen to the sound of the vowel and vowel
combinations rather than rely of the visual representation of the letters.
E.g. cow/ shout
too / blew.
bird/ curl/ her.
bear/mare/deer/there/their.
The round clown found himself rolling around on the
ground.
Dialogue:
The conversation of characters. In fiction, dialogue
is typically enclosed within quotation marks.
In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their names.
Euphemism:
When something not so nice is said in a nice way.
e.g. "passed away" instead of "died"
"came into this world" instead of "born"
Hyperbole: (pronounced: Hi - per - boll - ee)
A figure of speech involving exaggeration.
E.g.
"I am so hungry I could eat a horse"
or
"I laughed until I died."
Image
A concrete expression of a sense impression,
a feeling or an idea. Imagery refers to the pattern
of related details in a work.
Imagery
Descriptions which invoke mental images to the reader. Often uses similes and
metaphors. Often used in poetry and song lyrics. Imagery allows the writer to
show what he/she means instead of telling directly.
E.g.
I took a walk around the world to
Ease my troubled mind I
left my body laying somewhere
In the sands of time.
I watched the world float to the
dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do.
Kryptonite - Three
Doors
Down
Irony:
A difference or the opposite between what is said and what is actually
intended or implied - often used for humour.
E.g.
Your friend turns up in dirty ripped jeans and,
you say with a smirk, "I see you have your best clothes
on!"
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word
or phrase meaning one kind of idea is used
in place of another to suggest a similarity.
E.g.
"The ship ploughed through
the waves."
Onomatopoeia:
Words which sound like their meanings.
E.g.
drip, buzz, pop, etc.
Personification:
Giving human qualities or characteristics to a non-human thing.
This helps the writer bring a passage alive.
e.g.
"darkness crept through the forest"
Pun:
A "play on words"
E.g.
"An elevator makes ghosts happy because it lifts their
spirits".
Repetition:
A word or group of words is repeated
throughout the writing to create impact.
Rhetorical Question:
A question which is presented, not expecting an answer but to achieve an
emphasis stronger than a direct statement.
E.g.
"Why me?"
Satire:
Work that criticizes human misconduct and
ridicules.
Simile:
A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using:
like, as or as though.
E.g.
"My love is like a red, red rose."