Figures of Speech
Allegory
● Type of narrative uses characters & plot depict abstract ideas & themes
● Things represent more than appear on the surface
● Can also be dark, complex & controversial
Alliteration
● Series of words quick succession all start same letter / sound
● Lends pleasing cadence to prose
Anaphora
● Repetition of word / phrase at beginning of series of clauses / sentences
● Often seen in poetry & speeches
● Intended to provoke emotional response from audience
● Eg. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed.”
Anastrophe
● Wherein traditional sentence structure reversed
● Typical verb-subject-adjective sentence becomes adjective-verb-subject
● Eg. Typical “Are you ready?” -> “Ready, are you?”
Colloquialism
● Word or phrase that is not formal or literary & used in ordinary conversation
● Eg. y’all, gonna, wanna, awe
Dramatic irony
● Expression one’s meaning using language that normally signifies the opposite
● For humorous of emphatic effect
● Eg. It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die.
Flashback
● A scene in a film, novel, etc. set in a time earlier than the main story
● Moving to a scene in a film, novel, etc. that is occurred before the story was written
Allegory
● Type of narrative uses characters & plot depict abstract ideas & themes
● Things represent more than appear on the surface
● Can also be dark, complex & controversial
Alliteration
● Series of words quick succession all start same letter / sound
● Lends pleasing cadence to prose
Anaphora
● Repetition of word / phrase at beginning of series of clauses / sentences
● Often seen in poetry & speeches
● Intended to provoke emotional response from audience
● Eg. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed.”
Anastrophe
● Wherein traditional sentence structure reversed
● Typical verb-subject-adjective sentence becomes adjective-verb-subject
● Eg. Typical “Are you ready?” -> “Ready, are you?”
Colloquialism
● Word or phrase that is not formal or literary & used in ordinary conversation
● Eg. y’all, gonna, wanna, awe
Dramatic irony
● Expression one’s meaning using language that normally signifies the opposite
● For humorous of emphatic effect
● Eg. It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die.
Flashback
● A scene in a film, novel, etc. set in a time earlier than the main story
● Moving to a scene in a film, novel, etc. that is occurred before the story was written
