Figurative language
List of Figurative Language and Rhetorical devices
Alliteration, assonance and consonance: Alliteration is the repetition of the first sound in nearby words, for example: Always avoid alliteration. Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds within, for example, words in the lines of a poem. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the words. All three techniques can be combined:
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me, filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before.
— Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven”
There is alliteration in the repetition of the s sound at the start of “silken” and “sad”. There is assonance in the repetition of the ur sound in “uncertain”, “purple”, and “curtain”. And there is consonance in the repetition of the s sound in the words “uncertain” and “rustling”.
Anaphora, epistrophe, and symploce: an Anaphora is the repetition of a series of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses. An epistrophe (or epiphora) is the repetition of words at the ends of neighboring clauses. Both forms of repetition help emphasize the contents.
Examples of anaphora:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...
— Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
Alliteration, assonance and consonance: Alliteration is the repetition of the first sound in nearby words, for example: Always avoid alliteration. Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds within, for example, words in the lines of a poem. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the words. All three techniques can be combined:
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me, filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before.
— Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven”
There is alliteration in the repetition of the s sound at the start of “silken” and “sad”. There is assonance in the repetition of the ur sound in “uncertain”, “purple”, and “curtain”. And there is consonance in the repetition of the s sound in the words “uncertain” and “rustling”.
Anaphora, epistrophe, and symploce: an Anaphora is the repetition of a series of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses. An epistrophe (or epiphora) is the repetition of words at the ends of neighboring clauses. Both forms of repetition help emphasize the contents.
Examples of anaphora:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...
— Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the