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Alliteration Repetition of the same letter or sound within nearby words. Most often, repeated initial consonants Allusion is a short, informal reference to a famous person or event Anadiplosis Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase. Analogy A kind of extended metaphor or long simile in which an explicit comparison is made between two things (events, ideas, people, etc) for the purpose of furthering a line of reasoning or drawing an inference; a form of reasoning employing comparative or parallel cases. Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences, commonly in conjunction with climax and with parallelism Anesis Adding a concluding sentence that diminishes the effect of what has been said previously. Antimetabole reversing the order of repeated words or phrases (A-B, B-A). Antithesis Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. Aporia expresses doubt about an idea or conclusion. Among its several uses are the suggesting of alternatives without making a commitment to either or any Aposiopesis Figure in which the speaker abruptly stops or falls short of completing a statement; stopping short of completing a statement Apostrophe interrupts the discussion or discourse and addresses directly a person or personified thing, either present or absent. Assonance Figure of repetition in which different words with the same or similar vowel sounds occur successively in words with different consonants; two or more words with similar vowel sounds sandwiched between different consonants. Appositive a noun or noun substitute placed next to (in apposition to) another noun to be described or defined by the appositive Asyndeton consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet). Catachresis is an extravagant, implied metaphor using words in an alien or unusual way. A highly unusual or outlandish comparison is made between two things. Chiasmus do not repeat the same words and phrases, but invert a sentence's grammatical structure or ideas. Conduplicatio Figure of repetition in which the key word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses. Diacope repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase:usually to express deep feeling Enthymeme is a syllogism (a three-part deductive argument) with an unstated assumption which must be true for the premises to lead to the conclusion. In an enthymeme, part of the argument is missing because it is assumed. Enumeratio detailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forcibly Epanalepsis repeats the beginning word of a clause or sentence at the end. The beginning and the end are the two positions of strongest emphasis in a sentence, so by having the same word in both places, you call special attention to it Epistrophe Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is repeated one or more times at the end of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases. Epitheton Very common figure that uses an adjective or adjectival phrase to characterize a person, thing, attribute, or quality; the use of a qualifying word or phrase to further describe something (e.g., "fun ride," "bad omen," "cheerful giver," "good and decent man") Epizeuxis Figure of emphasis in which the same word is repeated two or more times over in immediate succession; repetition of the same word, word, word.... Euphemism Figure used to transform an unpleasant, distasteful or repulsive expression into more socially acceptable terms. Expletive Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive. Typical examples include: in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed, I suppose, I hope, you know, you see, clearly, in any event, in effect, certainly, remarkably. Hyperbole deliberate exaggeration of a person, thing, quality, event to emphasize a point external to the object of exaggeration; intentional exaggeration for rhetorical effect. Hypophora consists of raising one or more questions and then proceeding to answer them, usually at some length. A common usage is to ask the question at the beginning of a paragraph and then use that paragraph to answer it Litotes a particular form of understatement, is generated by denying the opposite or contrary of the word which otherwise would be used. Metaphor compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Unlike a simile or analogy, metaphor asserts that one thing is another thing, not just that one is like another. Very frequently a metaphor is invoked by the to be verb Metonymy substitution of one word for another which it suggests. Onomatopoeia use of words to imitate natural sounds; accommodation of sound to sense. Oxymoron Figure that binds together TWO words that are ordinarily contradictory; a TWO WORD paradox; two words with contrary or apparently contradictory meanings occurring next to each other, and, which, nonetheless, evoke some measure of truth; the figure conjures a new way of seeing or understanding, a novel meaning. Paradox Figure that employs an apparent contradiction which, nonetheless, evokes some measure of truth; a statement which seems at one level to be nonsensical because it moves against a normalcy. At another level, however, the figure conjures a new way of seeing or understanding, a novel meaning. Parallelism Figure of balance identified by a similarity in the syntactical structure of a set of words in successive phrases, clauses, sentences; successive words, phrases, clauses with the same or very similar grammatical structure. Personification Figure which represents abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities, including physical, emotional, and spiritual; the application of human attributes or abilities to nonhuman entities. Polysyndeton is the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite of asyndeton. (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet); the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses. Rhetorical Question The rhetorical question is usually defined as any question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information the question asks Scesis Onomaton emphasizes an idea by expressing it in a string of generally synonymous phrases or statements. Simile Figure of explication in which two things that share at least one attribute are explicitly associated with each other; an overt comparison between two unlike things as though they were similar -- usually with the words "like" or "as". Symploce A combination of Anaphora and Epistrophe in which the first and last word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence are repeated in one or more successive phrases, clauses, or sentences; repetition of the first and last words in a clause over successive clauses. Synecdoche Figure of comparison in which a word standing for part of something is used for the whole of that thing or vice versa; any part or portion or quality of a thing used to stand for the whole of the thing or vice versa -- genus to species or species to genus.