| A | B |
|---|
| paradox | A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. |
| comic relief | A light-hearted moment or joke that follows a particularly dramatic/ sad/emotional scene in a play. |
| oxymoron | A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common phrase of this type is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, e.g. “cruel kindness” or “living death”. |
| conceit | An elaborate, fanciful metaphor, especially of a strained or far-fetched nature. |
| apostrophe | A figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. A writer or a speaker detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech. |
| dramatic irony | A useful plot device for creating situations where audience knows more about the situations, the causes of conflicts and their resolutions before leading characters or actors |
| pun | A play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings. |
| metonymy | Like a symbol, this is a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”. |
| aside | This is what it is called when the character stops interacting with the other characters on the stage and speaks directly to the audience. |
| alliteration | the repetition of initial consonant sounds used especially in poetrty to emphasize an dlink words as well as to create pleasing, musical sounds. Ex: "the fair breeze blow, the white foam flew." |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art to enrich the reading experience by adding meaning. |
| simile | comparison of two things using the words "like" or "as." Ex: "Her smile was as cold as ice." |
| metaphor | comparison of two things essentially different but with some commonalities; does not use "like" or "as." Ex: "Her smile was ice." |
| hyperbole | a purposeful exaggeration for emphasis or humor |
| personification | human qualities attributed to an animal, object, or idea. Ex: "The wind exhaled." |
| irony | a technique that involves surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions or contrasts. |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds. Ex: hiss, buzz, swish, crunch |
| symbol | person, place, or thing that represents something beyond itself, most often something concrete or tangible that represents an abstract idea. |
| theme | the message about life or human nature that is "the focus" in the story that the writer tells. |
| imagery | words or phrases that appeal to the reader's senses. |
