Epithet [‘epıѲət] эпитет “Epithet” is one of the most ancient terms in stylistics

HYPERBOLE [haı‘pə:bəlı] – гипербола

Hyperbole is a deliberate overstatement or exaggeration, the aim of which is to intensify one of the features of the object to such a degree as will show its utter absurdity (Galperin).

E.g. Those three words (Dombey and Son) conveyed the one idea of Mr. Dombey’s life. The earth was made for Dombey and Son to trade in and the sun and moon were made to give them light. Rivers and seas were formed to float their ships…stars and planets circled in their orbits to preserve inviolate a system of which they were the centre (Dickens)

LANGUAGE/ TRITE HYPERBOLE

Hyperboles used in everyday speech which became stereotyped through frequent repetition.

• Trite hyperboles hardly affect the listener emotionally.

E.g. I was scared to death.

I haven’t seen you for ages.

A thousand pardons.

I’d give the world to see him.

EXPRESSIVE HYPERBOLE

• An expressive hyperbole is an exaggeration which is utterly impossible, contrary to common sense and stunning by its suddenness (Skrebnev).
• It is often employed to create a humorous effect.

E.g. One after the other those people lay down on the ground to laugh – and two of them died (Twain).

E.g. There I took out my pig…and gave him such a kick that he went out the other end of the alley, twenty feet ahead of his squeal (O.Henry)

LITOTES [‘laıtəuti:z] - литота

• LITOTES is a stylistic device consisting of a peculiar use of negative constructions (Galperin).
• LITOTES is expressing an idea by means of negating the opposite idea (Skrebnev).

E.g. WITH HIS ASSISTANCE → WITHOUT HIS ASSISTANCE → NOT WITHOUT HIS ASSISTANCE (LITOTES)

• Double negation results in affirmative meaning, but this meaning is weakened: