Stylistic Devices

Stylistic Devices & Their Effects

Stylistic Devices	Definition	Effect
alliteration	Repetition of initial consonant sound.	Grabs reader's attention, sort of punctuates words. Also creates mood for e.g. if it's an ‘s' sound, maybe shows snakelike quantity or hissing. Perhaps slyness of the narrator.
anaphora	Repeating the first part of a sentence. “The beginning of wisdom is silence. The second step is listening.”	Emphasis on words. Could create emotional effect like passion in audience (this is why many famous speeches use anaphora). Adds rhythm making it easier to read and remember.
antithesis	Having two opposite ideas in a sentence. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”	Emphasises ideas. Makes it easier to understand the point being made or the complexity of the situation.
epiphora	Repeating the ending words of a sentence. “I am an American, he is an American, everybody is an American .”	Emphasise words/message.. Gives a unique rhythm to text. Convey the importance of something.
hyperbole	Exaggeration of ideas.	Create amusing effect. Common human feelings sound remarkable. Can also create contrast if something is described using exaggeration and the next thing isn't. This attracts reader's attention. Helps visualise.
metaphor	Comparing two things without using the words “like” or “as”.	Gives readers another way of thinking about something. Creates an image for the reader. Make it easier to understand what the reader is saying (mostly applies to similes).
simile	Comparing two things using the words “like” or “as”.

onomatopoeia	A word which imitates the natural sound of things like “buzzing”, “rustling” or even “meow”.	• Helps readers hear the sounds, allowing them to enter the author's world.
parallelism	Using components in a sentence that are grammatically the same or have similar sounds or construction. “Like father, like son. ” or “They got together and talked, laughed and giggled. ”	Adds rhythm to sentences. In literature, usually used to convey some message. Also persuasive because an idea is emphasised and easy to remember using this structure.
personification	When an idea or animal is given human characteristics. “The sky weeps. ”	Helps readers empathise with non-human characters. Gives deeper meanings as well.
repetition	Repeating words or phrases. (There are actually many different types of repetition like anaphora and epiphora.)	To grab the reader's attention. For e.g. repeating a line. Emphasise and create rhythm.
rhetorical question	A question which is meant to be unanswered.	Emphasise a point being made. Mostly used to as an effect. Used to persuade people.
synecdoche (si-nek-duh-kee)	Referring to something by one of its parts. For e.g. “wheels” to refer to a car, or “bread” to food or money.	Achieve symbolism! Keeps writing concise and engages the reader because they have to think deeply about what the word is referring to. Can also sound more colloquial to connect to audience more.
Metonymy (me-ton-uh-mee)	When name of something is replaced with name of something else that's associated with it. For e.g. “crown” refers to power or authority. Not to be confused with metaphors--it's not comparing two things!	Symbolism! Draws reader's attention because words have deeper meanings to them.
enjambment	In poetry, when the sentence continues on to the next line.	Makes poem's rhythm faster. Adds surprise because reader has to keep reading to know

		what the author is saying. • Makes writing have a sense of urgency. Fast pace.
informal language	Personal, colloquial sort of language.	Writing becomes more casual and relaxed. Sets up close relationship with reader because it appeals to us. It's speaking at our level.
formal language	Doesn't use colloquialism, contractions or first-person.	• Makes text more authoritative and powerful.
perfect rhyme	When final stressed vowel and all the next sounds are identical.	Gives rhythm to poem. Emphasises certain words. Adds a sort of finality to stanza or couplet (or whatever). Musical quality.
half-rhyme	Ending consonants match, preceding vowels don't. For e.g. “hold” and “bald”.	More variety of words for author to work with. Reader becomes surprised because doesn't know what to expect.
internal rhyme	When the middle words rhyme. “While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” (those are different lines)	• Increases musical quality without being overly rhyming or obvious in its rhyme scheme.
Short/long sentences	Short sentences may make it more authoritative like an order. Could also give more clarity. Long sentences may sound formal or even conversational. Depends on the language used!
aposiopesis	Suddenly breaking off in speech. For e.g. “And one fine morning--” You can identify it with em dash or ellipsis.	Shows strong emotion. Allows the reader the finish the sentence for themselves.
auditory imagery	Describing specific sounds that are happening in a story. Onomatopoeia is an example of	All imagery is used to create a picture in the reader's mind. It makes the reader part of the text and draws the

	auditory imagery. Another e.g. is “the dog howled at the moon” or “she could hear the clang of pots and pans amongst the quiet murmur of her children”.	reader in.
olfactory imagery	Describing a particular taste. For e.g. “he could smell the rich, sweetness of the chocolate cake”.
visual imagery	Appeals to the sense of sight. Something like “the hues of the bright fish glinted in the sun like bright pearls”.
gustatory imagery	Describing taste! For e.g. “She tasted the sweet sugary coating as she chewed the doughnut”.
tactile imagery	Appeals to the sense of touch. For e.g. “when she put her hands in the ice cold water, it felt like a thousand needles were pricking her fingers and palms”.
kinaesthetic imagery	Describes the movement or action of objects and people. For e.g. “the dog wagged his tail energetically and bounded towards the door, clawing it with his paws”.
hypophora	When a question is raised and then immediately answered by the auth or. Don’t confuse with rhetorical question. The difference is that in RQ, there's no answer.	Create curiosity in the reader Captures the attention Helps to introduce new topics of discussion Almost like the author is having a conversation with the audience.
anastrophe	Changing the structure of the sentence so that it's in an unusual grammatical order. For e.g. everything Yoda says. “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”	Make it sound wise and more profound. Makes the reader think longer about what the author is saying.
tricolon	a series of three parallel words,	• Emphasises points in a

	phrases, or clauses aka triadic structure	memorable way.
quaestio	When you use question after question after question after question.:-)
synthetic personalisation	Creating a fake relationship between the audience and author.
polysyndeton	When you keep using and, but, or in a sentence to make it super long. For e.g. I ran and ate food and sang and laughed and ate again and...	• Conveys a sense of urgency or passion.

1. Alliteration

Definition: Alliteration is the repetitive use of words with similar consonant sounds, usually in the same sentence. The consonant sound is often at the beginning of the words.

Examples:

The cool kids went about kicking the can.

The dog drooled like a waterfall.

Explanation: Alliteration draws attention to words you want to target. These words could be important for the message, important for action or imagery, or they could raise awareness in the reader about an important feature or characteristic.

An easy example from pop culture is Mickey Mouse. Note the two words that begin with the same consonant sound. What if Disney would have named the legendary character Mickey Rat or John Mouse?

2. Anaphora

Definition: Anaphora is the repetitive use of the same word or phrases at the start of successive sentences.

Examples:

Rise up against the racism that buttresses centuries-old systems of power. Rise up against the classism that is masqueraded as a meritocracy. Rise up against the technocrats that promise connectivity while dealing in social division.

Free the land, free the capital, free the people.

Explanation: Anaphora is a powerful tool that establishes meaning and excites emotions through repetition. It is a popular tool in political rhetoric.

3. Antithesis

Definition: Antithesis is when the writer places two contrasting ideas close to each other in the sentence.

Examples:

“To be, or not to be?” from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

“Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” from the former Sara Lee Corporation.

Explanation: Antithesis is great at establishing a contrast that will emphasize the key message to the audience. Notice the structure of the two examples. In “Hamlet,” the protagonist spent five acts contemplating suicide after discovering that his uncle murdered his father, only to bear witness to the immediate marriage between his mother and the murderous uncle. Therefore, the critical point for the protagonist is “not to be.” The prior use of “To be” sets the stage for “not to be.”

The same structure and effect apply to Sara Lee’s famous slogan. The principal message of the slogan is “nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” That message is amplified by the first part of the slogan.

4. Assonance

Definition: Assonance is like alliteration. Instead of repetitive consonant sounds, though, assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within a phrase or sentence.

Examples:

“The spider skins lie on their sides, translucent and ragged, their legs drying in knots,” from “Holy the Firm” by Annie Dilliard.

“Think different,” which was Apple’s slogan until 2002.

Explanation: If alliteration forces the reader to remember words by imposing harsh, hard-hitting sounds, assonance creates a sense of fluidity and harmony through the reoccurring vowel sounds. Looking at the literary example from Dilliard, one might think this is a lyric from poetry. Actually, it’s prose, although quite poetic prose. The repeating sounds of the long “i” and “e” create a flowing line that creates a stark contrast with the unpleasant image.

Apple used the sample principle in a much shorter fashion. The repeating sounds are also “i” and “e”, which create a sense of harmony and elegance in their slogan. This was clever as Apple’s attraction was the creation of elegant hardware.

5. Cacophony

Definition: Cacophony is the placement of explosive consonants close together. Explosive consonants are sounds that pack a punch when read. These sounds are usually generated by the following letters or letter-pairs: B, D, T, K, P, G, C, CH, Q, and X.

Examples:

“The jaws that bite, the claws that catch,” from Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky.”

“Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat,” which has been one of the slogans used for the Kit Kat candy bar.

Explanation: Cacophony brings the subject to life. The combination of explosive consonants forces the reader to put extra emphasis on those sounds. When the writer wants to target keywords or phrases, cacophony is a common choice.

6. Chiasmus

Definition: Chiasmus requires two similar phrases that deal with the same concept. The defining characteristic is that the two phrases have inverse grammatical structures.

Examples:

“We shape our buildings, and afterward our buildings shape us,” from Winston Churchill’s 1943 speech to the British House of Commons.

“I am stuck on Band-Aid, and Band-Aid’s stuck on me,” from the Band-Aid brand’s jingle in the ’90s.

Explanation: Chiasmus is great for creating a sense of symmetry and balance in a sentence, phrase, or slogan. To be most effective, use the first phrase to set up your principal point.

7. Consonance

Definition: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in neighboring words. The repeating consonant sounds can occur at the beginning or end of the words.

Examples:

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume,” from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.”

Coca-Cola.

Explanation: the use of consonance will emphasize and amplify target words or phrases in your writing or advertising. We also call this intensifying. This technique forces the reader to pay more attention to target words and phrases, therefore drawing more attention to the message.

8. End Rhyme

Definition: End rhyme is when the last words of neighboring sentences rhyme.

Examples:

“On the fifteenth of May, in the jungle of Nool / In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool,” from Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who!”

“Beauty outside. Beast inside,” which was used to market the 2009 Mac Pro.

Explanation: End rhymes are a simple way to create a clever and memorable line. Rhymes have incredible power. Similar sounds are easy to remember, which can help stick the message into the mind of the reader.

9. Epiphora

Definition: Epiphora is the repetitive use of the same word or phrase at the end of a sentence or clause.

Examples:

We want liberty. We need liberty, so we fight for liberty.

Survival is money. Dreams are money. Prisons are money.

Explanation: Just like the first line and the last line of an article, the most important parts of the sentence are the first few words and the last few words. They have the most impact on the reader. Epiphora and anaphora are powerful tools because of this.

10. Euphony

Definition: Euphony is the opposite of cacophony. It is the combination of easy-to-pronounce sounds. Usually, these are soft sounds created with L, M, N, F, soft C, and R.

Examples:

“When Zeus…stills the winds asleep in the solid drift,” from Homer’s “Illiad.”

“Grace, Space, Pace,” which was the famous slogan for Jaguar.

Explanation: Euphony is self-explanatory; by using soft, flowing sounds, the writer can transmit a message of elegance and fluidity. This will create a mood of beauty in the text.

11. Hyperbole

Definition: Hyperbole is the intentional exaggeration for emphasis.

Examples:

Here is an example taken from Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle”:

“I understand you were Dr. Hoenikker’s supervisor during most of his professional life,” I said to Dr. Breed on the telephone.

“On paper,” he said.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“If I actually supervised Felix,” he said, “then I’m ready now to take charge of volcanoes, the tides, and the migrations of birds and lemmings. The man was a force of nature no mortal could possibly control.”

2. “America Runs on Dunkin,” which has been the Dunkin Donut’s slogan since 2006.

Explanation: Hyperbole is an ancient stylistic device. Its benefits are obvious: life is rarely dramatic. By exaggerating statements, the message is further illustrated. Hyperbole offers opportunities for humor, importance, and drama.

12. Juxtaposition

Definition: Juxtaposition is the placement of two opposing ideas, statements, images, or actions next to each other.

Examples:

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” which was Neil Armstrong’s first statement after stepping onto the Moon.

“Words kill wars.” This excellent example comes from Adot Foundation. They partnered with the Ogilvy & Mather ad agency to create a peace-promoting campaign about the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Explanation: Juxtaposition can deliver a quick, witty, and powerful blow to the reader. Juxtaposition has many uses: to create a contrast, to highlight differences, to create a surprise, to illustrate different perspectives, and to establish a common link between two uncommon elements.

13. Oxymoron

Definition: Oxymorons are two opposing words or ideas placed together. The intention is to show a truth.

Examples:

“The Sounds of Silence,” which is the title of the popular song by Simon and Garfunkel.

This ad for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (“clean diesel”) is full of oxymorons.

Explanation: Oxymoron is an excellent figure of speech for showing contradictions and revealing the hidden truths in those contradictions. Truth, though, isn’t the limitation of this stylistic device. The writer can evoke the reader’s sense of humor, curiosity, and anger through the use of oxymorons.

14. Parallelism

Definition: Parallelism is the intentional arrangement of two or more parts of a sentence or sentences that have the same grammatical structure, resulting in a parallel form. Anaphora, number two in this list, is a specific type of parallelism.

Examples:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty,” which is from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address.

“A different kind of company. A different kindv of car,” which was the slogan of the Saturn Corporation.