The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure. Emphasizes dissimilarities and contraries.

Example: Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing."
(Goethe)

A statement of an accepted truism upon which to build an argument (Think GASCAPE)

The epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign. Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history.

Figurative language that presents the facts in a way that makes them appear much less significant than they really are; almost always used for comic effect.

Example: "I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on

Ex: Five firefighters foolishly forgot they were flammable.

The insertion of some text, usually for clarification and indicated by punctuation, that interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence.

The repetition or use of another person’s expression in one’s own work, indicated by marks surrounding the statement.

A movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.

An appeal to emotions

Ex: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know."

The repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginnings of successive clauses.

Example: "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 i

A figure of speech that involves a direct or indirect reference to, or a representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myth, etc.

An act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, esp. by a character in a play.

Use of statistics, scientific method, deductive reasoning, etc., for persuasion

Ex: Deafening silence.

The deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of related clauses to produce a hurried rhythm in the sentence.

A comparison between two concepts (or sets of words) to highlight some form of similarity between them, or to better convey a thought or idea. "A dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows, and the dreamer's just the vessel...."

A style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional forms. Think Murder in the Cathedral

The art of persuasion through words (can be applied analogously to persuasion through images).

Ex: "Better late than never." "Ripe old age." "Fit as a fiddle."

The reversal of grammatical structure in successive phrases or clauses.

Example: Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
(William Shakespeare, Macbeth I.i)

A writer’s use of vivid description to create a more realistic world or situation. This method appeals to human senses and allows the reader to get a better understanding of the writing.

Ex: "At the next table a woman stuck her nose in a novel; a college

The European philosophical and artistic movement, between roughly 1660 and 1770, developing out of the Renaissance and continuing the optimistic belief that humanity could improve itself by applying logic and reason to all things

An appeal to one's credibility and/or the good will of the audience

It's not "like rain on your wedding day"; it's like talking behind someone's back when she's standing right behind you.