Stylistic Devices – Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sound

The initial consonant sound is usually repeated in two neighbouring words (sometimes also in words that
are not next to each other). Alliteration draws attention to the phrase and is often used for emphasis.

Examples:

 for the greater good of ... (1)

 safety and security (1)

 share a continent but not a country (2)

Repetition of initial consonant sounds means that only the sound must be the same, not the consonants
themselves.

Examples:

 killer command
 fantastic philosophy
 A neat knot need not be re-knotted.

If neighbouring words start with the same consonant but have a different initial sound, the words are not
alliterated.

Examples:

 a Canadian child
 honoured and humbled (the ‘h’ in honoured is silent)

Stylistic Devices – Allusion

indirect reference to a person, event or piece of literature

Allusion is used to explain or clarify a complex problem. Note that allusion works best if you keep
it short and refer to something the reader / audience is familiar with, e.g.:

 famous people
 history
 (Greek) mythology
 literature
 the bible

If the audience is familiar with the event or person, they will also know background and context.
Thus, just a few words are enough to create a certain picture (or scene) in the readers’ minds.
The advantages are as follows:

 We don’t need lengthy explanations to clarify the problem.

 The reader becomes active by reflecting on the analogy.
 The message will stick in the reader's mind.
 Examples:

 the Scrooge Syndrome (allusion on the rich, grieve and mean Ebeneezer Scrooge from Charles
Dicken’s “Christmas Carol”)
 The software included a Trojan Horse. (allusion on the Trojan horse from Greek mythology)
 Plan ahead. It was not raining when Noah built the Ark. (Richard Cushing) (allusion on the biblical Ark
of Noah)

Many allusions on historic events, mythology or the bible have become famous idioms.

Examples:

 to meet one’s Waterloo (allusion on Napoleons defeat in the Battle of Waterloo)

 to wash one’s hands of it. (allusion on Pontius Pilatus, who sentenced Jesus to death, but washed his
hands afterwards to demonstrate that he was not to blame for it.)
 to be as old as Methusalem (allusion on Joseph’s grandfather, who was 969 years old according to
the Old Testament)
 to guard sth with Argus’s eyes (allusion on the giant Argus from Greek mythology, who watched over
Zeus’ lover Io.)

Stylistic Devices – Anaphora

successive clauses or sentences start with the same word(s)

The same word or phrase is used to begin successive clauses or sentences. Thus, the reader's /
listener's attention is drawn directly to the message of the sentence.

Example:

 Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, by
embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American. (2)

 If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome. (Anne Bradstreet)
 The beginning of wisdom is silence. The second step is listening. (unknown)
 A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and
love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. (Pearl Bailey)

Anaphora is often used in conjunction with parallelism or climax.

 Stylistic Devices – Antithesis
contrasting relationship between two ideas

Antithesis emphasises the contrast between two ideas. The structure of the phrases / clauses is
usually similar in order to draw the reader's / listener's attention directly to the contrast.

Examples:

 That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong)
 To err is human; to forgive, divine. (Pope)
 It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. (Pope)

Stylistic Devices – Hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration

Used sparingly, hyperbole effectively draws the attention to a message that you want to
emphasise.

Example:

 I was so hungry, I could eat an elephant.

 I have told you a thousand times.
Note: Don't overuse hyperbole, otherwise it may not have the effect you want.

Stylistic Devices – Hypophora

question raised and answered by the author / speaker

The author / speaker raises a question and also gives an answer to the question. Hypophora is
used to get the audience's attention and make them curious. Often the question is raised at the
beginning of a paragraph and answered in the course of that paragraph. Hypophora can also be
used, however, to introduce a new area of discussion.

Example:

 Why is it better to love than be loved? It is surer. (Sarah Guitry)

 How many countries have actually hit […] the targets set at Rio, or in Kyoto in 1998, for cutting
greenhouse-gas emissions? Precious few. (6)
 Stylistic Devices – Litotes

form of understatement

Litotes is a form of understatement which uses the denied opposite of a word to weaken or soften
a message.

Examples:

 That's not bad. (instead of: That's good/great.)

 Boats aren't easy to find in the dark. (4)
(instead of: Boats are hard/difficult to find in the dark.)

Stylistic Devices – Metaphor

figurative expression

Metaphor compares two different things in a figurative sense. Unlike in a simile (A is like B.), “like”
is not used in metaphor (A is B.).

Example:

 Truths are first clouds, then rain, then harvest and food. (Henry Ward Beecher)
 Through much of the last century, America's faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging
sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations. (2)

Stylistic Devices – Metonymy

figurative expression, closely associated with the subject

Metonomy (unlike metaphor) uses figurative expressions that are closely associated with the
subject in terms of place, time or background. The figurative expression is not a physical part of
the subject, however (see synecdoche).

Examples:

 The White House declared … (White House = US government / President)

 The land belongs to the crown. (crown = king / queen / royal family / monarchy)
 Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. (Norman
Vincent Peale)
 (empty pockets = poverty; empty heads = ignorance / dullness / density; empty hearts = unkindness /
coldness)
 the spit-and-polish command post (meaning: shiny clean)
 Stylistic Devices – Points of View
first or third person narration

First-person narrator
The narrator tells the story from his / her point of view (I). It is a limited point of view as the reader
will only know what the narrator knows. The advantage of the first person narration is that the
narrator shares his / her personal experiences and secrets with the reader so that the reader feels
part of the story.

Example:

 Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre

Third-person narrator
The narrator is not part of the plot and tells the story in the third person (he, she). Usually the
narrator is all-knowing (omniscient narrator): he / she can switch from one scene to another, but
also focus on a single character from time to time.

Example:

 Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist

The third-person narrator can also be a personal narrator (point of view of one character) who
tells the story in the third person (he, she), but only from the central character's point of view. This
point of view is rarely used.

Example:

 James Joyce: Ulysses

Stylistic Devices – Onomatopoeia
word imitating a sound

The pronounciation of the word imitates a sound. Onomatopoeia is used because it's often
difficult to describe sounds. Furthermore, a story becomes more lively and interesting by the use
of onomatopoeia.

Examples:

 The lion roared.

 The steaks sizzled in the pan.
 The bomb went off with a bang.

Stylistic Devices – Parallelism

parallel sentence structure

Successive clauses or sentences are similarly structured. This similarity makes it easier for the
reader / listener to concentrate on the message.

Example:
 We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interest, and teach
us what it means to be citizens. (2)

 The mediocre teacher tells, The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The
great teacher inspires. (William A. Ward)
 The mistakes of the fool are known to the world, but not to himself. The mistakes of the wise man are
known to himself, but not to the world. (Charles Caleb Colton)
 Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I will learn. (Benjamin Franklin)

Note: When writing, parallelism is a useful device for instructions. Due to the parallel structure,
the reader can concentrate on the message and will immediately know what to do (see examples
below).

Example 1 (no parallelism):

 Open the book first.

 You must read the text now.
 There are pictures in the book–Look at them.
 The questions must be answered.

Example 2 (parallelism):

 Open the book.

 Read the text.
 Look at the pictures.
 Answer the questions.

You surely agree that the second instruction is easier to follow (and to remember) than the first
one. The change of structure in the first example is confusing and distracts the reader from the
actual message. It might be okay with simple messages like the ones we used here. But following
more complex instructions is really hard if they are not in parallel structure.

Stylistic Devices – Parenthesis

additional information

The normal progression of a sentence is interrupted by extra information or explanations enclosed in

commas, brackets or dashes. The extra information can be a single word, a phrase or even a sentence.

Examples:

 We (myself, wife Lorraine and daughters Caroline and Joanna) boarded our boat 'Lynn', a Duchess class vessel
barely a year old, at Black Prince Holidays' Chirk boatyard.
(4)

 The boats have remarkably few controls and we were given a thorough briefing about 'driving' ours–along with
advice on mooring, lock operation and safety considerations–by Pauline, who even set off with us for a few
minutes to ensure we were confident. (4)

Note:
Depending on the importance attached to it, additional information can be enclosed in brackets, commas
or dashes.
 Brackets - not important
Connor (Amy's boyfriend) bought the tickets.

Commas - neutral
Connor, Amy's boyfriend, bought the tickets.

Dashes - emphasized
Connor–Amy's boyfriend–bought the tickets.

Stylistic Devices – Personification

attribution of human characteristics to animals, inanimate objects or abstractions

Animals, inanimate objects or abstractions are represented as having human characteristics (behaviour,
feelings, character etc.). Personification can make a narration more interesting and lively.

Examples:

 Why these two countries would remain at each other's throat for so long. (3)

 I closed the door, and my stubborn car refused to open it again.

 The flowers nodded their heads as if to greet us.
 The frogs began their concert.

Stylistic Devices – Points of View

first or third person narration

First-person narrator
The narrator tells the story from his / her point of view (I). It is a limited point of view as the reader
will only know what the narrator knows. The advantage of the first person narration is that the
narrator shares his / her personal experiences and secrets with the reader so that the reader feels
part of the story.

Example:

 Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre

Third-person narrator
The narrator is not part of the plot and tells the story in the third person (he, she). Usually the
narrator is all-knowing (omniscient narrator): he / she can switch from one scene to another, but
also focus on a single character from time to time.

Example:

 Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist

 The third-person narrator can also be a personal narrator (point of view of one character) who
tells the story in the third person (he, she), but only from the central character's point of view. This
point of view is rarely used.

Example:

 James Joyce: Ulysses

Stylistic Devices – Repetition

repeating words or phrases

Words or phrases are repeated throughout the text to emphasise certain facts or ideas.

Examples:

 Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end! »I wonder how many miles I've fallen by
this time?« she said aloud. […]
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. […] (5)

 America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society
demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness. […]
America, at its best, is also courageous. Our national courage […]
America, at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep,
persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's promise. […] (2)

Stylistic Devices – Rhetorical Question

question without a direct answer

The author / speaker raises a question, but doesn't answer it directly as he/she sees the answer
(usually Yes or No) as obvious.

Rhetorical questions are used to provoke, emphasise or argue.

Examples:

 When public money brings windfalls to a few, why should the state not take a share? (6)

 But was the best way to win them over to threaten to ignore them altogether? Like so many things
this week, the adminitstration's diplomacy needs a smoother touch. (Note that the sentence
(6)

following the question is not an answer to it.)

 Stylistic Devices - Simile
direct comparison

Two things are compared directly by using 'like' (A is like B.).

Other possibilities are for example:

 A is (not) like B
 A is more/less than B
 A is as … as B
 A is similar to B
 A is …, so is B
 A does …, so does B

Examples:

 conrete box-style buildings are spreading like inkblots (3)

 The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel (5)

 Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower. (Charles Schwab)

 My friend is as good as gold.

Stylistic Devices – Synecdoche

using a part instead of the whole or vice versa

Synechdoche is some kind of generalization or specification that uses a part, a member or a

characteristic of what is meant. The following possibilities are common:

Part used instead of the whole

Example:

 Turning our long boat round […] on the last morning required all hands on deck … (hands = people) (4)

Whole used instead of a part

Example:

 Troops halt the drivers (troops = soldiers) (3)

Specific term used instead of a general one:

Example:

 Kashmir is their Maui, Aspen, and Palm Springs all rolled into one. (3)
(siehe Anmerkung)

Note: For people from the US, every place represents a certain kind of holiday destination: Maui
is a typical island in the sun, Aspen a typical ski resort, Palm Springs an attractive city with
museums, theatres, shopping malls and festivals. Using the places instead of what they stand for
 is shorter, and the reader knows exactly that Kashmir combines everything you would expect to
find in Maui, Aspen and Palm Springs.

General term used instead of a specific one:

Example:

 The animal came closer. (animal = a certain animal, e.g. a dog, dolphin, snake)

Material used instead of the product:

Example:

 She wore gold around her neck. (gold = chain)

Stylistic Devices – Understatement

weaken or soften a statement

A statement is deliberately weakened to sound ironical or softened to sound more polite.

Note that understatement is a common feature of the English language (especially British
English) used in everyday-life situations.

Examples:

 I know a little about running a company. (a successful businessman might modestly say.)
 I think we have slightly different opinions on this topic. (instead of: I don't agree with you at all.)