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A literary device where the chosen words are intentionally used to indicate a meaning other than the literal one. Irony is often situational, verbal, or dramatic. Example: A fire station burns down.

A technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society, by using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule. Example: George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'.

A figure of speech comparing two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. Example: Cute as a kitten.

A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. Example: The sound of silence.

Vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses. Example: The golden yellow sunlight filtered through the pale new leaves on the oak trees.

A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance that is not elaborated on. Example: This place is like a Garden of Eden.

A form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the word which otherwise would be used. Example: Heat waves are not uncommon in the summer.

Attributing human characteristics to non-human creatures or inanimate objects. Example: The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.

A polite, mild phrase which substitutes unpleasant ways of saying something sad or uncomfortable. Example: He passed away, instead of he died.

The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are in close proximity. Example: She sells sea-shells by the sea-shore.

The repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase, often at the end of the word. Example: The ship has sailed to the far off shores.

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning, or meter. Example: Like father, like son.

An exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. Example: I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

The attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work’s central theme or subject. Example: The tone of 'The Catcher in the Rye' is often cynical and jaded.

A literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Example: The gloomy and dark atmosphere created a sense of dread.

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. Example: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

A question asked for effect or to make a point and not necessarily expecting an answer. Example: Is the pope Catholic?

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa. Example: All hands on deck (where 'hands' represent the sailors).

The repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in non-rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible. Example: Hear the mellow wedding bells.

A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Example: The evening was still. Suddenly, a cool breeze started blowing and made a windy night.

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated may prove to be well-founded or true. Example: Less is more.

The deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect. Example: 'Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better'.

A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. Example: Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

A figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. Example: 'It’s just a scratch,' said the man who broke his arm.

A figure of speech in which an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object is directly addressed as if it could respond. Example: O Death, where is thy sting?

The attribution of human emotions and conduct to things found in nature that are not human. Example: The angry clouds stormed across the sky.

The central topic, subject, or message within a narrative. Example: One theme of 'The Great Gatsby' is the American Dream.

A figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. Example: Her heart is a cold iron.

A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Example: Buzz, hiss, roar.