Literary and Rhetorical Devices

Front

Parallelism

Back

The use of similar grammatical structures or word order in a series of phrases or clauses to create balance and rhythm. Example: 'She likes reading, writing, and painting.'

Front

Isocolon

Back

A type of parallelism where the phrases or clauses have the same length, structure, and rhythm. Example: 'Veni, vidi, vici.' (I came, I saw, I conquered.)

Front

Tricolon

Back

A series of three parallel elements, often used for emphasis or rhythm. Example: 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'

Front

Antithesis

Back

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas within a sentence or phrase to highlight their differences. Example: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

Front

Juxtaposition

Back

Placing two or more ideas, characters, actions, or scenes side by side for comparison or contrast. Example: A scene of joy placed next to one of sorrow to highlight the contrast.

Front

Asyndeton

Back

The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence or list to speed up the rhythm or create a dramatic effect. Example: 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'

Front

Polysyndeton

Back

The use of multiple conjunctions (like 'and,' 'or,' 'but') in close succession to slow down the rhythm and emphasize each element. Example: 'We have ships and men and money and food.'

Front

Periodic Sentence

Back

A sentence that withholds its main clause or point until the end, creating suspense or emphasis. Example: 'In spite of the heavy winds and rain, the team continued to play.'

Front

Epistolary

Back

A literary work written in the form of letters, diaries, or other forms of correspondence. Example: Dracula by Bram Stoker is an epistolary novel.

Front

Ellipsis

Back

The omission of one or more words that are understood from the context but not necessary for clarity, often indicated by three dots (...). Example: 'I don't know... it's complicated.'