V Film Techniques

Aerial shot: usually an exterior shot taken from above the scene by way of a crane or an
aircraft

Allegory: use of highly symbolic features to represent well-known ideas, such as death or
love

Allusion: obvious reference to something well-known, although not fully expressed or

stated

Anamorphic lens: special lens used to make a wider image fit a standard frame or film,
which if used in the projection of the film, will reproduce a wider image for the viewer

Animation: bringing life to lifeless images created by drawings, computer graphics, models
or photographs

Background: all items or objects not part of the main area of interest in a film

Backlighting: main light source is behind the subject, silhouetting it

Close shot: shot that provides clear detail of a person (usually only the head and
shoulders)

Covering shots: usually long shots that bolster the continuity in a scene

Crane shot: shot taken with the aid of a large crane that lifts the camera and the
cinematographer above and around the action in almost any direction

Cross-cutting: intermingling of two or more scenes to suggest parallel action

Crosslighting: lighting from the side

Cut: a switch from one image to another

Deep focus shot: most distant part of the screen image that is still in focus

Dialogue: the spoken component of a screenplay which can take the form of a voice over,
soliloquy or an exchange between characters

Diegetic sound: belonging to on-screen, e.g. dialogue, sound effects, ambient noise

Dolly shot: also called a tracking shot, a shot taken from a moving platform

Establishing shot: initial shot of a scene, usually from a distance, letting the viewer know
where the scene takes place, and showing everything that is happening in the scene

Extreme close-up: very detailed view of a person or a thing (generally eyes or mouth)

Extreme long shot: view of an exterior location shot in panoramic fashion so that the
entire surrounds are evident
Eye-line match: a cut obeying the axis of action principle, in which the first shot shows a
person looking off in one direction and the second shows a nearby space containing what he
or she sees. If the person looks left, the following shot should imply that the looker is
offscreen right

First-person point of view: a shot showering what a character would see

Foreground: part of the scene represented on film as being closest to the viewer

Freeze frame: same shot repeated on the filmstrip so that the image appears frozen

Hand-held shot: jerky camera motion often deliberately used to suggest documentary
footage

High-angle\ shot: subject of the shot is photographed from high up

Insert shot: a detail shot that gives specific relevant information necessary to a complete
understanding of the meaning of a scene or motif. The significance of the object in an insert
shot may not be known immediately

Jump cut: a cut that occurs within a scene rather than between scenes, for example to
eliminate dead periods (between a character entering a room and reaching his/her
destination, etc)

Lighting: term used to denote the manipulation of natural and artificial light to create
artistic visual shots

Long shot: similar to the audience's view of an entire scene

Long-angle shot: shot in which a person or thing is photographed from below

Master shot: a long take of an entire scene, generally a relatively long shot that facilitates
the assembly of component closer shots and details

Match cut: a cut in which the two cuts are linked by visual, or aural, or metaphorical
parallelism

Medium shot: taken from relatively close-up, so that the human figure is evident

Mise-en-scène: the whole part of the cinematic process taking place on the set in front of
the camera, such as setting, props, lighting, actions of the characters, costume, etc

Narration: speaking voice heard on the soundtrack, either from a character on-screen or
an off-screen voiceover, that provides commentary on the action of the spot

Narrative: term used to denote the story of events, experiences, or the like, that
comprises a film

Non-diegetic sound: coming from outside, e.g. music soundtrack, voice-over

Oblique shot: also called tilt shot, a shot that is achieved by shooting a scene with a tilted
camera

Out of frame: something that the camera (and therefore the audience) cannot see

Panning shot: a shot that uses a moving camera to encompass the full width of a scene

Pathos: touching or pathetic character for effect

Plot points: pivotal moments that occur at the end of the first and second acts in a film

Pull-back dolly: moving the camera away from the scene to reveal something that was not
in the frame originally

Reaction shot: a cutaway view of a character's reaction to an immediately preceding action

Resolution: the final act of a plot, showing how the journey or actions undertaken by the
main character(s) conclude, and how they grow as a result

Reverse angle: a shot from the opposite side of a subject OR in a dialogue scene, a shot of
the second participant

Scene: a series of shots that take place in a single location and that deal with a single
action

Setting: where the action of the film takes place

Sequence: a basic unit of film construction consisting of one or more scenes that form a
natural unit

Shot: a single piece of film, however long or short, without cuts, exposed continuously

Slow motion: film in which the image moves slower than normal

Subtext: the often subtle and hidden messages beneath the surface language and actions

Swish pan: also called flash pan or zip pan, swift movement of the camera to produce a
blurring of the subject being filmed

Symbolism: technique whereby an object or event has significance, determined by the

dramatic context, beyond the literal and often represents something immaterial

Take: a version of a shot, where a film maker shoots one or more takes of each shot or
set-up, usually only one of each group appears in the final film

Theme: central subject or topic of a work

Tracking shot: any shot in which the camera moves from one point to another either
sideways, in or out

Zoom: a shot using a lens whose focal length is adjusted during the shot
Effects (generally speaking, but consider context before applying)

Shot size

Big close up: emotion, a vital moment, drama

Close-up: intimacy
Medium shot: a personal relation to the subject
Long shot: context, public distance

Camera angle

High (looking up): domination, power, authority

Eye-level: equality
Low: weakness, powerlessness

Lens type

Wide angle: dramatic

Normal: everydayness, normality
Telephoto: voyeurism

Composition

Symmetrical: posed, calm, formal

Asymmetrical: natural, everyday, unposed
Static: lack of conflict
Dynamic: disturbance, disorientation

Focus

Selective focus: draws attention, foregrounds

Soft focus: romance, nostalgia
Deep focus: all elements are important, commanding the gaze

Lighting

High key: happiness, positive

Low key: sombre, downbeat
High contrast: theatrical, dramatic
Low contrast: realistic, documentary

Film stock

Grainy: realism, authenticity

Smooth grain: normal, everyday
Video: modern, immediate, journalistic

Colour

Warm: optimism, intense emotion

Cool: pessimism, clinical calm, reason
Black and white: realism, actuality, film noir

Cinematic codes

Zoom in: observation

Fast zoom in: passing of time, humour, suspense
Zoom out: context, location
Pan: survey, follow, eye witness
Track: intimacy, immediacy, urgency
Tilt: survey, follow, eye witness

Types of edit

Fade in: beginning of new section

Fade out: ending, contemplative
Dissolve: passage of time, link between scenes
Wipe: Conclusion or transition imposed externally
Cut: normal change of shot
Cut to black: abrupt ending
 Language techniques
Common / Simple Techniques

1) Metaphor (A is B)
2) Simile (like / as)
3) Personification -
4) Onomatopoeia (e.g. bang!)
5) Rhetorical question (a question that needs no answer)
6) Hypophora
7) Listing (random / shopping list)
8) Cumulative listing (listing the characteristics or aspect of a subject or object to create a
whole effect)
9) Contrast
10) Juxtaposition
11) Oxymoron
12) Exaggeration
13) Hyperbole (an over-exaggeration)
14) Symbolism (words or phrase that represent meaning)
15) Metonym - a small things that represents a whole but is not part of the object.
16) Synecdoche - a small things that is part of the whole that represents the whole object .

Similar to the common technique

17) Motif (recurring symbolism.)

18) Extended metaphor
19) Conceit
20) Fricatives (f / Ph)
21) Sibilance (s) (the repetition of the s sound)

“A” list

22) Alliteration (amazing amy ate apples)

23) Assonance (repetition of the vowel sounds) the cat in a hat sat on the mat.
24) Anecdote (short personal story)
25) Analogy (comparison)
26) Allegory (fable / tale)
27) Anaphora (the first word or phrase repeated at the start of each sentence)
28) Repetition (I do I do)
29) Epizeuxis ( I do, do.)
30) Allusion (making reference)
31) Biblical allusion (making reference to bible)
 32) Intertextuality (making reference to another text) (postmodern)
33) Anthropomorphic allegory - three little pigs
34) Zoomorphism - giving humans animal qualities.

Person:

35) First person (I)

36) Second person (you)
37) Third person (he/she)
38) Collective pronoun (us /we)

Grammar techniques

39) Syntax (sentence structure)

40) Diction (word choice)
41) (adj) Tone
42) Ellipsis (...) .. ..... .................. !
43) Short / truncated (shortened) sentence
44) Exclamation !
45) Exclamatory tone
46) Dialogue
47) Monologue
48) Soliloquy(plays and / or films)
49) Direct quote
50) High modality (Assertive (Must WILL NEVER)
51) Low modality (passive)
“Language” technique
52) Imperative language
53) Formal language (do not)
54) Informal language (don’t)
55) Colloquialism
56) Slang
57) Informative language
58) Factual language
59) Statistics %
60) Emotive language w
61) Figurative language
62) Descriptive language (adj / adv)
63) Comparative language (compare -> similarities and differences)
64) Derogatory language (crude / rude)
Humour technique
Pun - play on word / double meaning - purpose (humour)
65) Paradox (a seemingly contradicting statement at first glance, but is true)
 66) Parody (making fun of the original (text)).
67) Double entendre (double meaning - but not intended to be humourous)
68) Humour (anything funny)
69) Black / dark humour
70) Satire -( making a political mock -> Humour techs)
71) Cliche (overused word/phrase that has lost its meaning)
72) Irony - (contradiction -the words does not add up to their action)
73) Dramatic irony (where the responders are aware of the irony, but the character(s) are not
aware of the irony of the situation.
Poetic
74) Rhyme A A B B / A B A B
75) Rhythm (Sy -> )
76) Enjambement +
77) Plosives (harsh sounding words (K P T)
78) Pentameter (iambic, trochaic, dactile)
Others

79) Rule of threes (good things comes in threes)

80) Foreshadow
81) Bildungsroman
82) Mise en scene
83) Mise en abyme
84) Neology --> making up new words.
85) Tautology (bad english)
ChatGPT results:
Peripeteia: A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, often in drama or
literature.

​ Example: When the hero in a story unexpectedly loses everything.

Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but may be true in some way.

​ Example: "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."

Dramatic Monologue: A poem or speech where a character reveals their thoughts and
feelings to an audience.

​ Example: Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess."

Aphorism: A concise statement expressing a general truth or observation.

​ Example: "A stitch in time saves nine."

Epizeuxis: Immediate repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis.

​ Example: "Never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill

Meiosis: Understatement for rhetorical effect, often to emphasize a point.

​ Example: "It's just a scratch" for a substantial injury.

Inversion: Reversing the usual word order in a sentence for emphasis or poetic effect.

​ Example: "Into the forest deep, I wandered."

Catachresis: The use of a strained or awkward metaphor or figure of speech.

​ Example: "The scent of her words."

Parabasis: A direct address to the audience by a character in a play.

​ Example: Characters breaking the fourth wall to speak to the audience.

Zugzwang: A situation where any move or action taken leads to a disadvantage or
negative outcome.

​ Example: A character having to choose between two equally terrible options.

Chronic Irony: A situation or condition characterized by ongoing or habitual irony.

​ Example: A character who constantly experiences ironic situations.

Connotation: The emotional or cultural association surrounding a word, beyond its literal
meaning.

​ Example: "Home" may connote warmth, comfort, and safety.

Parody: A humorous imitation of a specific work, genre, or style, often for comic effect
or to critique.

​ Example: "The Simpsons" often parodies various aspects of popular culture.

Paralipsis: Drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

​ Example: "I won't even mention his terrible track record."

Ambiguity: Having multiple meanings or interpretations, often intentionally unclear.

​ Example: "She saw the man with the telescope."

Chiasmus: A rhetorical structure where the order of terms in the first half of a clause is
reversed in the second half.

​ Example: "Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest
and best minds." - Percy Bysshe Shelley

Liturgical Drama: Plays based on biblical stories performed in churches during the
Middle Ages.

​ Example: The York Mystery Plays depicting biblical narratives.

Aphesis: The loss of an unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word.

 ​ Example: "Round" from "around."

Acrostic: A poem or verse where the first letter of each line spells out a word or
message.

​ Example: "A Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky" by Lewis Carroll spells out the name of a
child he was fond of.

Ambrose Bierce: The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock someone
or something.

​ Example: "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce satirizes language and

societal norms.

Polysyndeton: The repetitive use of conjunctions for emphasis within a sentence.

​ Example: "They ran and jumped and laughed and danced."

Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within words in close proximity.

​ Example: "Mike likes his bike."

Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase across multiple lines of poetry

without a pause.

​ Example: "I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills,"
(from Wordsworth's "Daffodils").

Parrhesia: Speaking openly and honestly, especially in a way that might be considered
bold or risky.

​ Example: A character delivering a frank speech that challenges authority.

Anachronism: Placing something or someone in an incorrect historical or chronological

time.

​ Example: Showing a character in ancient Rome using a cellphone.

Epistrophe: Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or

sentences.
 ​ Example: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child." (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Innuendo: A hint or insinuation about a person or thing, often derogatory.

​ Example: Implying someone is dishonest without directly saying it.

Epigram: A short, witty, and often satirical poem or saying.

​ Example: "A little learning is a dangerous thing." - Alexander Pope

Archaism: The use of old-fashioned or outdated language.

​ Example: Using "thee" and "thou" in modern writing.

Elegy: A poem or song expressing sorrow or lamentation, often for someone who has
died.

​ Example: "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman.

Rhetorical Device: A technique used to evoke an emotional response or persuade an

audience.

​ Example: Repetition, rhetorical questions, or parallelism.

Socratic Dialogue: A method of philosophical inquiry where ideas are tested through
discussion and questioning.

​ Example: Plato's dialogues, such as "The Republic," often employ this method.

Nihilism: A belief in the pointlessness or meaninglessness of existence.

​ Example: A character who believes life has no inherent meaning or value.

Aphorismus: Asking a rhetorical question and then answering it.

​ Example: "Are you kidding me? Of course not!"

Kenosis: The representation of self-emptying or humility, often used in religious

contexts.
 ​ Example: Christ's humility and self-sacrifice in Christian theology.

Hendiadys: Expressing a single idea through two words connected by "and."

​ Example: "Nice and warm" instead of "nicely warm."

Epithalamium: A poem or song written in celebration of a marriage.

​ Example: Edmund Spenser's "Epithalamion" celebrates his own wedding.

Aphorism: A concise statement of a principle or truth.

​ Example: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Malapropism: The humorous misuse of a word, often resulting in a similar-sounding

word with a different meaning.

​ Example: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes." (Instead of "electoral votes.")

Trochaic: A metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed

syllable.

​ Example: "Tell me not in mournful numbers" (from Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life").

Aposiopesis: Suddenly breaking off speech for rhetorical effect.

​ Example: "I swear, if you—"

Litotes: Deliberate use of understatement for emphasis.

​ Example: "She's not a bad singer" to mean "She's a great singer."

Paralipsis: Drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

​ Example: "I'm not saying you're unreliable, but..."

Epithet: Descriptive word or phrase expressing a characteristic of the person or thing

mentioned.

​ Example: "The wine-dark sea" in Homer's "The Odyssey."

Exposition: Background information provided in a story to inform readers about the
setting, characters, etc.

​ Example: The opening crawl in "Star Wars" providing context for the story.

Ergodic Literature: Texts requiring non-trivial effort to be traversed or read.

​ Example: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski with unconventional

formatting.

Allusion: Indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work.

​ Example: "She's a real Cinderella."

Irony of Fate: Situational irony where actions have an opposite effect from what was
intended.

​ Example: A fire station burns down.

Liturgical Drama: Dramas developed from chants used in Christian religious services.

​ Example: Medieval mystery plays performed in churches.

Neologism: A newly coined word or expression.

​ Example: "Selfie" and "podcast" are modern neologisms.

Rhetorical Question: A question asked for effect rather than an answer.

​ Example: "Do you think I'm crazy?"

Allegro: A fast-paced narrative or passage in music or literature.

​ Example: An action sequence in a novel with quick, intense events.

Invective: Strong language used to criticize or reproach.

​ Example: Harshly insulting someone in a heated argument.

Ballad: A narrative poem often set to music, telling a story of adventure or romance.
 ​ Example: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Caesura: A pause or break in a line of poetry.

​ Example: "To be or not to be, that is the question—"

Mondegreen: Mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase.

​ Example: "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear" instead of "Gladly the cross I'd bear."

Syllepsis: Using a word differently in relation to two or more other words it governs.

​ Example: "He stole my heart and my wallet."

Hypotaxis: Subordination of one clause to another.

​ Example: "Because I said so, I expect you to obey."

Aubade: A poem or song about lovers separating at dawn.

​ Example: John Donne's "The Sun Rising."

Archetype: A typical character, action, or situation that represents universal patterns of

human nature.

​ Example: The hero's journey in many myths and stories.

Utopia: An imagined perfect place or society.

​ Example: Thomas More's "Utopia" describes an ideal society.

Dramatic Monologue: A type of poem in which a character speaks to a silent listener.

​ Example: Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess."

Epigraph: A quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, setting the tone or
suggesting a theme.

​ Example: The epigraph at the beginning of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott

Fitzgerald.
Hubris: Excessive pride or self-confidence leading to a character's downfall.

​ Example: Oedipus' arrogance leading to his tragic fate in Sophocles' play.

Internal Rhyme: Rhyme within a single line of verse.

​ Example: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary..."

Synesthesia: Describing one sensory experience in terms of another.

​ Example: "The loud shirt tasted of stripes and clashed with my eyes."

Antagonist: The character or force opposing the protagonist.

​ Example: In "Harry Potter," Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist.

Deus ex Machina: An unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation, often seen
as contrived.

​ Example: A sudden, improbable rescue by a previously unknown character.

Monologue: A long speech given by one character in a play or story.

​ Example: Hamlet's famous soliloquy, "To be or not to be."

Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): A character trait leading to the downfall of a hero.

​ Example: Macbeth's ambition leads to his downfall in Shakespeare's play.

Conceit: An extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar

objects.

​ Example: John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" compares two

lovers to the legs of a compass.

Foil: A character who contrasts with another character, highlighting certain qualities.

​ Example: The differences between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in Arthur
Conan Doyle's stories.
In media res: Starting a narrative in the middle of the action.

​ Example: "The Odyssey" begins with Odysseus held captive by Calypso.

Frame Narrative: A story within a story.

​ Example: "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, where multiple characters

tell their own tales.

Epanalepsis: Repetition of the initial word or words of a clause or sentence at the end.

​ Example: "Blood hath brought blood, and blows have answered blows."

Syncope: Contraction or the omission of sounds or letters from within a word.

​ Example: "I'm" instead of "I am."

Epanodos: Repeating an idea in reverse order for emphasis.

​ Example: "To learn, you must first make mistakes. To make mistakes, you must
first learn."

Malaprop: The unintentional use of a word that resembles the one intended but has a
different meaning.

​ Example: "He's the pineapple of politeness" instead of "pinnacle."

Tricolon: A series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses.

​ Example: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people." - Abraham
Lincoln

Explication: The interpretation or analysis of a text.

​ Example: Writing an essay dissecting the themes of a poem.

Meiosis: Understatement for rhetorical effect, downplaying something significantly.

​ Example: "It's just a flesh wound" (when the injury is severe).

Parable: A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

​ Example: The parable of the Good Samaritan from the Bible.

Tragicomedy: A work combining elements of tragedy and comedy.

​ Example: Shakespeare's "The Tempest" blends serious themes with humor.

Trope: A recurring theme, motif, or device in literature.

​ Example: The "chosen one" trope in many fantasy stories.

Dialect: A particular form of a language specific to a region or social group.

​ Example: Mark Twain's use of Southern dialect in "The Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn."

Polysyndeton: The deliberate use of several conjunctions for emphasis.

​ Example: "He ran and jumped and laughed and played."

Asyndeton: Omission of conjunctions between phrases for impact.

​ Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Zeugma: The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words although
appropriate to only one.

​ Example: "He stole both her wallet and her heart."

Malapropism: The humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusing it with a

similar-sounding word.

​ Example: "I'm not as think as you drunk I am."

Epistolary: A narrative constructed through a series of letters.

​ Example: "Dracula" by Bram Stoker includes letters, diary entries, and newspaper
clippings.
Pastiche: An artistic work that imitates the style of another work or period.

​ Example: "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame-Smith is a

pastiche that blends Jane Austen's classic with zombie fiction.

Interior Monologue: The inner thoughts and feelings of a character revealed to the
audience.

​ Example: Stream-of-consciousness writing in James Joyce's "Ulysses."

Invective: Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

​ Example: A political speech filled with harsh criticism against opponents.

Aphorism: A concise statement of a general truth or principle.

​ Example: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Dystopia: A society characterized by misery, oppression, and often a totalitarian

government.

​ Example: "1984" by George Orwell depicts a dystopian future ruled by a

totalitarian regime.

Euphemistic Metaphor: A metaphor that substitutes a harsh or unpleasant idea with a

more delicate or indirect expression.

​ Example: Referring to death as "passing away" or "joining the angels."

Third-Person Limited: A narrative where the story is told from the perspective of a single
character.

​ Example: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" by J.K. Rowling mostly
follows Harry's perspective.

Stream of Consciousness: A narrative style that captures a character's continuous flow

of thoughts and feelings.

​ Example: William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" employs this technique to
delve into characters' minds.
Red Herring: A misleading clue or distraction to divert attention.

​ Example: A character introduced to mislead readers about the true identity of the
culprit.

Circumlocution: Using more words than necessary to express an idea.

​ Example: "The building which houses the books" instead of "library."

Polyptoton: Repetition of words derived from the same root but with different endings.

​ Example: "Love's Labour's Lost" by Shakespeare: "Affection is not rated from the
heart."

Kenning: A metaphorical compound expression used in Old English and Old Norse
poetry.

​ Example: "Whale-road" for the sea.

Periphrasis: The use of excessive words to convey a meaning that could usually be
conveyed with fewer words.

​ Example: "The one who precedes us in age" instead of "the elder."

Cliché: Overused expression or idea that has lost its originality or impact.

​ Example: "Time heals all wounds."

Analogies: Comparisons to clarify or explain.

​ Example: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."
- Forrest Gump

Cacophony: Harsh, discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.

​ Example: "The razor-sharp claws scraped against the metal."

Euphony: Harmonious, pleasant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.

​ Example: "The soft whispers of the wind through the trees."

Ellipsis: Omission of a word or words from a sentence for brevity or dramatic effect.

​ Example: "After all, tomorrow is another day..."

Motif: Recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.

​ Example: The green light in "The Great Gatsby" symbolizes hope and longing.

Synecdoche: Using a part to represent the whole or vice versa.

​ Example: "All hands on deck" refers to needing all people present and ready to
work.

Metonymy: Substituting the name of one thing with something closely associated with
it.

​ Example: Referring to the royal family as "The Crown."

Pun: A play on words that have multiple meanings or similar sounds.

​ Example: "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."

Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something the characters do not.

​ Example: In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows Juliet is not dead, but Romeo
doesn't and ends up killing himself.

Understatement: Presenting something as less important or serious than it actually is.

​ Example: "It's just a flesh wound," said when someone has a severe injury.

Pathetic Fallacy: Using weather or nature to reflect the mood of a scene.

​ Example: A storm brewing during a tense confrontation.

Chiasmus: Reversing the order of words in two parallel phrases.

​ Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country."
Anagnorisis: A moment in a play or story when a character makes a critical discovery or
realization.

​ Example: Oedipus discovering the truth about his identity.

Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.

​ Example: "Less is more."

Antithesis: Juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas in a balanced parallel structure.

​ Example: "To err is human, to forgive divine." - Alexander Pope

Catharsis: Emotional release or purging experienced by the audience through a

character's experiences.

​ Example: Feeling a sense of relief or purification after a tragic ending in a story.

Simile: Comparing two unlike things using "like" or "as."

​ Example: "Her smile was as radiant as the sun."

Metaphor: Implied comparison between two unlike things.

​ Example: "Time is a thief."

Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human entities.

​ Example: "The trees whispered secrets in the wind."

Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

​ Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

​ Example: "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain."

Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

​ Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate natural sounds.

​ Example: "The bees buzzed around the flowers."

Irony: A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.

​ Example: A firefighter's house burns down.

Oxymoron: A combination of contradictory words.

​ Example: "Jumbo shrimp"

Foreshadowing: Giving hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

​ Example: In a mystery, mentioning a character's strange behavior without

explaining it.

Symbolism: Using an object to represent an idea.

​ Example: The green light in "The Great Gatsby" symbolizes Gatsby's hopes and
dreams.

Allegory: A story or poem that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.

​ Example: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, which represents the Russian

Revolution.

Flashback: Interrupting the present to provide background information.

​ Example: A character reminiscing about their childhood in the middle of a story.

Imagery: Using sensory details to create a mental image.

​ Example: "The smell of fresh-baked cookies wafted through the house."

Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or

sentences.

​ Example: "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

Epiphany: A sudden realization or understanding.

​ Example: In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout has an epiphany about empathy after
walking in Boo Radley's shoes.

Satire: Using humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock something.

​ Example: "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift satirizes politics and society.

Juxtaposition: Placing two things side by side for contrast.

​ Example: Contrasting the wealthy and the poor in a story.

Euphemism: Substituting a mild or indirect word for a harsh or blunt one.

​ Example: Saying "passed away" instead of "died."

Parallelism: Repeating a grammatical structure for effect.

​ Example: "Like father, like son."