Device Definition Example My Own Example personification an inanimate object or Nothing would sleep in that cellar, dank as a concept is given human ditch, characteristics or feelings Bulbs broke out of boxes hunting for chinks in the dark, metonymy an object, place, or person is Referring to as someone’s handwriting “his used to represent something hand” with which it is closely associated The monarch as “the crown” is mightier than the *similar to, but not to be “The pen sword.” (Richelieu, Edward Butler-Lytton) confused with synecdoche* allusion a passing reference to a I got into a thing literary or historical person, with someone place, or event, or to another because I called her literary work miss ann/kennedy/rockerfeller/hughes instead of ms. oxymoron Juxtaposing two opposite Defining slavery as as a “living death” (Life words to show an emphatic Harriot Jacobs) Slave Girl, and dramatic contradiction Jumbo shrimp; Great Depression; Original copy; Awfully good
Device Definition Example My Own Example personification an inanimate object or concept is given human characteristics or feelings Nothing would sleep in that cellar, dank as a ditch, Bulbs broke out of boxes hunting for chinks in the dark, metonymy an object, place, or person is used to represent something with which it is closely associated *similar to, but not to be confused with synecdoche* Referring to someone’s handwriting as “his hand” The monarch as “the crown” “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Richelieu, Edward Butler-Lytton) allusion a passing reference to a literary or historical person, place, or event, or to another literary work I got into a thing with someone because I called her miss ann/kennedy/rockerfeller/hughes instead of ms. oxymoron Juxtaposing two opposite words to show an emphatic and dramatic contradiction Defining slavery as “living death” (Life as a Slave Girl, Harriot Jacobs) Jumbo shrimp; Great Depression; Original copy; Awfully good