The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
Example: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills.” (Winston Churchill)
Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting words or phrases.
Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” (John F. Kennedy)
Assonance
The repetition of a vowel sound in a series of words.
Example: “The long and winding road.”
Consonance
The repetition of a consonant sound in a series of words.
Example: “Jack and Jill went up the hill.”
Hyperbole
An exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
Irony
The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal meaning.
Example: “The weather is beautiful today,” (when it is raining)
Metaphor
A comparison of two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.”
Example: “Time is a river.”
Metonymy
The substitution of one word for another that is closely associated with it.
Example: “The crown” (for the king or queen)
Onomatopoeia
The use of words that imitate sounds.
Example: “The buzz of the bee.”
Oxymoron
A combination of two contradictory terms.
Example: “Jumbo shrimp”
Parallelism
The use of similar grammatical structures in successive clauses or sentences.
Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (Julius Caesar)
Personification
Giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea.
Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
Simile
A comparison of two unlike things using the words “like” or “as.”
Example: “As sly as a fox.”
Symbolism
The use of an object, person, or event to represent something else.
Example: The dove is a symbol of peace.