An allusionis an indirect reference to a person, event, or literary work that the audience is expected to recognize and understand. Allusions provide a shortcut to more complex ideas. Because of this, they are often used in literature, poetry, and everyday conversations.
Allusion examplesThe new policy might open a box of unknown evils for the government. (a source of unforeseen problems)
He is such a Scrooge with the project budget and gives a hard time to his colleagues. (a stingy character from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol)
Chocolate is my Achilles’ heel. (weakness)
The recent election was a Waterloo for the incumbent governor. (a decisive defeat)
Pathos is an emotional appeal employed to elicit a specific emotional response from an audience. This usually involves feelings of pity, sympathy, or sorrow. The intention is to make an audience feel the way the author or speaker wants them to feel.
Pathos exampleAdvertisements encouraging people to adopt a rescue often show heart-wrenching images of abandoned, injured, or malnourished dogs roaming the streets. These are often juxtaposed with stories of rescued dogs overcoming adversity, accompanied by uplifting music to evoke empathy and compassion from the audience.
“Pathos” is a term mostly used in persuasive speaking and writing, but we also encounter it in literature, film, and advertising.
Foreshadowing provides hints, clues, or indications about what happens later in a story. By preparing readers for future developments, foreshadowing creates anticipation and suspense. This makes it an effective technique used in most types of storytelling, including novels, plays, and movies.
Foreshadowing definition literature“My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love.”
In these lines from Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2), Romeo declares that he would rather die at the hands of Julia’s family, the Capulets, than live without her. These words foreshadow the events leading to their deaths: they take their lives due to their families’ feud.
Enjambment is when a sentence or phrase spans over more than one line of poetry. Because of this, a thought or idea carries on from one line to the next without a pause or punctuation mark at the end of the line.
Enjambment can affect the rhythm and pace of a poem.
Enjambment example: “Theme in Yellow” by Carl SandburgI spot the hills
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o’-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.
Enjambment can be found in different types of poems, including haikus, sonnets, and free verse.
Logosis an appeal to an audience’s sense of logic and rationality and usually involves objective facts and figures. With the use of solid evidence, the speaker or writer can support their argument and persuade their audience or readers.
Logos exampleBecause firearms are potentially lethal, only responsible, mature, and trained individuals should be permitted to own and handle them. Therefore, children, lacking maturity and understanding, should not have access to firearms.
“Logos” is a term mostly used in persuasive speaking and writing, including political speeches, marketing, and legal arguments.
Ethos is a persuasive technique in which individuals rely on their credibility or character to sway others. When someone comes across as trustworthy, we are receptive to their message. Due to this, speakers and writers strive to impress upon us that they have authority on the subject matter and sincerity and, therefore, are worth listening to.
ExamplesA politician is speaking to an audience of blue-collar workers and emphasizes his experience working a factory job. He establishes common ground with the workers and showcases that he understands their challenges and concerns.
You may come across ethos in various contexts where persuasion and argumentation are involved, including politics, advertising, and legal proceedings.
The rhetorical triangle is a tool for organizing the three elements of rhetoric according to Aristotle. These elements, known as ethos, pathos, and logos, are often depicted as a triangle with logos at the top and ethos and pathos at the bottom corners.
The purpose of the triangle is to remind writers and speakers that a well-developed argument typically balances all three elements.
A neologism is a newly coined word or expression or a new meaning for an existing word. Neologisms are created to describe new concepts or phenomena and are often driven by changes in culture, society, and technology. Although they have yet to be established in mainstream language, some neologisms gain traction over time and become more widely accepted.
Neologism examplesMany neologisms describe behaviors related to technology. For example, we google things, we uber places, and we get upset when someone is ghosting us.
Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the literal meaning of what someone says is different to the actual meaning.
Verbal irony is intentional and can be used to create humor or to make a point. Because verbal irony allows us to communicate ideas or emotions indirectly, it adds depth and nuance to our communication.
Example of verbal ironySuppose you and your friend are on your way to a restaurant on a Saturday evening, but you get stuck in traffic. Your friend turns to you and says: “This is so much fun. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening!”
Verbal irony is common in literature and in everyday conversations, but it should be avoided in academic writing or professional communication.
Figurative language is the use of words to convey meaning beyond their usual or literal understanding. Its primary purpose is to create an effect, generate humor, or exaggerate a point. Overall, we encounter figurative language in a wide range of contexts, from artistic expression to everyday conversations.
Figurative language examplesThey unfortunately tried to cut corners when they were renovating.
The cat was purring with contentment on my lap.
His requests for a raise have been met with deafening silence.
