1. AP English Language: Tropes and Schemes (Figures of Speech) May all your wildest tropes and schemes come true!

2. Scheme Any artful deviation from the typical arrangement of words in a sentence. “He was a preposterously pompous proponent of precious pedantry.” -Alliteration

3. Trope Any artful deviation from the typical or expected way a word or idea is expressed. “He was as busy as a bee.” -Simile

4. Schemes ---Schemes of Balance--- Parallelism-similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. …for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor. –The Declaration of Independence

5. Schemes Parallelism in length (no. of words), syllables, and structure. Isocolon: If the writer uses two parallel structures, it is called this. * “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

6. Schemes Tricolon (Parallelism) If there are three structures, it is called tricolon. His purpose was to impress the ignorant, to perplex the dubious, and to confound the scrupulous. “That government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

7. Schemes Antithesis-juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. -Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969

8. Schemes Anastrophe-inversion of the natural or usual word order. The emotional isolation, the preoccupation with God and themselves, the struggles for freedom, which seem to have possessed many of my friends at the same age, I know almost nothing of. –C.P. Snow, The Search

9. Schemes Parenthesis-insertion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence. There is even, and it is the achievement of this book, a curious sense of happiness running through its paragraphs –Norman Mailer

10. Schemes Ellipsis-deliberate omission of a word or of words that are readily implied by the context. Kant, we may suppose, was more startled, by Hume’s apparent destruction of all basis for philosophical certainty; Reid, by the remoter consequences to morality and theology- Sir Leslie Stephen

11. Schemes Asyndeton-deliberate omissions of conjunctions between a series of related clauses (or single words or phrases). …and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth –Abraham Lincoln

12. Schemes Polysyndeton-opposite of asyndeton— the deliberate use of conjunctions. And God said…And it was so…And God made… -Genesis 1, 24-25

13. Schemes Alliteration-repetition of initial or medial consonants or any vowel sounds in successive or closely associated syllables, especially stressed syllables. Progress is not proclamation nor palaver. It is not pretense nor play on prejudice. – Warren G. Harding

14. Schemes Anaphora-repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses. Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. –Mark Twain

15. Schemes Epistrophe-repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses. To the good American many subjects are sacred: sex is sacred, business is sacred, America is sacred… -George Santayana

16. Schemes Anadiplosis-repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. Labor and care are rewarded with success, success produces confidence, confidence relaxes industry… -Samuel Johnson

17. Schemes Antimetabole-repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order. Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. –John F. Kennedy “Eat to live, not live to eat.”- Socrates

18. Chiasmus-reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses. By day the frolic, and the dance by night. –Samuel Johnson The main difference between the two is that antimetabole will reverse the EXACT SAME words in the sentence, while chiasmus will reverse grammatical structure, not necessarily with the same words. Derived from a Greek word which means “turning about”. Schemes

19. Schemes Erotema (rhetorical question)-asking a question, not for the purpose of eliciting an answer but for the purpose of asserting or denying something obliquely Wasn’t that a great win by the Packers last night? –Mr. Schmidt

20. Schemes Hypophora-asking a question and immediately answering it. ESTRAGON: (gesture toward the universe). This one is enough for you? (Silence.) It’s not nice of you, Didi. Who am I to tell my private nightmares to if I can’t tell them to you….. ESTRAGON: That would be too bad, really too bad. (Pause.) Wouldn’t it, Didi, be really too bad? (Pause.) When you think of the beauty of the way. (Pause.) And the goodness of the wayfarers. (Pause. Wheedling.) Wouldn’t it, Didi? (Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett)

21. Schemes Epiplexis-asking a question in order to reproach or upbraid, rather than to elicit information. In the name of heaven, Catiline, how long do you propose to exploit our patience? - Cicero

22. Schemes Alliosis Presenting alternatives in a balanced manner. “You can eat well or you can sleep well.”

23. Climax Arrangement in order of increasing importance: “Let a man acknowledge his obligations to himself, his family, his country, and his God.”

24. Anticlimax or bathos (do not confuse with pathos!) The opposite of climax – usually used humorously. The least important item appears anticlimactically in a place where the reader expects something grand or dramatic. Example: I will do my best for God, for country, and for Yale. That guy is wanted dead or alive for mass murder, international arms smuggling, conspiracy against the United States, and two unpaid parking tickets.

25. Breaking Rules (Schemes) Enallage – intentionally misusing grammar to characterize a speaker or to create a memorable phrase. Boxing manager, Joe Jacobs, for instance, became immortal with the phrase, “We was robbed!” Or “You pays your money, and you takes your choice.”

26. Anapodoton – Deliberately creating a sentence fragment by the omission of a clause: “If only you came with me!” Good writers never use sentence fragments? Ah, but they can. And they do. When appropriate.

27. Tmesis Intentionally breaking a word into two parts for emphasis: “I have but two words to say to you request: Im Possible.” Note: Late Latin, from Greek tm ē sis act of cutting, from temnein to cut

28. Metaplasmus Misspelling a word to create a rhetorical effect. To emphasize dialect, one might spell dog as dawg. To emphasize that something is unimportant, we might add -let or –ling at the end of the word. Godlet, princelet, Hermenator, Shagadelic, adding –ette for feminine nature of something.

29. Subdivisions of Metaplasmus Prosthesis Adding an extra syllable or letters to the beginning of a word: “All alone, I beweep my outcast state.” I was all afrightened by the use of prosthesis. Prosthesis creates a poetic effect, turning a standard word into something novel.

30. Epenthesis Adding an extra syllable or letters in the middle of a word. Shakespeare might write, “A visitating spirit came last night” to highlight the unnatural status of the visit. More prosaically, Ned Flanders from The Simpsons might say, “Gosh-diddly-darn-it, Homer.”

31. Tropes Metaphor-comparison of two persons, places, things, or ideas usually using “is.” Debt is a bottomless sea.

32. Tropes Simile-comparison of two persons, places, things, or ideas using “like” or “as.” Tom is as stubborn as a rock.

33. Zeugma-more than one item in a sentence is governed by a single word, usually a verb.

34. Tropes Synecdoche-a part standing for the whole, or vice-versa. That’s a great new set of wheels you have! The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man. The word “sails” refers to a whole ship. The word “glasses” refers to spectacles.

35. Tropes Metonymy-substituting an associated word or group of words for one that is meant. Crown - in place of a royal person The White House - in place of the President or others who work there The suits - in place of business people Dish - for an entire plate of food Cup - for a mug The Pentagon - to refer to the staff The restaurant - to refer to the staff Ears - for giving attention ("Lend me your ears!" from Mark Antony in Julius Caesar) Eyes - for sight The library - for the staff or the books Pen - for the written word Sword - for military might Silver fox - for an attractive older man Hand - for help The name of a country - used in place of the government, economy, etc. The name of a church - used in place of its individual members The name of a sports team - used in place of its individual members

36. Tropes Hyperbole-use of exaggeration for effect—not to be taken literally. I’ve told you a million times not to do that!

37. Tropes Paronomasia – (Puns) Twisting the meaning of words often to create a humorous effect. from Romeo and Juliet: Mercutio utters a pun as he is dying: “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.” (3.1.97-98)

38. Tropes Personification – Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstractions: “The ground thirsts for rain; the wind whispered secrets to us.” And indeed there will be time For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, Rubbing its back upon the window panes. -T.S. Eliot

39. Tropes Prosopopeia – (prosopopoeia) is a powerful form of personification in which an inanimate object gains the ability to speak.

40. Tropes Apostrophe Addressing someone or some personified abstraction that is not physically present: “Oh, Death, be not proud” (John Donne). “Ah, Mr. Einstein, you would be pleased to see how far we have progressed in science.”

41. Tropes Onomatapoeia Words that sound like what they mean. Buzz, Click, Rattle, Clatter, Squish, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, Grunt (Comics)

42. Tropes Meiosis Understatement (opposite of exaggeration) I was somewhat worried when the psychopath ran toward me with a chainsaw. (i.e., I was terrified.) Not bad (an excellent performance) I guess they like each other (upon seeing a couple kissing romantically)

43. Tropes Litotes-a type of meiosis (popular in the Old English period) in which the writer uses a statement in the negative to create the effect. “You know, Einstein is not a bad mathematician.” (He is a good one.)

44. Tropes Irony-use of a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its literal meaning. I just love cleaning my room.

45. Tropes Oxymoron-connecting two contradictory terms together (meanings in tension with or opposite to their literal meanings) Plural: oxymora. deafening silence Jumbo Shrimp pretty ugly

46. Tropes Paradox-a statement seemingly contradictory but perhaps true. Parting is such sweet sorrow –Shakespeare “I must be cruel to be kind.” - Hamlet

47. Tropes Aposiopesis Breaking off as if unable to continue: “The fire surrounds them while --- I cannot go on.” "All quiet on Howth now. The distant hills seem. Where we. The rhododendrons. I am a fool perhaps." (James Joyce, Ulysses) "I will have such revenges on you both That all the world shall--I will do things-- What they are yet, I know not; but they shall be The terrors of the earth!" (William Shakespeare, King Lear) "Almira Gulch, just because you own half the county doesn't mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For 23 years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now--well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!" (Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz, 1939)

48. Tropes Synesthesia / synaesthesia Mixing one type of sensory input with another in an impossible way, such as speaking of how a color sounds, or how a smell looks: “The scent of the rose rang like a bell through the garden.” “I caressed the darkness with cool fingers.”

49. Tropes Catachresis A completely impossible figure of speech. For instance: “The tears falling from her eyes were so sad they too began to cry with her.” “Joe will have kittens when he hears this!” “The voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses – nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands….”voice (somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond by E.E. Cummings) “I do not ask much: I beg cold comfort….” (King John by William Shakespeare) Closely related to hyperbole and sometimes synaesthesia. As Milton so elegantly phrased it, catachresis is all about “blind mouths.”

50. Tropes Anthimeria Using a different part of speech to act as another, such as a verb for a noun, or a noun for a verb, or an adjective as a verb, etc,: “Gift him with Sports Illustrated magazine for Christmas” (As opposed to give him.”) “He sang his didn’t, he danced his did.” (e.e. cummings) Kate: He's still in the rec room, right? Hurley: I moved him to the boathouse.... You just totally Scooby-Doo'd me, didn't you? ("Eggtown," Lost, 2008)