[GUIDE] Literature in Roleplay

[Gary]

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Literature in Roleplay​

Utilising literary devices within your roleplay is something that can entirely improve your roleplay and showing an ability to pepper your dialogue and actions with literary devices can prove to be extremely enjoyable for the people that you roleplay with. Below, I've included a few common devices that you can utilise, though using advanced devices and implementing any sort of pentameter will simply overdo your writing, so I've decided to not include such devices, especially considering they're mainly prominent within poetry. Roleplay can be regarded as a play, such as A Streetcar Named Desire. Therefore, the below devices will be loosely based off of common devices that tend to be used in famous plays, dating back to Shakespeare.

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Alliteration

Alliteration describes the technique of using words in some sort of sequence that all begin with the same letter. This allows the reader to gain a feel for the imagery trying to be portrayed with the words. You can utilise imagery within any sort of roleplay or dialogue: it can be regarded as one of the easiest devices to implement due to the synonyms (synonyms are words that are closely related or exactly the same as other words).

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Allusion

Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text. For instance, you make a literary allusion the moment you say, “I do not approve of this quixotic idea,” Quixotic means stupid and impractical derived from Cervantes’s “Don Quixote”, a story of a foolish knight and his misadventures. You can utilise allusion to make your character seem more cultured or more intelligent in the sense that they can briefly refer to an event that occurred and give no context to what it is.

Anecdote

An anecdote is described as a short story made to support a point that has been made. For example:

is that? Bells, dogs again! Is it a dream? I sob and cry. See! The door opens, fur-clad men Rush to my rescue; frail am I; Feeble and dying, dazed and glad. There is the pistol where it dropped. “Boys, it was hard – but I’m not mad … Look at the clock – it stopped, it stopped. Carry me out. The heavens smile. See! There’s an arch of gold above. Now, let me rest a little while – Looking to God and Love … and Love…”

In this poem, the speaker is freezing slowly in the Arctic. He recollects the memories of his life and tells the whole story to the readers, but sees flashes of his life before he dies. In fact, he is using anecdotes to tell his life story. Anecdotes can prove to be extremely useful in roleplay due to the stories that your character has likely progressed through.

Ambiguity

Ambiguity refers to a word or phrase that contains more than one meaning. Ambiguous words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentional humor. For instance, it is ambiguous to say “I rode a black horse in red pajamas,” because it may lead us to think the horse was wearing red pajamas. Below are some common examples of ambiguity:

• A good life depends on a liver – Liver may be an organ or simply a living person.
• Foreigners are hunting dogs – It is unclear whether dogs were being hunted or foreigners are being spoken of as dogs.
• Each of us saw her duck – It is not clear whether the word “duck” refers to an action of ducking or a duck that is a bird.
• The passerby helps dog bite victim – Is the passerby helping a dog bite someone? Or is he helping a person bitten by a dog? It’s not clear.

Analogy

An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Metaphors and similes are tools used to draw an analogy. Therefore, an analogy is more extensive and elaborate than either a simile or a metaphor. For example:

• Life is like a race. The one who keeps running wins the race and the one who stops to catch a breath loses.
• Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.
• How a doctor diagnoses diseases is like how a detective investigates crimes.
• Just as a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon, so we must come out of our comfort zone.
• You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.

This device can allow your character to come off as philosophical and intelligent.

Anaphora

In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as Anaphora. It is mainly utilised in order to show the repetitive nature of the words being spoken. For example, in Martin Luther King's famous speech, I Have a Dream, the reputation of "I have a dream" brings focus to the mythical nature of his requests:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

Utilising anaphora within your characterisation can provide a brilliant way for your character to describe an anecdote in terms of a repeated nature within the story. For example, your character can utilise anaphora to describe a ruthless beating that they carried out against someone, or that was carried out against them.

Archaism

Archaism refers to the usage of words that are generally old-fashioned or outdated. For example:

• Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!
• ‘There was a ship,’ quoth he.
• And he stoppeth one of three.
• fear thy skinny hand! …
• I fear thee and thy glittering eye,

Though this might be difficult to utilise within roleplay, it can prove to be quite humorous for your character to use such language.

Cacophony

Cacophony refers to a group of words that inherit harsh-sounding letters in terms of sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds, primarily those of consonants to achieve desired results. For example:

“I detest war because cause of war is always trivial.”

or

The nasal whine of power whips a new universe….
Where spouting pillars spoor the evening sky,
Under the looming stacks of the gigantic power house
Stars prick the eyes with sharp ammoniac proverbs,
New verities, new inklings in the velvet hummed
Of dynamos, where hearing’s leash is strummed….
Power’s script, – wound, bobbin-bound, refined-
Is stopped to the slap of belts on booming spools, spurred
Into the bulging bouillon, harnessed jelly of the stars.

This type of device proves extremely useful. You could roleplay that your character spits with each of the words they speak due to the nature of the sounds of each letter.

Characterisation

Factually, characterisation refers to character development for your character.

Cliché

Cliché refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty. A cliché may also refer to actions and events which are predictable because of some previous events. All examples of Cliché are expressions that were once new and fresh. They won popularity in public and hence have been used so extensively that such expressions now sound boring and at times irritable due to the fact that they have lost their original color. For instance, the phrase “as red as a rose” must have been a fresh and innovative expression at some point in time but today it is considered universally as a cliché and does not sound good to be used in everyday formal writing. For example:

• “I second the motion” (Courts)
• “I now pronounce you man and wife” (Wedding Ceremony)
• “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Oath taking ceremony)
• “Happy Birthday!”

This kind of device would be very useful within casual conversation or small-talk, as you've more than likely utilised a cliché yourself whenever you're just trying to talk to someoen and swiftly move on from a conversation.

Colloquialism

In literature, colloquialism is the use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing. Colloquial expressions tend to sneak in as writers, being part of a society, are influenced by the way people speak in that society. Naturally, they are bound to add colloquial expressions in their vocabulary. However, writers use such expressions intentionally too as it gives their works a sense of realism. For instance, in a fiction story depicting American society, a greeting “what’s up?” between friends will seem more real and appropriate than the formal “How are you?” and “How do you do?”

Colloquial expressions vary from region to region. Below is a list of some colloquialism examples of American origin:

• a bunch of numpties – a group of idiots
• to bamboozle – to deceive
• go bananas – go insane or be very angry
• wanna – want to
• gonna – going to
• y’all – you all
• go nuts – go insane or be very angry
• look blue -look sad
• buzz off – go away

Colloquialism will prove extremely useful for your character as they will tend to adapt to certain words or slang that they hear. For example, the word finna may be used by black characters due to the popularity of such a word within black slang.

Double Entendre

A double entendre is a literary device that can be defined as a phrase or a figure of speech that might have multiple senses, interpretations, or two different meanings, or which might be understood in two different ways. Oxford Dictionary says that it “conveys an indelicate meaning.” The first meaning in double entendre is usually straightforward, while the second meaning is ironic, risqué, or inappropriate. Double entendre is used in literature, everyday life, films, magazines, and newspapers to criticize and provide entertainment, and sometimes to make people laugh. It is widely used for insinuation and irony. William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer have made use of double entendre in their works.

Nurse: “God ye good morrow, gentlemen.”
Mercutio: “God ye good den, fair gentlewoman.”
Nurse: “Is it good den?”
Mercutio: ” ‘Tis no less, I tell you; for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon.”
Nurse: “Out upon you! What a man are you!”

The audience may wonder why the nurse reacted negatively when Mercutio was plainly stating the time. This is because he was saying something quite different … something that is sexual in meaning: bawdy, meaning “lustful,” and prick, meaning “penis.” You'd be able to easily implement a double entendre in an attempt to make a fool out of the person you're interacting with, which can prove useful as a LEO if you intend to deal with an inferior suspect that you're interacting with.

Ellipsis

An ellipsis is "..." which is utilised to reference a pause or cut-off of a sentence in literature.

Epiphany

An epiphany is whenever a character has a sudden realisation, awareness or a feeling of knowledge after which events are seen through the prism of this new light in the story. Let us consider an epiphany of a smoker:

“I used to smoke a lot. Everyone let me know that it was bad for my health however, I didn’t pay any notice. One day I saw my two years of age offspring trying for a used cigarette within an ashtray. Seeing this, abruptly it dawned upon me how terrible smoking was and I stopped smoking.”

So, this sudden feeling of knowledge that brings to light what was so far hidden and changes one’s life is called epiphany. You may experience epiphanies yourself, especially if you suddenly remember something that you were previously oblivious to.

Euphemism

The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant. Euphemism is an idiomatic expression which loses its literal meanings and refers to something else in order to hide its unpleasantness. For example, “kick the bucket” is a euphemism that describes the death of a person. In addition, many organizations use the term “downsizing” for the distressing act of “firing” its employees. Euphemism depends largely on the social context of the speakers and writers where they feel the need to replace certain words which may prove embarrassing for particular listeners or readers in a particular situation. For example:

• You are becoming a little thin on top (bald).
• Our teacher is in the family way (pregnant).
• He is always tired and emotional (drunk).
• We do not hire mentally challenged (stupid) people.
• He is a special child (disabled or retarded).

Your character may want to utilise such a device if they're speaking to someone with power or authority in order to suppress the informality of the situation. For example, if a colleague was shot and died in hospital, you'd refer to them as having passed away rather than blatantly dying.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “It’s been ages since I last saw you.” You may not have met him for three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasise the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.

• My grandmother is as old as the hills.
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!
• She is as heavy as an elephant!
• I am dying of shame.
• I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

Obviously, such a device is used in everday language and should therefore be used by your character.

Innuendo

Innuendo can be defined as an indirect or a subtle observation about a thing or a person. It is generally critical, disparaging, or salacious in nature, and its use is almost always derogatory. However, it must be kept in mind that it is the most thinly-veiled form of satire, and when it is strong, it takes the shape of criticism. Innuendo can be categorized into different forms, such as:

• Innuendo in nature
• Innuendo in everyday life
• Innocent innuendo
• Accidental innuendo
• Sexual innuendo

You may want to utilise such a device as a criminal if you're trying to hint at something. Furthermore, your character may want to hint at something further than a date to a partner that they're currently seeing if they want to take things further. An innuendo is a good way to ask for something or hint at something while also testing the intelligence of the other person.

Irony

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and reality. On the grounds of the above definition, we distinguish two basic types of irony: (1) verbal irony, and (2) situational irony. Verbal irony involves what one does not mean. For example, when in response to a foolish idea, we say, “What a great idea!” This is verbal irony. Situational irony occurs when, for instance, a man is chuckling at the misfortune of another, even when the same misfortune is, unbeknownst to him, befalling him. Dramatic irony is frequently employed by writers in their works. In situational irony, both the characters and the audience are fully unaware of the implications of the real situation. In dramatic irony, the characters are oblivious of the situation, but the audience is not. For example, in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, we know well before the characters that they are going to die. In real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter, or sometimes unbearably offensive. Let us analyze some interesting examples of irony from our daily life:

• I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is.
• The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny.”
• You laugh at a person who slipped stepping on a banana peel, and the next thing you know, you’ve slipped too.
• The butter is as soft as a slab of marble.
• “Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. In literature, juxtaposition is a useful device for writers to portray their characters in great detail to create suspense and achieve a rhetorical effect. It is a human quality to comprehend one thing easily by comparing it to another. Therefore, a writer can make readers sense “goodness” in a particular character by placing him or her side by side to a character that is predominantly “evil”. Consequently, goodness in one character is highlighted by evil in the other character. Juxtaposition in this case is useful in the development of characters. Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.

In literature, juxtaposition is a useful device for writers to portray their characters in great detail to create suspense and achieve a rhetorical effect. It is a human quality to comprehend one thing easily by comparing it to another. Therefore, a writer can make readers sense “goodness” in a particular character by placing him or her side by side to a character that is predominantly “evil”. Consequently, goodness in one character is highlighted by evil in the other character. Juxtaposition in this case is useful in the development of characters.Charles Dickens uses the technique of juxtaposition in the opening line of his novel “A Tale of Two Cities”:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share some common characteristics. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics. In simple English, when you portray a person, place, thing, or an action as being something else, even though it is not actually that “something else,” you are speaking metaphorically. For example, the phrase, “My brother is the black sheep of the family,” is a metaphor because he is not a sheep, nor is he black. However, we can use this comparison to describe an association of a black sheep with that person. A black sheep is an unusual animal, which typically stays away from the herd, and the person being described shares similar characteristics. Furthermore, a metaphor develops a comparison that is different from a simile, in that we do not use “like” or “as” to develop a comparison in a metaphor. It actually makes an implicit or hidden comparison and not an explicit one. For example:

• My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.)
• The assignment was a breeze. (This implies that the assignment was not difficult.)
• It is going to be clear skies from now on. (This implies that clear skies are not a threat and life is going to be without hardships)
• The skies of his future began to darken. (Darkness is a threat; therefore, this implies that the coming times are going to be hard for him.)
• Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that her voice makes him feel happy)

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. For instance, saying, “The gushing stream flows in the forest” is a more meaningful description than just saying, “The stream flows in the forest.” The reader is drawn to hear the sound of a “gushing stream” which makes the expression more effective. In addition to the sound they represent, many onomatopoeic words have developed meanings of their own. For example, “whisper” not only represents the sound of people talking quietly, but also describes the action of people talking quietly.

• The buzzing bee flew away.
• The sack fell into the river with a splash.
• The books fell on the table with a loud thump.
• He looked at the roaring sky.
• The rustling leaves kept me awake.

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing – an idea or an animal – is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. For example, when we say, “The sky weeps,” we are giving the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality. Thus, we can say that the sky has been personified in the given sentence.

• Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn’t she?
• The wind whispered through dry grass.
• The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
• Time and tide wait for none.
• The fire swallowed the entire forest.

Portmanteau

Portmanteau is a literary device in which two or more words are joined together to coin a new word. A portmanteau word is formed by blending parts of two or more words but it always refers to a single concept.

The coinage of portmanteau involves the linking and blending of two or more words and the new word formed in the process shares the same meanings as the original words. It is different from a compound word in that it could have a completely different meaning from the words that it was coined from. Portmanteau, on the other hand, shares the same semantic features. For example, the word “brunch” is formed by splicing two words “breakfast” and “lunch”. The spliced parts “br-” and “-unch” are blended to form a portmanteau word “brunch” which is the meal taken between breakfast and lunch. Interestingly, the word portmanteau is formed by blending two French words i.e. Porter (carry) and Manteau (cloak). In modern times, portmanteau words have entered the English language regularly. We see their widespread coinage in different fields of life. No doubt, they are both useful and interesting. Below is a list of examples of portmanteau words nowadays.

• education + entertainment = edutainment
• fan + magazine = fanzine
• cyberspace + magazine = cyberzine
• Oxford + Cambridge = Oxbridge
• telephone + marathon = telethon
• medical + care = Medicare
• parachute + troops = paratroops
• motor + hotel = motel
• camera + recorder = camcorder
• web + log = blog
• iPod + broadcasting = podcasting

In the heat of the moment, your character may struggle to find a correct word to speak. They may resort to combining two words in order to accurately describe what they're trying to talk about, which can provide some sort of comedy to the situation.

Pun

A pun is a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings. Humorous effects created by puns depend upon the ambiguities words entail. The ambiguities arise mostly in homophones and homonyms. For instance, in a sentence “A happy life depends on a liver”, liver can refer to the organ liver or simply the person who lives. Similarly, in a famous saying “Atheism is a non-prophet institution” the word “prophet” is used instead of “profit” to produce a humorous effect.

Repitition

Repetition is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer and more memorable. There are several types of repetition commonly used in both prose and poetry. As a rhetorical device, it could be a word, a phrase, or a full sentence, or a poetical line repeated to emphasize its significance in the entire text. Repetition is not distinguished solely as a figure of speech, but more as a rhetorical device. The following examples of repetition are classified according to the different types of repetition used, both in literature and in daily conversations.

• Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word in a line or clause.
• Anaphora: Repetition of words at the start of clauses or verses.
• Antistasis: Repetition of words or phrases in opposite sense.
• Diacope: Repetition of words broken by some other words.
• Epanalepsis: Repetition of the same words at the beginning and the end of a sentence.
• Epimone: Repetition of a phrase (usually a question) to stress a point.
• Epiphora: Repetition of the same word at the end of each clause.
• Gradatio: A construction in poetry wherein the last word of one clause becomes the first of the next, and so on.
• Negative-Positive Restatement: Repetition of an idea first in negative terms, and then in positive terms.
• Polyptoton: Repetition of words of the same root, with different endings.
• Symploce: A combination of anaphora and epiphora, in which repetition is both at the end and at the beginning.

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. It is an art of discourse, which studies and employs various methods to convince, influence or please an audience. For instance, a person gets on your nerves, you start feeling irritated, and you say, “Why don’t you leave me alone?” By posing such a question, you do not ask for a reason. Instead, you simply want him to stop irritating you. Thus, you direct language in a particular way for effective communication or make use of rhetoric. A situation where you make use of rhetoric is called a “rhetorical situation”.

• How did this idiot get elected? – A rhetorical question to convince others that the “idiot” does not deserve to be elected.
• Here comes the Helen of our school. – An allusion to “Helen of Troy” to emphasize the beauty of a girl.
• I would die if you asked me to sing in front of my parents – A hyperbole to persuade others not to use force to make you do something which you don’t want to do.
• All blonde-haired people are dumb. – Using a stereotype to develop a general opinion about a group.

Sarcasm

Sarcasm is derived from the French word sarcasmor, and also from the Greek word sarkazein, which means “tear flesh,” or “grind the teeth.” Somehow, in simple words it means to speak bitterly. Generally, the literal meaning is different than what the speaker intends to say through sarcasm. Sarcasm is a literary and rhetorical device that is meant to mock, often with satirical or ironic remarks, with a purpose to amuse and hurt someone, or some section of society, simultaneously. For instance:

“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” (Mark Twain)

Sarcasm often depends upon the voice tone. There are seven types:

• Self-Deprecating Sarcasm – This category of sarcasm expresses an overstated sense of inferiority and worthlessness.
• Brooding Sarcasm – In this criticism, the speaker utters something polite. However, the tone of his speech has a marked bitterness to it.
• Deadpan Sarcasm – It is expressed without emotion or laughter, making it difficult for the listener to judge whether the speaker is joking or mocking.
• Polite Sarcasm – A speaker is said to have delivered a polite sarcasm when his listeners only get to realize that his kind remark was a sarcastic one after they had given it some thought.
• Obnoxious Sarcasm – This kind of sarcasm makes people feel like punching the speaker in the face. It is not very funny, and it gets under your skin.
• Manic Sarcasm – This type of sarcasm is delivered in an unnatural happy mood, which makes the speaker look like he has gone crazy.
• Raging Sarcasm – This kind of sarcasm relies mainly on exaggeration and violent threats.

Superlative

Superlative is a literary device that is usually an adjective or adverb used to distinguish an object from three or more others of its type. Superlative is used in both literary as well as scientific writing to emphasise certain objects, persons, places, or events, which have unique or extraordinary attributes. The term superlative can only be applied when three or more objects are compared. Superlatives are usually formed by adding the suffix –est to most adjectives and adverbs, or by adding “most” or “least” before them. Some common examples of superlative are given below.[*]My cousin is the tallest among the giants
[*]Ellen DeGeneres gave the funniest commencement speech in the history of our university.
[*]Which do you suppose is the most difficult language to learn?

Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another, to give an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you. Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. “A chain,” for example, may stand for “union” as well as “imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood by when, where, and how it is used. It also depends on who reads the work.

Tautology

Tautology is the repetitive use of phrases or words that have similar meanings. In simple words, it is expressing the same thing, an idea, or saying, two or more times. The word tautology is derived from the Greek word tauto, meaning “the same,” and logos, meaning “a word or an idea.” A grammatical tautology refers to an idea repeated within a phrase, paragraph, or sentence to give an impression that the writer is providing extra information. Tautologies are very common in the English language due to the large variety of words it has borrowed from other languages. Given the fact that, during its evolution, the English language has been greatly influenced by several other languages – including Germanic and Latin – it is not uncommon to find several exotic tautologies. This is how tautologies can often be found in English poetry and prose. There are several types of tautology that are commonly used in everyday life, in poetry, in prose, in songs, and in discussions, depending on the requirements of a situation. Some of the common categories include:

• Repetitive words used due to inadequacies in the language
• Intentional ambiguities
• Derision
• Poetic device
• Psychological significance
• Speech by inept speaker or narrator

Examples include:

• “Your acting is completely devoid of emotion.”
• “Repeat that again,” and “reiterate again.“
• “Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud!”

Tone

Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.

Every written piece comprises a central theme or subject matter. The manner in which a writer approaches this theme and subject is the tone. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, or cheerful, or it may be any other existing attitude. Consider the following examples of tone:

• “I want to ask the authorities what is the big deal? Why do they not control the epidemic? It is eating up lives like a monster.”
• “I want to draw the attention of the appropriate authorities toward damage caused by the epidemic. If steps are not taken to curb it, it will further injure our community.”

The theme of both tone examples is the same. The only way we can differentiate between them is their separate tone. The tone in the first example is casual or informal while, it is more formal in the second. We adopt a variety of tones in our day-to-day speech. This intonation of our speech determines what message we desire to convey. Read a few examples below:

Father: “We are going on a vacation.”
Son: “That’s great!!!”

– The tone of son’s response is very cheerful.

Father: “We can’t go on vacation this summer.”
Son: “Yeah, great! That’s what I expected.”

– The son’s tone is sarcastic.

A good way to portray tone is to simply describe how you'd speak a certain sentence using /do.

Aposiopesis

Aposiopesis is derived from a Greek word that means “becoming silent.” It is a rhetorical device that can be defined as a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer breaks off abruptly, and leaves the statement incomplete. It is as if the speaker is not willing to state what is present in his mind, due to being overcome by passion, excitement, or fear. In a piece of literature, it means to leave a sentence unfinished, so that the reader can determine his own meanings. Aposiopesis examples may be classified according to the following types:

• Emotive aposiopesis – This type of aposiopesis is used in conditions of conflict between emotional outbursts of a speaker, and an environment that does not react. Usually, the writer or speaker pauses in the middle of a sentence.
• Calculated aposiopesis – This type of aposiopesis is based on the conflict of missing thought and its opposing force that rejects the substance of that thought. Hence, the idea is removed that is explicitly expressed afterwards.
• Audience-respecting aposiopesis – It is based on the removal of thoughts which are unpleasant to the readers, or offensive to the audience.
• Transitio-aposiopesis – It removes the ideas from the end part of a speech in order to immediately get the audience interested in the subsequent section.
• Emphatic aposiopesis – It avoids the use of full utterance, to present the idea as greater and really inexpressible.

Assonance

Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds. For instance, in the following sentence:

• “Men sell the wedding bells.”

The same vowel sound of the short vowel “-e-” repeats itself in almost all the words, excluding the definite article. The words do share the same vowel sounds, but start with different consonant sounds – unlike alliteration, which involves repetition of the same consonant sounds. Below are a few assonance examples that are common.

• We light fire on the mountain.
• I feel depressed and restle
• Go and mow the lawn.
• Johnny went here and there and everywhe
• The engineer held the steering to steer the vehicle.

Catharsis

A Catharsis is an emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Catharsis is a Greek word and it means cleansing. In literature it is used for the cleansing of emotions of the characters. It can also be any other radical change that leads to emotional rejuvenation of a person. Originally, the term was used as a metaphor in Poetics by Aristotle to explain the impact of tragedy on the audiences. He believed that catharsis was the ultimate end of a tragic artistic work and it marked its quality. He further said in Poetics: “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; . . . through pity [eleos] and fear [phobos] effecting the proper purgation [catharsis] of these emotions” (c. 350 BCE, Book 6.2). William Shakespeare wrote two of the famous examples of catharsis. One of these catharsis examples is his tragic drama “Macbeth”. This play presents a great example of catharsis. The audience and readers of Macbeth usually pity the tragic central figure of the play because he was blinded by his destructive preoccupation with ambition. In Act 1 he is made the thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, which makes him a prodigy, well-regarded for his valor and talent. However, the era of his doom starts when he, like most people, gets carried away by ambition and the supernatural world as well. Subsequently, he loses his wife, his veracity and eventually his life. The temptation of ambition robs him of the essence of his existence as a human being and leaves behind nothing but discontent and a worthless life. In Act V, Macbeth (5.5.24-28) gathers this idea in his soliloquy. He says while speaking of his life:

“…a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing”

Consonance

Consonance refers to repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. This repetition often takes place in quick succession, such as in “pitter, patter.” It is classified as a literary device used in both poetry as well as prose. For instance, the words chuckle, fickle, and kick are consonant with one another, due to the existence of common interior consonant sounds (/ck/). The literary device of consonance is inherently different from assonance, which involves the repetition of similar vowel sounds within a word, sentence, or phrase. Another distinction to be appreciated is that between consonance and rhyme. In the case of rhyme, consonant sounds can be present at the beginning, middle, or end of several successive words, rather than merely at the ends of words. Further, the device of consonance needs to be distinguished from alliteration. In contrast to alliteration, consonance involves repetition of consonant sounds only. William Harmon, his book A Handbook on Literature, notes that “most so-called eye rhymes (such as ‘word’ and ‘lord,’ or ‘blood,’ ‘food,’ and ‘good’) are the most common examples.

Connotation

Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations. For instance, “Wall Street” literally means a street situated in Lower Manhattan but connotatively it refers to “wealth” and “power”.

• A dog connotes shamelessness or an ugly face.
• A dove implies peace or gentility.
• Home suggests family, comfort and security.
• Politician has a negative connotation of wickedness and insincerity while statesperson connotes sincerity.
• Pushy refers to someone loud-mouthed and irritating.
• Mom and Dad when used in place of mother and father connote loving parents.

Denotation

Denotation is generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings. Let us try to understand this term with the help of an example. If you search for the meaning of the word “dove” in a dictionary, you will see that its meaning is “a type of pigeon, a wild and domesticated bird having a heavy body and short legs.” In literature, however, you frequently see “dove” used to mean a symbol of peace.

Fallacy

A fallacy is an erroneous argument dependent upon an unsound or illogical contention. There are many fallacy examples that we can find in everyday conversations. Here are a few well-known kinds of fallacies you might experience when making an argument:
1. Appeal to Ignorance
Appeal to ignorance happens when one individual utilizes another individual’s lack of information on a specific subject as proof that his or her own particular argument is right.

2. Appeal to Authority
This sort of error is also known as “Argumentum Verecundia” (argument from modesty). Instead of concentrating on the benefits of an argument, the arguer will attempt to append their argument to an individual of power or authority in an effort to give trustworthiness to their argument.

3. Appeal to Popular Opinion
This sort of appeal is when somebody asserts that a thought or conviction is correct since it is the thing that the general population accept.

4. Association Fallacy
Sometimes called “guilt by affiliation,” this happens when somebody connects a particular thought or drill to something or somebody negative so as to infer blame on another individual.

5. Attacking the Person
Also regarded as “Argumentum ad Hominem” (argument against the man), this is a common fallacy used during debates where an individual substitutes a rebuttal with a personal insult.

6. Begging the Question
The conclusion of a contention is accepted in the statement of the inquiry itself.

7. Circular Argument
This fallacy is also known as “Circulus in Probando”. This error is committed when an argument takes its evidence from an element inside the argument itself instead of from an outside one.

8. Relationship Implies Causation Fallacy
Also called “Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc”, this fallacy is a deception in which the individual making the contention joins two occasions that happen consecutively and accepts that one made the other.

9. False Dilemma/Dichotomy
Sometimes called “Bifurcation”, this sort of error happens when somebody presents their argument in such a way that there are just two conceivable alternatives left.

10. Illogical conclusion
This is a fallacy wherein somebody attests a conclusion that does not follow from the suggestions.

11. Slippery Slope
The error happens when one contends that an exceptionally minor movement will unavoidably prompt great and frequently ludicrous conclusions.

12. Syllogism Fallacy
This fallacy may also be used to form incorrect conclusions that are odd. Syllogism fallacy is a false argument as it implies an incorrect conclusion.

Hubris

Hubris is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall. Hubris is a typical flaw in the personality of a character who enjoys a powerful position; as a result of which, he overestimates his capabilities to such an extent that he loses contact with reality. A character suffering from Hubris tries to cross normal human limits and violates moral codes. Examples of Hubris are found in major characters of tragic plays. Aristotle mentions Hubris in his book “Rhetoric”:

“Hubris consists in doing and saying things that cause shame to the victim…simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but revenge. … Young men and the rich are hubristic because they think they are better than other people.”

Aristotle thus believed that people indulge in crimes like sexual misconduct and maltreating others only to fulfill their basic desire to make themselves feel superior to others.

Meiosis

The word meiosis originated from the Greek word meioo, which means “to diminish,” or “to make smaller.” Meiosis can be defined as a witty understatement that belittles or dismisses something or somebody; particularly by making use of terms that give an impression that something is less important than it is or it should be. Meiosis examples are sometimes used in the sense of a synonym of litotes. In literature, however, meiosis describes the use of understatement to highlight a point, or explain a situation, or to understate a response used to enhance the effect of a dramatic moment. For example, when Mercutio is wounded mortally and says, “ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch…” (Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare) it is a form of meiosis.

• It is intentional understatement.
• It is used to belittle a person or an event.
• It is opposite to hyperbole or exaggeration.
• It often makes use of litotes as synonyms to give ironic effect.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, such as “cruel kindness,” or “living death”. However, the contrasting words/phrases are not always glued together. The contrasting ideas may be spaced out in a sentence, such as, “In order to lead, you must walk behind.”

Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning, or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations. This method adds balance and rhythm to sentences, giving ideas a smoother flow and thus persuasiveness, because of the repetition it employs. For example, “Alice ran into the room, into the garden, and into our hearts.” We see the repetition of a phrase that not only gives the sentence a balance, but rhythm and flow as well. This repetition can also occur in similarly structured clauses, such as, “Whenever you need me, wherever you need me, I will be there for you.”

• Like father, like son.
• Easy come, easy go.
• Whether in class, at work, or at home, Shasta was always busy.
• Flying is fast, comfortable, and safe.

Red Herring

Red herring is a kind of fallacy that is an irrelevant topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention of listeners or readers from the original issue. In literature, this fallacy is often used in detective or suspense novels to mislead readers or characters or to induce them to make false conclusions. Let us consider a simple example of a red herring. A teacher catches a student cheating during a test. The student in response says, “I know I’ve made a mistake. But think of my parents. They’re going to kill me”. The student uses a red herring in his response. He tries to appeal to pity to distract his teacher from the real issue. The term red herring means a kind of dried red fish, which has a pungent smell. In fox hunting, hounds are prevented from catching the fox by distracting them with the strong scent of red herring. Similarly, a person can be stopped from proving his point in an argument by distracting him with an irrelevant issue.

Verisimilitude

In a literary work, verisimilitude is likeness to the truth i.e. resemblance of a fictitious work to a real event even if it is a far-fetched one. Verisimilitude ensures that even a fantasy must be rooted in reality, which means that events should be plausible to the extent that readers consider them credible enough to be able to relate them somehow to their experiences of real life. The theory of verisimilitude leads to the idea of “suspension of disbelief” or “willing suspension of disbelief,” a term coined in 1817 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was of the opinion that if a writer was able to fill his work with a “human interest and a semblance of truth”, the readers would willingly suspend or delay their judgment in relation to the doubtfulness of a narrative. In his Biographia Literaria, Coleridge says:
“… It was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith. Mr. Wordsworth on the other hand was to propose to himself as his object, to give the charm of novelty to things of every day, and to excite a feeling analogous to the supernatural, by awakening the mind’s attention from the lethargy of custom, and directing it to the loveliness and the wonders of the world before us …”

 

[Beth]

Where were u when I failed GCSE English lit

 

[dex]

tldr; english lmao

 

[Gary]

tldr; english lmao

english

but in rollerplay!1!

 

[Eryn]

I feel like I'm back doing my Eng Lang A Level reading this

 

[Gary]

I feel like I'm back doing my Eng Lang A Level reading this

It's mainly stuff that you use without even thinking about it, but giving it a name and a variety of them to choose from and utilise in roleplay if you want to.

 

[Giga]

Very helpful. Very inspiring. Useful for real life situations!

Hope you do not trigger the elitists by the thread name.

 

[paxie]

I feel like I'm back doing my Eng Lang A Level reading this

 

[hallucination]

you mustve been very bored

 

[Gary]

you mustve been very bored

I write for a hobby.