Obscure Literary Device Examples

Epistrophe: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child."

Anadiplosis: "Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering."

Aposiopesis: "I can't believe you would—"

Epizeuxis: "Never, never, never give up."

Chiasmus: "Exalting the humble and humbling the exalted."

Enjambment: "I wandered lonely as a cloud\nThat floats on high o'er vales and hills."

Paraprosdokian: "I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness."

Anaphora: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed."

Hendiadys: "Come and sit, not stand, with me."

Litotes: "The test wasn't too bad."

Pleonasm: "Free gift," or "added bonus."

Synecdoche: "All hands on deck," where "hands" represent the entire crew.

Cacophony: "The crashing, booming, roaring of thunder."

Aporia: "I don't know if I should laugh or cry at this situation."

Tmesis: "Abso-bloomin'-lutely."

Polyptoton: "With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder."

Epithet: "Richard the Lionheart."

Sibilance: "Sally sells seashells by the seashore."

Prolepsis: "He will fail, but of course, he will try."

Epanalepsis: "The king is dead, long live the king."