List of forms of word play
This is a list of techniques used in word play with Wikipedia articles. Techniques that involve the phonetic values of words Mondegreen: a mishearing (usually unintentional) ase as a homophone or near-homophone that has as a result acquired a new meaning. The term is often used to refer specifically to mishearings of song lyrics (cf. soramimi).Onomatopoeia: a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describingRhyme: a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words Alliteration: matching consonants sounds at the beginning of wordsAssonance: matching vowel soundsConsonance: matching consonant soundsHolorime: a rhyme that encompasses an entire line or phraseSpoonerism: a switch of two sounds in two different words (cf. sananmuunnos)Janusism: the use of phonetics to create a humorous word (e.g. GAYsha from Geisha)) Techniques that involve semantics and the choosing of words Techniques that involve the manipulation of the entire sentence or passage
Repetition (rhetorical device)
Repetition is the simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement of the words, in order to secure emphasis. This is such a common literary device that it is almost never even noted as a figure of speech. It also has connotations to listing for effect and is used commonly by famous poets such as Philip Larkin. Antanaclasis is the repetition of a word or phrase to effect a different meaning "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." (Benjamin Franklin) Epizeuxis or palilogia is the repetition of a single word, with no other words in between. "Words, words, words." Conduplicatio is the repetition of a word in various places throughout a paragraph. "And the world said, 'Disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences'—and therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world Anadiplosis is the repetition of the last word of a preceding clause.
Sources
The Hollow Men Poem Text
Mistah Kurtz—he dead. A penny for the Old Guy IWe are the hollow menWe are the stuffed menLeaning togetherHeadpiece filled with straw. Alas!Our dried voices, whenWe whisper togetherAre quiet and meaninglessAs wind in dry grassOr rats' feet over broken glassIn our dry cellar Shape without form, shade without colour,Paralysed force, gesture without motion; Those who have crossedWith direct eyes, to death's other KingdomRemember us—if at all—not as lostViolent souls, but onlyAs the hollow menThe stuffed men. IIEyes I dare not meet in dreamsIn death's dream kingdomThese do not appear:There, the eyes areSunlight on a broken columnThere, is a tree swingingAnd voices areIn the wind's singingMore distant and more solemnThan a fading star. Let me be no nearerIn death's dream kingdomLet me also wearSuch deliberate disguisesRat's coat, crowskin, crossed stavesIn a fieldBehaving as the wind behavesNo nearer— Not that final meetingIn the twilight kingdom For Thine isLife isFor Thine is the
Elegant variation
It is the second-rate writers, those intent rather on expressing themselves prettily than on conveying their meaning clearly, & still more those whose notions of style are based on a few misleading rules of thumb, that are chiefly open to the allurements of elegant variation.... There are few literary faults so widely prevalent, & this book will not have been written in vain if the present article should heal any sufferer of his infirmity.The fatal influence is the advice given to young writers never to use the same word twice in a sentence — or within 20 lines or other limit. The advice has its uses; it reminds any who may be in danger of forgetting it that there are such things as pronouns, the substitution of which relieves monotony;... It also gives a useful warning that a noticeable word used once should not be used again in the neighbourhood with a different application.[1] "Inelegant variation"[edit] Bryan A. In poetry[edit] In other languages[edit] Examples[edit] See also[edit]
PoemHunter.com: Poems - Quotes - Poetry
Synonyms for words commonly used in student's writing
Amazing- incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary Anger- enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden Angry- mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed Answer- reply, respond, retort, acknowledge Ask- question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz Awful- dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant Beautiful - pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling Begin - start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate Brave - courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome
Examples of Funny Puns (and Punny Funs)
On a good day, if you have the right friends and coworkers, you can expect to hear or read many examples of funny puns. Whether intentional or accidental, a pun is the use of a word or words that either have multiple meanings or sound like other words, the result of which is humorous. There are several different ways to make a pun. One-Word Puns There aren’t really any stand-alone, one-word puns as they all need some kind of context to create the word play. Homophonic Puns Homophonic puns are created by substituting one word for a similar-sounding word. A good pun is its own reword.I bet the butcher the other day that he couldn’t reach the meat that was on the top shelf. Homographic Puns Homographic puns are created in one of two ways: either by using a word that has two different meanings, or by substituting a word with the exact same spelling as the word for which it was substituted. Compound Puns Where do you find giant snails? Funny Animal Puns Sea Creatures and Amphibians Cats and Dogs
18 Common Words That You Should Replace in Your Writing
It’s a familiar scene: you’re slumped over your keyboard or notebook, obsessing over your character. While we tend to agonize over everything from structure to backstory, it’s important to weigh how you write something too. A perfectly constructed world is flat on the page if you use feeble, common words. Good High on any list of most used English words is “good.” New Another of the common words in English is “new.” Long Much like “new,” “long” is spent, yet it doesn’t always register as such while you’re writing. Old “Old” is certainly one of those common words that means more to readers if you’re specific about how old a subject is. Right “Right” is also among the common words that tends to slip through our writer filters. Different Here’s another adjective that falls a bit flat for readers, but can also easily be improved by getting more specific. Small “Small” is another adjective that is too generic for writing as good as yours. Large Next Young Never Things All Feel Seem Almost Just Went Related
