• A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore (Poe)
• E - Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee (Coleridge)
• I - From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire (Frost)
• O - Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn (Wordsworth)
• U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)

Using a Euphemism

Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Examples are:

• 'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald'
• 'Homeless' instead of 'bum'
• 'Letting him go' instead of 'firing him'
• 'Passed away' instead of 'died'
• 'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar'

Using Hyperbole

Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples are:

• I’ve told you a hundred times
• It cost a billion dollars
• I could do this forever
• She is older than dirt
• Everybody knows that

Using Irony

Irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance and reality. Examples are:

• “How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
• A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)
• The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)
• Naming a Chihuahua Brutus (Verbal irony)
• The audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)

Using Metaphor

Metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples are:

• Heart of stone
• Time is money
• The world is a stage
• She is a night owl
• He is an ogre

Using Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples are:

• Whoosh
• Splat
• Buzz
• Click
• Oink

Using Oxymoron

Oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together. Examples are:

• Peace force
• Kosher ham
• Jumbo shrimp
• Small crowd
• Free market

Using Personification

Personification is giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples are:

• The flowers nodded
• Snowflakes danced
• Thunder grumbled
• Fog crept in
• The wind howled

Using Simile

Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." Examples are:

• As slippery as an eel
• Like peas in a pod
• As blind as a bat
• Eats like a pig
• As wise as an owl

Using Synecdoche

Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or the whole is represented by a part. Examples are:

• Wheels - a car
• The police - one policeman
• Plastic - credit cards
• Coke - any cola drink
• Army - a soldier

Using Understatement

Understatement is when something is said to make something appear less important or less serious. Examples are:

• It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent
• It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world
• The weather is a little cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures
• It was interesting - referring to a bad or difficult experience
• It stings a bit - referring to a serious wound or injury