American Literature / Unit 1 AML 0026 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Personification, Apostrophe, Metonymy, Synecdoche
Captions available
The idea
Personification gives human qualities to something not human. Apostrophe addresses the absent or the dead as if present. Metonymy substitutes an associated thing, as "sabre rattling" stands for threatening war. Synecdoche substitutes a part for the whole, the glossary's example being "lend me a hand".
In practice
Give it a face, call to it, or swap it.
Where people slip
Metonymy is association; synecdoche is a part.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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