O is for onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia, Greek for “word-making”, describes a word or name that imitates a sound. Commonly, onomatopoeic words include names for noises and for animals and objects that make noises.
Names for noises
Names for animals that make noises
In poetry, onomatopoeia is a device used to suggest the sound being described.
And the West-Wind came at evening,
Walking lightly o’er the prairie,
Whispering to the leaves and blossoms,
Bending low the flowers and grasses…
—The Song of Hiawatha, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
O is for oxymoron
An oxymoron is the use of contradictory ideas in one expression in speaking or writing, to create an impression. In this case, the prefix oxy— means “sharp” and the suffix —moron, “foolish”.
- Find some instances of onomatopoeia and oxymoron and use them in a sentence.
- Use the word “outlook” in two different ways.
Special reading assignment
- Of the opposite ovens, only one was often off.
- Owls, nocturnal birds of prey, have captured the imagination in many ways. In literature, they represent messengers, wisdom, learning, and Athens. An owl may also be an omen. In real life, they just go about their own business.