1. Simile is a figure of speech used for comparing one thing to another, using conjunctions "like" or "as". These comparisons often link a particular person or object to an abstract notion. An example in Act II Scene 2 is Romeo's comparison of Juliet with an angel: "For thou art / As glorious to this night, being o'er my head, / As is a wingèd messenger of heaven..." Shakespeare uses this simile to depict Romeo's enchantment with Juliet. Also, there is a very humorous couple of similes at the end of the scene: “Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, / But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.”
2. Oxymoron is a phrase composed of two mutually contradictive, exclusive, or opposing words. As a whole, it brings a new meaning to the phrase. Before she parts with Romeo, Juliet says that parting is “sweet sorrow”. These two words would normally be mutually exclusive, but in this case they are not, because the two lovers expect to meet again tomorrow. So, the parting will cause them to anticipate the next meeting with sweet joy.
3. Anaphora is a repetition of a word or more words at the beginning of each line. It is both used to improve the rhythm and to emphasize the words that follow. Before separating from Romeo, Juliet tells him: "And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay / And follow thee my lord throughout the world." The repetition of "and" isn't just a conjunction; it is a way to emphasize Juliet's eagerness to become Romeo's wife and share the good and the bad with him. Another example is even more interesting, as anaphora is used in two characters' subsequent lines. "JULIET: A thousand times good night! - ROMEO: A thousand times the worse to want thy light."
4. Personification is the attribution of human qualities and traits to non-human beings or things and objects. In the play, Juliet says: "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words / Of that tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound." Ears can't really drink, but Juliet wants to say that she recognizes Romeo's voice even though she hasn't listened to him much. This personification is an exceptional one because it also implies that Juliet is thirsty for Romeo's voice.
5. Paradox is a figure of speech that seems to be self-contradictory and fallible construction, but is in fact true. Its premises seem to be logically correct, each in its own right; but when put together, they seem mutually exclusive or irreconcilable. Here is an example from Juliet's monologue: "Thou art thyself, though not a Montague." Juliet is trapped in the conflict between love for Romeo and loyalty to her family of Capulets, who are at war with Romeo's family Montagues. Paradoxically, they would be more true to themselves and their love if they renounced their identity (that is, themselves). Also, speaking of her love, Juliet says: "The more I give to thee, / The more I have, for both are infinite." Her love is infinite, so she can't use it up by giving it to him.
6. Imagery means providing vivid images that will work on a non-verbal level of the senses (visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile). At the opening of the Scene 2, Romeo creates a chain of effective images that draw on our visual senses: “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, / Who is already sick and pale with grief, / That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.” Romeo is standing in the dark, while Juliet is standing on the moonlit balcony, where she is the sun.
7. Allusion is a reference to a well-known character, story, or fact that isn’t specifically explained, but the reader is supposed to be familiar with it and infer something from it. Juliet refers to Echo, a character from Greek mythology who was condemned by Zeus’ wife Hera to not being able to speak for herself, and only repeating other people’s final words. Later, she would fall in love with Narcissus, but wouldn’t be able to let him know about it. “Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, / And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, / With repetition of ‘My Romeo!’” Juliet tells her how strong her longing for Romeo is, and how she doesn’t want it to stay futile like Echo’s love was.
8. Symbolism is a use of terms that represent far greater concepts, besides their original, literal meaning. Symbols are usually widely accepted and recognizable. For example, a cross is a symbol of Christianity, while a moon is a symbol of Islam. In Act II Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, one of the examples of symbolism is Romeo’s mentioning of sun and moon. “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, / Who is already sick and pale with grief”. The sun is a symbol of all the good and vital forces that empower the earth and life itself, whereas the moon is a symbol of night, dark and destructive. These symbols are also imageries, as I mentioned above.
