Oscar Wilde uses a myriad of literary techniques in "The Nightingale and the Rose" because the

purpose of this specific literary work was to produce an allegorical prose which can relate the
topic of altruistic and sacrificial love.
Some of the literary techniques that you can encounter in the short story are: Metaphor, since the
blood of the nightingale being poured over the white rose symbolically colored the rose red.
Another figure of speech is paradox, since the way that the nightingale was betrayed by the lover
for whom he sacrificed his life. Another technique we see is obviously personification in the
characteristics that the nightingale portrays, since it is given human and emotional qualities
although it is a bird.
Irony: a figure of speech in which an expression means the opposite of or very contrary to its
literal meaning. In the story, the writer makes many ironic comments.
E.g.: She has form, but has she got feeling? I am afraid not. (The nightingale was singing of
love, saying it is wiser than Philosophy and mightier than Power and wishes him happiness and
love)
2. Figures of speech
a. Personification
- the Nightingale, the Lizard, the Butterfly, the Moon and the other charactershave human
characterisrics.Examples:
1. the tree shook its head.
2. the tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn
3. the white Moon heard it, and she forgot the dawn
b. Simile
Examples:
1. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire;but
passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow."
2. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals.
3. She passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across the
garden.

4. "My roses are white," it answered; "as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the
snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, andperhaps he will
give you what you want."
5. "My roses are yellow," it answered; "as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who sitsupon
an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before themower comes
with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneath the Student's window,and perhaps he will
give you what you want."
6. "My roses are red," it answered, "as red as the feet of the dove, and redder than thegreat
fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has chilled my veins,and the frost
has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have noroses at all this year."
c. Repititions
Examples:
1. But the Tree shook its head.
2. "Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song."
3. . She passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across
thegarden.
4. "Press closer, little Nightingale," cried the Tree, "or the Day will come before the roseis
finished."
Conclusion:
The author used different rehotoric devices. This rhetoruc devices gives an imaginablepicture
to the reader so that they can enjoy the story more.
D. Syntactic Features
The author used different kind of sentences in the story. Such as simple sentences e.g
The musicians will sit in the gallery.. he also used compound sentences e.g Each bore it to
her purple cavern in the hills. And woke the sleeping shepers from thei dreams.
The author alson used interogative sentences such as Why is he weeping?.Exclamatory
sentences e.g No red rose in all my garden!
Conclusion:

The author used variety of sentences to express the thought he wanted to bring to the readers.
He did used simple form of sentences because he does not want the readers to getconfuse while
reading the selection