61 - 80 Flashcards
Motif
a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
Narration
An account of events as they happen, organizes material on the basis of chronological order or
pattern, stresses sequence of events and paces them according to emphasis
Onomatopoeia
using words that imitate the sound they denote
Oxymoron
conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence’)
Pacing
Speed at which a piece of writing moves along, depends on balance between summarizing and representing action in detail, can be affected by syntax
Paradox
(logic) a statement that contradicts itself
Parallelism
Principle of coherent writing requiring that coordinating elements be given the same grammatical form
Parody
Work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. Mimics the original by repeating and borrowing words, phrases or characteristics to illuminate weaknesses.
Pathos
Appeal to emotion and feelings, a legitimate ploy as long as it is not excessively or exclusively used
Periodic statement
Sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end, used to add emphasis and structural variety. See loose sentence.
Personification
Attributing human qualities to nonhuman objects, abstractions, or animals
Persuasion
communication intended to induce belief or action
Plot
the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.
Point of view
who tells the story or the “voice” that the story is told in
Process analysis
A type of development in writing that stresses how a sequence of steps produces a certain effect.
Realism
the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
Red herring
Flawed argument that involves introducing a side issue to distract from the main argument, example: questioning dirty clinics in an argument about the ethics of having an aborting
Repetition
the act of doing or performing again; the repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device
Rhetoric
study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking); using language effectively to please or persuade
Rhetorical modes
The variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. 4 types: exposition,
argumentation, description, and narration. AKA modes of discourse
