APL Rhetorical Terms

Question 1

Abstract

Answer 1

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places.) the observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.

Question 2

Allegory

Answer 2

an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.

Question 3

Anecdote

Answer 3

a short, simple narrative of an indecent, often used for humorous effect or to make a point.

Question 4

Annotation

Answer 4

explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Question 5

Antithesis

Answer 5

the presentation of 2 contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “to be or not to be…” “Ask not what your country can do for you,ask what you can do for your country.”

Question 6

Auphorism

Answer 6

a short, often witty statement of a principle of a truth of life. “Early bird gets the worm.”

Question 7

Apostrophe

Answer 7

Usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person place or thing and is an abstraction.

Question 8

Argumentation

Answer 8

Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.

Question 9

Cacophony

Answer 9

harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in prose or poetry; the opposite of euphony.

Question 10

Caricature

Answer 10

descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality

Question 11

Colloquialism

Answer 11

a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)

Question 12

Coherence

Answer 12

quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme or organizing principle.

Question 13

Concrete Language

Answer 13

language that describes specific observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.

Question 14

Connotation

Answer 14

implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.

Question 15

Consonance

Answer 15

repetition of identical consonant sounds within 2 or more words in close proximity, as in boost/ best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and ping-pong.

Question 16

Conundrum

Answer 16

a riddle whose answer is or involves a play on words; in may also be a paradox or difficult problem.

Question 17

Deduction

Answer 17

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

Question 18

Denotation

Answer 18

literal meaning of a work as defined

Question 19

Description

Answer 19

the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; on of the four modes of discourse.

Question 20

Diction

Answer 20

word choice, and element of style; diction creates tone, attitude, and style as well as meaning. different types and style, as well as meaning. different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on the meaning. Academiv diction would be less colorful, but more precise than street slang

Question 21

Didactic

Answer 21

Writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. Provides a model for correct behavior. Can be fiction or Nonfiction

Question 22

Discourse

Answer 22

spoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narrrator, and personation.

Question 23

Emotional Appeal

Answer 23

Pathos; when a writer appeals to the reader’s emotions to excite and involve them in the argument.

Question 24

Epigraph

Answer 24

the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.

Question 25

Ethical Appeal

Answer 25

Ethos; when a writer trys to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on presentation of image of self through the text. Reputation is sometimes a factor in ethical appeal. but in all cases it is to guide the audiences confedience.

Question 26

Euphemism

Answer 26

a more acceptable or more peasent way of saying something inappropriate or uncomfortable.

Question 27

Euphony

Answer 27

A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cocophony.

Question 28

Example

Answer 28

and individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern.

Question 29

Explication

Answer 29

the art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. it usually invovles close reading and special attention to figurative language.

Question 30

Exposition

Answer 30

the immediate revelationto the audience of the setting and other background information nessicery for understandin the plot

Question 31

Generalization

Answer 31

when a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim applies to all instances instead of some

Question 32

Genre

Answer 32

a type of lierary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as scientific fiction or sonnet.

Question 33

Humor

Answer 33

anything that causes laughter or amusment. it did mean a person’s temperment

Question 34

Hyperbole

Answer 34

Extreme exaggeration to create humor or emphasis.

Question 35

Image

Answer 35

Word or words used to appeal to our senses to give us a visualization. It is always a concrete representation.

Question 36

Imagery

Answer 36

words or phrases that are used in collection to appeal to the senses and give a mental picture.

Question 37

Induction

Answer 37

The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization

Question 38

Inference

Answer 38

a conclusion on can draw from the presented details

Question 39

Invictive

Answer 39

a verbally abusive attack.

Question 40

Inversion

Answer 40

reversing the customary order of elements in a sentence or phrase; it is used effectively in many cases’ such as posing a question.

Question 41

Jargon

Answer 41

The special language of a group or profession. the term usually has pejorative associations with the implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, and unintelligible to outsiders.

Question 42

Logical Appeal

Answer 42

When a writer tries to persuade through logical expression and the argument is based on fact, statistics and reason.

Question 43

Lyrical

Answer 43

Song-like; characterized by emotions, subjectivity, and imagination.

Question 44

Mode

Answer 44

the method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written.

Question 45

Mood

Answer 45

Similar to tone, mood is the primary emotional attitude of a work. Syntax is also a determiner of mood because sentence strength, length, and complexity affect pacing.

Question 46

Narration

Answer 46

The telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of the 4 modes of discourse.

Question 47

Objectivity

Answer 47

An impersonal presentation of events and characters. it is a writer’s attempt to remove himself from any subjective, personal involvement in a story.

Question 48

Parallelism

Answer 48

the technique of arranging words. phrases, clauses, or larger structures side by side and making the similar in form.

Question 49

Parody

Answer 49

a work that riducules the style of another work.

Question 50

Pahetic Appeal; Pathos

Answer 50

The emotional appeal of an argument.

Question 51

Pedantic

Answer 51

a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing.

Question 52

Persuasion

Answer 52

a form of argumentation, one of the four modes of discourse.

Question 53

Regionalism

Answer 53

an element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale.

Question 54

Rhetorical Modes

Answer 54

Exposition, description, narrration, argumentation.

Question 55

Rhetorical Question

Answer 55

One that does not expect an explicit answer.

Question 56

Sarcasm

Answer 56

harsh, caustic remorks to or about someone.

Question 57

Satirc

Answer 57

a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior.

Question 58

Speaker

Answer 58

The voice of a work.

Question 59

Stereotype

Answer 59

a character thatt represents a social or racail group and lacks individuality.

Question 60

Style

Answer 60

an authors characteristic manner of expression.

Question 61

Subjectivity

Answer 61

a personal presentation of events.

Question 62

Syllogism

Answer 62

a form of reasoning in which 2 statments are made and a conclusion is drawn from them.

Question 63

Synecdoche

Answer 63

a figure of speech where part of something represents a whole.

Question 64

Syntactic Fluency

Answer 64

ablility to create a variety of sentence structures.

Question 65

Syntactic Permutation

Answer 65

sentence structures that are extraordinarily complex and invvled.

Question 66

Syntax

Answer 66

the grammatical structure of a sentence.

Question 67

Theme

Answer 67

the central idea or message of the literary work

Question 68

Thesis

Answer 68

the main idea of a piece of writing

Question 69

Tone

Answer 69

The characteristic attitude of the author to the subject.

Question 70

Transition

Answer 70

a word or phrase that links on idea to the next idea.

Question 71

Understatement

Answer 71

the opposite of exaggeration.

Question 72

Voice

Answer 72

refers to writer’s style and the relationship between sentence subjects.

Question 73

Fallacy

Answer 73

any aspect of writing that tends to weaken an argument.

Question 74

Ad hominem

Answer 74

instead of attacking his/her opponent’s argument, the arguer attacks their opponent themselves.