APL Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
Abstract
refers toj a 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.
allegory
an extended narrative i 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; underlying meaning may be moral, religious, politicial, social, or satiric.
anecdote
short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point
annotation
expanatorynotes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data
antithesis
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…”
aphorism
short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life: “Early bird gets the worm.”
apostrophe
usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstractation
argumentation
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
cacophony; dissonance
harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry; opposite of euphony
caricature
descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality
colloquialism
a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing
coherence; unity
quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to development of central idea, theme, or organizing principle
concrete language
language that decribes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities
connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word becauseof its association in reader’s mind
connosance
repitition 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 ful-fil and ping-pong
conundrum
a riddle whose answer if or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or a difficult problem
deduction
process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
denotation
literal meaning of a word as defined
description
picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of four modes of discourse
didactic
writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. a didactic word is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. didactic writing may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
discourse
spoken written language; including literary works; four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion
emotional appeal-pathos
when a writer appeals to reader’s emotions( often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument
epigraph
use of a quotation at beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins “The Sun Also Rises” with two epigraphs. one of them is “You are all a lost generation.” by Gertrude Stein
ethical appeal-ethos
when the writer tries to persuade audience to respect and believe him/her based on a presentation of image of self through the text. reputation is sometimes a factor in ethical appeal, but in all cases the aim is to gain audience’s confidence
euphemism
a more acceptable and usually more pleasant and way of saying something that might be unappropriate or uncomfortable. “He went to his final award.” is a common euphemism for “he died”. euphemisms are also used to obscure the reality of situation. military uses “collateral damage” to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation.
euphony
a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony
example
an individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern. arguing by example is considered reliable if examples are demonstratable true or factual as well as relevant
explication
art of interpreting or discovering meaning of a text. explication usually involves close reading and special attention to figerative language
exposition
immediate revelation to audience of setting and other background info necessary for understanding the plot; also explanation; 1 of 4 modes of discourse
generalization
when a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable. sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a claim applies to all instances instead of some
genre
type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as sci-fi or sonnet, within larger genres
humor
anything that causes laughter and amusement; up until the end of the Rennaisance, humor meant a person’s temperament
hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis (Ex. He was so hungry he could eat a horse).
image
a word or words, either figurative or literal, used to describe a sensory experience or an object perceived by the sense. an image is always a concrete representation
imagery
words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of 5 senses in order to create a mental picture
induction
process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
inference
a conclusion one can draw from presented details
invective
verbally abusive attack
inversion
reversing the customary ( subject first, then verb, then complement) order of elements in a sentence or phrase; it’s used effectively in many cases such as posing a question, “Are you going to the store?” usually the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject.
jargon
special language of a profession or group. it usually has a pejorative associations with implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, and unintelligible to outsiders. the writings of the lawyer and the library critic are both susceptible to jargon.
logical appeal; logos
when a writer tries to persuade audience based on statistics, facts, and reasons. process of reasoning
lyrical
songlike;characterized by emotions, subjectivity and imagination
mode
method or form of a literary work; manner in which a form of literature is written
mood
similar to tone, mood is primary emotional attitude of a work (feeling of the work; atmosphere). syntax is also a determiner of mood because sentence strength, length, amd complexity affect pacing
narration
telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of four modes of discourse
objectivity
impersonal presentation of events and characters. its a writers attempt to remove himself or herself from any subjective, personal involvement in the story. hard news journalism is frequently prized for its objectivity, although even fictional stories can be told without a writer rendering personal judgement.
