APL Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
Abstract
Describes concepts rather than concrete images (Ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places)
Allegory
an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities & in which the writer intends a 2nd meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.
Anecdote
Short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.
Annotation
Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give biographical data.
Anthesis
The presentation of 2 contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or photos.
Aphorism
A short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life: “early bird gets the worm”
Apostrophe
In poetry but sometimes in prose; device of calling out to an imaginary, dead or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstract.
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 or prose; the opposite of euphony.
Caricature
Descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a persons appearance or facet of personality.
Colloquialism
A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation & 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 the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle.
Concrete language
Describes specific, observable things, people, or places rather than ideas or qualities
Connotaion
Implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the readers mind.
Consoance
Repetition of identical consonant sounds within 2 or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill & ping-pong.
Conundrum
A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; may also be a paradox or difficult problem.
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.
Denotation
Literal meaning of a word as defined.
Description
The picturing in words of someone or something through detailed observation of color, motion, taste, smell & touch; one of the 4 modes of discourse.
Diction
Word choice, an element of style; creates tone, attitude & style, as well as meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precis than street slang.
Didacttc
Writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. Usually formal & focuses on moral or ethical concerns. may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a moral of correct behavior or thinking.
Discourse
Spoken or written language, including literary works: The 4 traditionally classified modes discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.
Emotional appeal - pathos
When a writer appeals to the readers emotions (often through pathos) to excite & and involve them in the argument.
Epigraph
The use of a question @ the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
Ethical appeal - ethos
When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him/her based on a presentation of image of self through the text. Repetition is sometimes a factor in the ethical appeal, but in all cases the aim is to gain the audiences confidence.
Euphemism
A more acceptable & usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. Also used to obscure the reality of a situation.
Euphony
A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony.
Example
An individual instance taken to be represented of a general pattern.
Explication
The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. Usually involves close reading & special attention to figurative language.
Exposition
The immediate revelation to the audience of the setting & other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also explanation; one of the 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
A type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also sub-genres such as science fiction or sonnet within the larger genres.
Humor
anything that causes laughter or amusement.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis.
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 the 5 senses in order to create a mental picture.
Induction
The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization.
Inference
A conclusion one can draw from the presented details
Jargon
The special language of profession or group. usually has pejorative associations with the implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, & unintelligible to outsiders.
Logical appeal - logos
When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics, facts and reasons. The process of reasoning.
Lyrical
Song like; characterized by emotions, subjectively, and imagination.
Mode
The method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written.
Mood
Similar to tone, mood is the primary emotional attitude of a work (the feeling of the work; the atmosphere) syntax is also a determiner of mood because sentence strength, length, & complexity affect pacing.
Narration
The telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of the 4 modes of discourse.
Objectivity
An impersonal presentation of events & characters. It is a writers attempt to remove himself or herself from any subjective, personal involvement in a story.
Paralism
The technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side & making them similar in form.
Paradox
Statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning.
Parody
A work that ridicules the style of another work by imitating and exaggerating its elements. can be mocking or gently humorous.
Pathetic; pathos
When a writer tries to persuade the audience by appealing to their emotions
Pedantic
Term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing.
Persuasion
A form of argumentation. Appeals to reason or emotion.
Regionalism
Element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot.
Repetition
Word or phase used 2 or more times in close proximity.
Rhetorical modes
Exposition, description, narration, & argumentation
Rhetorical question
Does not expect a explicit answer. Used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience.
Sarcasm
Harsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone
Satire
Reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way.
Speaker
The voice of a work. an author may speak as himself or as a factitious persona.
Stereo type
Character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group who lacks individuality. Example: Common White girl.
Style
Authors characteristic manner of expression.
Subjectivity
A personal presentation of events and characters influenced by the authors feeling and option.
Syllogism
Form of reasoning in which 2 statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them.
Synecdoche
Figure of speech in which a part of something is used to representation a whole, such as using “boards” to mean a stage.
Syntactic fluency
Ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex &/or simple & varied in length.
Syntactic permutation
Sentence structures that are extraordinary complex and involved. often difficult for the novice reader to follow.
Syntax
Grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence.
Theme
The central idea or “message”
Thesis
The main idea of a piece of writing. presents the authors assertion or claim.
Tone
The characteristic emotion or attitude of an author towards the characters, subject, and audience.
Transition
A word or phrase that links one idea to the next.
Understatement
opposite of exaggeration. it is a technique for developing irony &/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.
Voice
Refers to 2 different areas of writing, 1 refers to the relationship between a sentences subject verb. the 2nd to the total “sound” of a writers style.
