Basic Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
Repetition of a word or idea, adding to its exploration through emphasis.
Amplification
Placing a good point next to a fault or criticism to lessen its blow.
Antanagogue
Creating a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas.
Antithesis
Emphasizing something by glossing over it or ignoring it.
Apophasis
Stopping a sentence or clause abruptly.
Aposiopesis
A noun placed after another noun describing the latter mentioned.
Appositive
Omitting conjunctives from lists to add emphasis.
Asyndeton
An extravagant implied metaphor using words in an alien way.
Catachresis
Arranging words in increasing importance, weight or emphasis.
Climax (Gradatio)
Repetition of an important word from the clause before in the current clause.
Conduplicatio
Repetition of a word or phrase after it has already been introduced for emphasis.
Diacope
Using a repeated ending to a clause or sentence (opposite of anaphora).
Epistrophe
Rhetorical question.
Erotesis
Departure from normal word order.
Hyperbaton
Raising a question and proceeding to answer it.
Hypophora
A form of metaphor where the metaphorical thing is closely linked to the subject.
Metonym
Recurrent syntactical similarity.
Parallelism
A word or phrase used as an aside in the middle of a phrase.
Parenthesis
Using more words than required to make a point.
Pleonasm
The use of conjunctions between words or phrases.
Polysyndeton
Emphasising an idea by expressing it in a string of synonymous words or phrases.
Scesis Onomaton
Quoting a maxim or wise saying.
Sententia
: Combining anaphora and epistrophe in a sentence or clause.
Symploce
Yoking together of two or more parts of speech by more speech.
Zeugma
Citing a (e.g. historical) example.
Exemplum
