Literary and Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
What is the difference between classicism and romanticism?
Classicism is an art/literature that is characterized by a realistic view of people that sticks to traditional themes and structures. Romanticism is an art or literature characterized by an idealistic/unrealistic view of people and the world, and has an emphasis on nature. Romanticism does not rely on tradition themes/structures
In what scenario would “didactic” be appropriate to describe a piece of writing?
Using didactic would be appropriate if the piece of writing teaches a specific lesson or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
What are the three types of didactic writing? What are they?
The three types are adage, allegory, and aphorism
Adage: A folk saying with a lesson –> “A rolling stone gathers no moss”
Allegory: A sotry in which characters, things, and events represent different ideas/concepts to tell a larger story –> The book, Animal Farm
Aphorism- A terse statement which expresses a general truth/moral principle –> “A watched pot never boils”
What is the difference between an aphorism and an adage?
An aphorism is a concise observation which contains a general truth while an adage is a more traditional saying conveying a more universal experience/observation. Therefore, adages are more older than an aphorism and have a known creator.
What is a metonymy? What is a main type of metonymy? What’s the difference between the two?
Metonymys are when an actual word/idea with a related word or concept. –> Using “the crown” to talk about the royal family
A main type of metonymy is a synecdoche, which is a kid of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa –> Saying “check out my new wheels” when talking about a car.
The main difference between the two is that metonymys focus more on replacing a word with a related CONCEPT, while synecdoches focus more on replacing a word with one of it’s related parts.
What is synesthesia?
Synesthesia is a form of figurative language that is a description involving a “crossing of the senses” –> “A purplish scent filled the room” –> Sentence adjoins the concept of scent and colors.
What type of writing would be classified as invective?
A piece of writing that’s long, emotionally violent, and attacks using strong, abusive language.
What is the difference between the tone and the mood of a piece? What are prime examples of tone
The tone is the writer’s attitude toward his subject matter while the mood is the atmosphere surrounding the text. Some main examples of tone are playful, serious, sarcastic, sardonic, and humorous.
What is rhetoric? What is Aristotle’s Rhetorical triangle?
Rhetoric is the art of effective communication and art of effectively getting a point across to the audience. Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle represents the relationships between the writer, the subject of the piece, and the audience. According to triangle, there are three aspects to effective writing: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
