Rehtorical Terms Flashcards
Ad Hominem
In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the idea. (Latin meaning “against the man”)
Abstract
Refer to language the describes concepts rather than concrete images.
(Idea and quality rather than observable or specific things, people or places). The observable “physical” is usually described in concrete language.
Allegory
Extended narrative representing abstract qualities in which the writer intends a second meaning.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another
Allusion
A reference to a well known person, place, or thing from literature or history.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.
Anecdote
A short, simple narrative of an incident; often used if humorous effect or to make a point.
Annotation
Explanatory notes added at a text to explain, cite sources, or give biological data.
Antithesis
The presentation of two contrasting images. The idea are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs.
Ex: to be not to be
aphorism
short, often witty statement of a principle or truth about life
apostrophe
usually in poetry but sometime in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction
Argumentation
Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by representing reasoned arguments
Assonance
Reposition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade
Asyndeton
Commas used to deprecate a series if word
Ex: x, y, z as opposed to x, y, and z
Cacophony
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 person’s appearance or a facet of personality
Colloquialism
A word or phrase (including slangs) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that I often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)
Coherence
Quality of writing that contributes to the development of central idea, theme
Concrete language
Describes specific, observable things, people,or places rather than ideas
Connotation
Implied or suggested meaning of a word in the reader mind
Consonance
Repetition of identical consonant sounds in two or not words close to each other in text
Conundrum
A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to a specific rule
Denotation
Literal meaning of a word
Description
A description using sensory details such as color, motion, sound, etc.
Diction
Word choice , an element of style
Didactic
writing who’s purpose is to teach
Discourse
Spoken or written language such as exposition,narration, and persuasion
Dissonance
Harsh sound that don’t go together
Dramatic irony
When reader is aware of the characters perception and the truth
Dynamic character
A character who changes through out the story
Emotional appeal
When the writer appeals to the readers emotion
Epigraph
Quotation used in the begging of work to hint the theme
Ethical appeal
When the writer tries to persuade the audience to believe him
Euphemism
A more appropriate way of saying something inappropriate
Euphony
A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry
Example
An individual instant taken to be representative of a general pattern
Explication
The art of interpreting the meaning of a text
Exposition
Other background info necessary for understanding the plot
Extended metaphor
A sustained comparison often referred to as a conceit
False analogy
When two cases are not sufficiently parallel nor convection between them
Figurative language
Figure of speech such as simile, metaphor, to create association imaginative rather than literal
Figure of speech
Expressions such as simile metaphor personification
Foil
Character who points out qualities of other characters
Foreshadowing
Hints given to suggest larger events later in the work
Freight train
Sentence consisting of three or more independent clauses joined by conjunctions
Generalization
When writer bases a claim upon an isolated example
Genre
Type a literal work such as novel or poem
Hubris
Excessive pride of ambition
Humor
Anything that causes laughter or amusement
Hyperbole
Exaggeration in order to create emphasis
Image
Words either figurative or literal used to describe a sensory experience
Imagery
Word that uses a collection of images to create mental picture
Induction
Process that moves specific to generalization
Inference
A conclusion that can be drawn from presented details
Interior monologue
Conversation that occurs in characters head
Invective
A verbally abusive attack
Inversion
Reversing the order of elements in a sentence
Irony
Situation where outcome is opposite to what was expected
Jargon
The special language of a profession or group
Logic
The process of reasoning
Logical fallacy
A mistaken on reason
Lyrical
Song like
Metaphor
Figure of speech were one thing is referred to another
Metonymy
Figure of speech that uses the name of an object to represent something
Mood
Similar to tone, the primary emotional attitude of a work
Moral
Lesson drawn from a fictional or nonfictional story
Motif
Main theme or subject that is elaborated in the development
Narration
The telling of a story
Negative-positive
Sentence that start with what’s not true an ending with the truth
Non-sequitur
Latin for”it doesn’t follow”
When a statement isn’t logically connected to another
Objectivity
An impersonal presentation of events an character
Onomatopoeia
The use of words that sound like what they mean “buzz”
Oversimplification
When a writer denies the complexity of an argument
Oxymoron
Contradictory word or phrases “pretty ugly”
Pacing
Movement of literary piece from none point to another
Parable
Short tale that reaches a moral
Paradox
Statement that seems to contradict itself bit has a rational meaning
Parallelism
Technique of arranging words making them similar in form
Parody
Work that ridicules the style of another by imitating its elements
Pathos
Element evoking pity or compassion
Pedantic
Term used to describe writing that borders in lecturing
Personification
Giving human qualities to nonhuman objects
Persuasion
A form of argumentation
Point of view
The perspective from which a story is presented
Polysydenton
Sentence. Which uses conjunction to deprecate items in series
Protagonist
The main character
Red herring
Writer raises irrelevant issue to to draw away attention from real issue
Reduction ad absurdum
Technique used in creating a comic effect (either or choice)
Regionalism
An element that conveys a realistic portrayal of specific geographical locale
Repetition
Words or phrases used two or more times in close proximity
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication
Rhetorical modes
Exposition ,description ,narration
Rhetorical question
One that does not expect an answer
Sarcasm
Harsh, caustic personal remark about Someone
Satire
Work that reveals a critical attitude towards human behavior in a extreme way
Setting
Time an place of work
Simile
Comparison using as or like
Speaker
The voice of a work, author speak of himself …
Stanza
A section of lines in poems
Static character
Character who doesn’t change throughout the story
Stereotype
Character who represents particular racial or social group
Straw men
Writers argue against a claim that is considered weak
Style
Authors manners of expression
Subjectivity
Personal presentation of event by authors feeling or opinion
Syllogism
Reasoning in two statement an one conclusion drawn from them
Symbolism
Use of symbols
Synecdoche
Speech in which part of something or object is used to represent a whole
Syntactic fluency
Ability to create a variety of sentence structure
Syntactic permutation
Sentences that are extremely complex
Syntax
The grammatical structure of a sentence
Theme
The central Idea or message
Thesis
Main idea
Tone
The characters emotion or attitude of author toward character
Transition
A word that links one idea to the next
Tricolon
Sentence consisting of three parts
Understatement
Developing irony where the writer says less than intended
Unity
Quality of a piece of writing
Voice
Refers to two different areas of writing (subject ,verb and sound)
