Rhet terms A-E

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

A story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical, or ethical meaning

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

The repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea

Question 4

Antithesis

Answer 4

Rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentances

Question 5

Aphorism

Answer 5

Short, pithy statement of a generally accepted truth or sentiment

Question 6

Apostrophe

Answer 6

A rhetorical device in which a speaker addresses a person or personified thing not present

Question 7

Assonance

Answer 7

Repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines in poetry and prose

Question 8

Ballad

Answer 8

A simple narrative verse that tells a story that is sung or recited

Question 9

Blank verse

Answer 9

Poetry written in iambic pentameter, the primary meter used in English poetry and the works of Shakespeare and Milton

Question 10

Bombast

Answer 10

Inflated, pretentious language used for trivial subjects

Question 11

Cacophony

Answer 11

Grating, inharmonious sounds

Question 12

Caesura

Answer 12

A pause somewhere in the middle of a verse, often (but not always) marked by punctuation

Question 13

Consonance

Answer 13

Repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a line of poetry

Question 14

Couplet

Answer 14

A pair of rhyming lines in a poem

Question 15

Dramatic irony

Answer 15

A circumstance in which the audience or reader knows more about a situation than a character

Question 16

Elegy

Answer 16

A poem or prose selection that laments or meditates on the passing or death of something or someone of value

Question 17

End-stopped

Answer 17

A term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation

Question 18

Enjambment

Answer 18

In poetry, the use of successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them

Question 19

Epic

Answer 19

An extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that is generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure

Question 20

Epigram

Answer 20

A concise but ingenious, witty, and thoughtful statement

Question 21

Euphony

Answer 21

Pleasing, harmonious sounds

Question 22

Euphemism

Answer 22

Mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term