Rhetoric Devices Flashcards
repetition or initial consonant sounds at beginning of successive words
ALITERATION
indirect reference to something in history, literature, music, religion… (assumed well-known to be recognized)
ALLUISION
alliteration with whole word/repetition of intro words or phrases
ANAPHORA
short entertaining account of happening/illustrates particular characteristic
ANECDOTE
syntactical structure/order of terms in first of 2 parallel clauses is reversed in 2nd
ANTIMETABOLE (chiasmus)
opposition or contrast emphasized by parallel structure
ANTITHESIS
commas used without conjunction
ASYNDETON
extended metaphor/surprising connection between 2 seemingly different things
CONCEIT
main idea followed by details
CUMMULATIVE SENTENCE
use of words or phrases that’s less direct, less distasteful, less offensive
EUPHEMISM
language not literal/emphasize idea and summarize complex idea/literal meanings to suggest non literal meanings
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
deliberate, gross exaggeration/emphasis
HYPERBOLE
reversing customary order of elements (SVO)/represents element that appears first
INVERSION
putting together 2 contrasting elements that are unlike for surprising, witty or startling effect
JUXTAPOSITION
word or phrase substituted for another it’s closely associated with
METONYMY
figure of speech/contradictory terms or ideas combined
OXYMORON
seems untrue but it’s true/seems self-contradictory but may be true in fact
PARADOX
pretending to pass it over but drawing attention to it
PARALEPSIS
structure brings together parallel elements
PARALLELISM
details followed by main idea
PERIODIC SENTENCE
chain of conjunctions
POLYSYNDETON
question asked but no answer expected
RHETORICAL QUESTION
sums of preceding material/applying general truth to situation
SENTENTIA
several similar rhetorical devices used w/ grammatically correct linkage
ZEUGMA
