Rhetoric Devices - original overview

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

A narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often allegory is universal symbol or personified abstraction
Extended metaphor, fable
ex. Cupid portrayed as a chubby angel with a bow and arrows

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

The sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closly proximate stressed syllables.
ex. She sells seashells by the seashore.

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

A literaty, historical, religious, or mythological reference.
ex. one might contrast the life and tribulations of Frederick Douglass to the trials of Job.

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

The regular repetition of the same words of phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses.
ex. “it takes a family, it takes teachers, it takes clergy…”

Question 5

Antithesis

Answer 5

The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas.

Question 6

Aphorism

Answer 6

A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

Question 7

Apostraphe

Answer 7

The act of addressing some inanimate abstraction or person that is not physically present: it often helps the speaker to be able to express his or her thoughts aloud.

Question 8

Appeals to… authority, emotion, logic

Answer 8

rhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field, attempts to play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason. Ethos is authority, pathos is emotions, logos is logic

Question 9

Assonance

Answer 9

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words.

Question 10

Asyndeton

Answer 10

A syntacical structurfe in which conjunctions are ommited in a series, usually producing more rapid prose.
ex. veni,vidi,vici

Question 11

Attitude

Answer 11

The sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author’s feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader.

Question 12

Begging the question

Answer 12

An argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evading or ignoring the real question.

Question 13

Canon

Answer 13

that which has been accepted as authentic

Question 14

Chiasmus

Answer 14

a figure of speech and generally a syntatical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second.
a palindrome
ex. He thinks I am but a fool. A fool, perhaps I am

Question 15

Claim

Answer 15

In argumentation, as assertion of something as fact.

Question 16

Colloquial

Answer 16

a term identifying the diction of the common. Casual, Common words.
Slang

Question 17

Comparison and Contrast

Answer 17

a mode of discourse in which two ot more things are compare, contrasted, or both.

Question 18

Conceit

Answer 18

A comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem. Can also be for non-fiction and prose.

Question 19

Connotation

Answer 19

the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase. Opposite of denotation.

Question 20

Consonance

Answer 20

the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels.
ex. pitter-patter, click-clack

Question 21

Convention

Answer 21

An accepted manner, model, or tradition

Question 22

Critique

Answer 22

An assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for the purpose of determining what it is, what its limitation are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre.

Question 23

Deductive Reasoning

Answer 23

the method of arument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles
general to specific

Question 24

Dialect

Answer 24

the language and speech idiosyncracies of a specific area, region, or group.

Question 25

Diction

Answer 25

Specific word choice an athor uses to persuad or convey tone, pupose, or effect.

Question 26

Didactic

Answer 26

writing or speech is didactic when it has an instructive purpose or a lesson.

Question 27

Elegy

Answer 27

a poem or prose work that laments, or mediates upon the death of a person.

Question 28

Epistrophe

Answer 28

the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences.
opposite of anaphora

Question 29

Epitaph

Answer 29

writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone.

Question 30

Ethos

Answer 30

the appeal tothe credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator.

Question 31

Eulogy

Answer 31

a speech or written passage in praise of a person, usually a person who has passed away. elegy laments, eulogy praises.

Question 32

Euphemism

Answer 32

An indirect, kinder, less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information

Question 33

Exposition

Answer 33

Writing that explains its own meaning or purpose.

Question 34

Extended metaphor

Answer 34

a seires of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they consistently involve one concept, this is also known as a conceit.

Question 35

Figurative Language/Figure of Speech

Answer 35

figurative language has levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, hyperboe, irony, oxymoron, litote, etc.

Question 36

Flashback (retrospection)

Answer 36

an earlier even is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration

Question 37

genre

Answer 37

a type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history

Question 38

Homily

Answer 38

A sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life.

Question 39

Hyperbole

Answer 39

Overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention.

Question 40

Imagery

Answer 40

Broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object

Question 41

Imperative sentence

Answer 41

a type of sentence that gives instructions, advice, or commands

Question 42

Inductive reasoning

Answer 42

the method of reasoning or agument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles; movement from the specific to the general
Specific to the general

Question 43

Inference

Answer 43

a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, obserbations, or some other specific data.

Question 44

Irony

Answer 44

the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant.

Question 45

Verbal Irony

Answer 45

what the author/narrator says is actually the opposite of what is meant

Question 46

Situational Irony

Answer 46

When events end up the opposite of what is expected

Question 47

Dramatic Irony

Answer 47

in drama and fiction, facts or situations are known to the reader or audience but not to the characters

Question 48

Isocolon

Answer 48

parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length.

Question 49

Jargon

Answer 49

specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.
ex. computer industry has introduced much jargon into our vocabulary: geek, crash, interface, delete, virus, etc.

Question 50

Juxtaposition

Answer 50

the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose.

Question 51

Litote

Answer 51

figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement

Question 52

Loose sentence

Answer 52

A long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several ldependent clauses and modifying phrases.
ex. “the child ran, frenzied and ignoring all hazards, as if being chased by demons.”

Question 53

Metaphor

Answer 53

one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy. without the verbal signals such as “like” or “as”

Question 54

Metonymy

Answer 54

a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or desgnate something

Question 55

Mode of discourse

Answer 55

The way in which information is presented in written or spoken form. greeks believe there were only four modes of discourse: narration, description, exposition, and argumentation. contemporary thought often includes other modes, such as personal observation and narrative reflection

Question 56

Mood

Answer 56

a feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator’s attitude and pov. It is a “feeling” that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse

Question 57

Narrative

Answer 57

a mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort. It is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework.

Question 58

Onomatopoeia

Answer 58

a word capturing or appoximating the sound of what it describes
ex. buzz, whack

Question 59

Oxymoron

Answer 59

a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements
ex. wise fool, baggy tights, deafening silence

Question 60

Paradox

Answer 60

a statement that seems contradictory but is probably true

ex. fight for peace

Question 61

Parallel structure

Answer 61

the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts.

Question 62

Pathos

Answer 62

the element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow. In argument or persuasion, it tends to be the evocation of pity from the reader/listener.

Question 63

Periodic sentence

Answer 63

a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end.

Question 64

Personification

Answer 64

treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities.

Question 65

Point of View

Answer 65

the relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse. Determining point of view in nonfiction requiires the reader to establish the historical perspective of what is being said.

Question 66

Prose

Answer 66

the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure, in contrast to verse and poetry.

Question 67

Realism

Answer 67

attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail

Question 68

Rebuttal/Refutation

Answer 68

an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered

Question 69

Rhetoric

Answer 69

the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking. All types of writing may seek to persuade, and rhetoriciians study writing for its persuasive qualities

Question 70

Rhetorical question

Answer 70

a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered.

Question 71

Sarcasm

Answer 71

a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. Sarcasm can be light and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh, caustic and mean

Question 72

Satire

Answer 72

a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure.

Question 73

Simile

Answer 73

a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, usually using the words like or as to draw the connection

Question 74

Style

Answer 74

the manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure.

Question 75

Symbolism

Answer 75

use of a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or “stands for” something else. Often the thing or idea represented is more abstract or general than the symbol, which is concrete.

Question 76

Synecdoche

Answer 76

a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole

ex. 60 masts represents 50 ships

Question 77

Syntax

Answer 77

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is sentence structure and how it influences the way the reader receives a particular piece of writing.

Question 78

Theme

Answer 78

the central or dominant idea or focus of a work, the statement a passage makes about its subject.

Question 79

Tone

Answer 79

The attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme. the tenor of a piece of writing based on a particular stylistic devices employed by the wrtier. reflects attitude

Question 80

Voice

Answer 80

the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story. The speakers or narrators particular “take” on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his or her feelings.

Question 81

Zeugma

Answer 81

a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, it applied to two or more nouns without being repeated. Often used to comic effect
ex. the thief took my wallet and the fifth avenue bus.