Rhetoric Test Flashcards
Rhetoric
the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional technique
Anecdote
a brief, personal story taught by the speaker.
Level of Diction
The goal is to choose an effective level or mix of levels while maintaining a speaker’s authenticity and not pandering (or code switching in an inauthentic way) to the audience.
colloquialism
ordinary language; the vernacular; informal and conversational.
Analogy
comparison of two things that are alike in some respects and can help bring clarity and a sense of logic to your argument.
irony
often has an element of humor, quirkiness, or oddity.
most often directed at events or situations, not people.
sarcasm
A form of verbal irony in which the speaker means the opposite of what is said to criticize or ridicule someone.
self-deprecation
the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, or disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest. It can be used to create humor or politeness/modesty.
metaphor
figurative expression - compares two dissimilar or unexpected things to create a certain effect. Unlike in a simile, “as” and “like” are not used in metaphor.
delayed/periodic sentence
a sentence that withholds its main idea until the end. This creates suspense and increases the attention of the audience.
apostrophe
a figure of speech in which a person, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present. It can add more emotional heft to call out to the thing you’re discussing or that’s related for an effect.
example: Universe, don’t let the teacher call on me!
rhetorical question
question without a direct answer - the author / speaker raises a question, but doesn’t answer it directly as he/she sees the answer
aphorism
a tersely, memorable phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage; has gained credit through long use. It can add a sense of relevancy or wisdom to an idea. It can add relevancy.
example: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
appeal to values
rhetorical arguments in which the speaker espouses and plays on values and beliefs (political, moral, religious, etc.) shared by those in the audience
didacticism
a type of literature that is written to inform or instruct the reader, especially in moral or political lessons.
example: religious sermon
parable
a short narrative illustrating a lesson (usually religious/moral) by comparison or analogy. It can help to clarify an idea with an entertaining component.
example: The Tortoise and the Hare
invective
the use of angry, insulting, or inappropriate language.
deductive reasoning
the reasoning process by which a general conclusion is drawn from set of premises and smaller facts (top-down reasoning).
All men are mortal. (general statement)
Socrates is a man. (more specific)
Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (most specific)
parallel structure
successive clauses or sentences are similarly structured.
anaphora *
successive clauses or sentences start with the same word(s); same word or phrase is used to begin successive clauses or sentences.
foil
a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast
appeal to logic
rhetorical arguments in which the speaker attempts to persuade the listener through use of deductive reasoning or facts, claims to be an expert, or relies on information provided by experts.
slapstick humor
type of hyperbole, involves exaggerated physical activity which exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy.
personification
attribution of human characteristics to animals, inanimate objects or abstractions.
nostalgia
desire to return in thought or fact to a former time
repetition/restatement
repeating a main idea or important statement.
hypophora
question raised and answered by the author / speaker.
Why is it better to love than be loved? It is surer.
asyndeton
the practice of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.
metonymy
a “linked term” or associated term used to represent a thing that it’s linked to (kind of like a connotation)
The White House declared … (White House = US government / President)
allusion
indirect reference to a person, event or piece of literature
parenthesis, commas, em dashes
the normal progression of a sentence is interrupted by extra information or explanations enclosed in commas, brackets or dashes.
synecdoche
using an essential part of something to refer to/represent the whole
Turning our long boat round on the last morning required all hands on deck … (hands = people)
understatement
to weaken or soften a statement; a statement is deliberately weakened to sound ironical or softened to sound more polite.
oxymoron
a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory words/contradictory word combination.
example: deafening silence
paradox
a statement or concept that seems contradictory, but it is actually true
example: Your enemy’s friend is your enemy.
juxtaposition
placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, develop comparisons or contrasts, or accomplish some other purpose.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
chiasmus
figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of parallel clause is reversed in the second.
example: You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.
inductive reasoning
conclusion or type of reasoning whereby observation or information about a small part of a class is applied to the class as a whole.
Socrates is mortal. (most specific)
- Socrates is a man. (less specific specific)
- Therefore, all men are mortal. (general statement)
litotes
form of understatement in which a double negative is used to achieve a modesty/politeness
Ex. She’s not ugly
antithesis
contrasting relationship between two ideas - emphasizes the contrast between two ideas.
That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong)
deadpan or dry humor
describes the act of deliberately displaying a lack of or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery
onomatopoeia
word imitating a sound
Ex. The lion roared
Pun
a form of wordplay that suggests two or more meanings by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.
example: What do you call a snobbish criminal going downstairs? A con-descending!
alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds within a formal grouping, such as a poetic line or stanza, or in close proximity in prose.
cliche
refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty
example: happily ever after
example: lost track of time
example: at the speed of light
propaganda
information or rumors deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, or institution.
hyperbole
an overstatement characterized by exaggerated language
example: I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.
sardonicism
dark humor
example: Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.
euphemism
substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt.
example: using “passed away” for “dead.”
