Rhetoric Vocab 2 Flashcards
Denotation
the literal or dictionary meaning of a word
Example of denotation
a chair is a place to sit
Dialect
the recreation of regional spoken language
example of dialect
Southern dialect
Diction
the authors choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning
Example of diction
Say whats up loser to your little brother
but how are you doing today to your principal
Didactic
writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns
didactic example
aesops fabels are are didactic works, they have moral themes to the storys.
Discourse
a discussion on a specific topic
example of discourse
shakespeare uses it in macbeth. Common sense thomas paine
disequilibrium
a loss or lack of stability; imbalance
example of disequilibrium
there may be a period of imbalance in a family after a family member dies while they adjust.
Ellipsis
indicated by a series of three periods, the ellipsis indicates that some material has been omitted from a given text. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole sentence
example of Ellipsis
so… what happened?
the great gatsby- jump from a party where nick is in an elevator with another man making plans for lunch–suddenly jumps to his apartment
“ “All right.” I agreed “I’ll be glad to.” … I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets…..”
Epigraph
use of the quotation at the beginning of a work that hints to its theme
example of epigraph
“you are all a lost generation.”- Gertrude Stein - the beginning of the sun also rises
Euphemism
a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable.
Example of Euphemism
She let bob go = she fired bob
Euphony
the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work
examples of Euphony
Success by Emily Dickinson
Success is counted sweetest
by those who ne’er succeed
to comprehend nectar ….
exposition
background information presented in a literary work
example of exposition
cinderella= cinderella is good and kind unlike her stepsisters
figurative language
the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one
example of figurative language
the sky is like a jewel box tonight
Flashback
a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, or episodes
example of flashback
in the movie manchester by the sea, there are flashbacks into the past about what caused the main character to move away
Form
the shape or structure of a text/ literary work
example of form
howl by allen ginsberg is in the form of free verse
Gestalt
a whole that assumes qualities that cannot be explained as merely a sum of its parts; when the whole is somehow greater than the summation of its parts
example of Gestalt
five cats of different species and five dogs of different species would be grouped as cats and dogs
Hyperbole
extreme exaggeration, often humorous, it can also be ironic; the opposite of understatement
example of hyperbole
my backpack weighs tons
Imagery
the total effect of related sensory images in a text/work of literature
example of imagery
the water was a pearl-studded sea of azure tipped with turquoise
Induction/inductive reasoning
the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
Induction/inductive reasoning example
all of the ice we examined was cold. Therefore all ice is cold
Inference
making an educated assumption based on material presented to you
example of inference
If you notice someone making a disgusted face after they eat their lunch you can infer they don’t like it.
Invective
a verbally abusive attack
example of invective
you’re afraid of your own shadow.
Shakespeare’s comedy of errors
“He is deformed, crooked, old, and sere”
Irony
At the most basic sense, saying the opposite of what you mean; also used to describe situations in which the results of an action are dramatically different than intended.
example of irony
I do so hope there are more papers to sign
Juxtaposition
placing two very different things together for effect
example of juxtaposition
it was the best of times the worst of times it was the age of wisdom it was the age of foolishness
Litotes
ironic understatement where an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary.
Examples of Litotes
you won’t be sorry- you’ll be glad
not too shabby- good
