rhetorical Flashcards
allusion
an implicit reference to something, usually to a piece of literature, religious figures, or a well-known historical event
analogy
a comparison between things that have a similar function or structure, usually with the use of the words like or as
anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb)
apostrophe
the making of a speech or address to an absent person (a cousin who is in jail) or a thing that is personified (such as Death).
asyndeton
a sentence or series of sentences in which conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases or clauses
anecdote
a short, illustrative story
appeal to emotion (pathos)
an attempt to persuade the reader through an emotionally charged anecdote, description, or allusion
appeal to ethos
refers to the speaker’s character as it appears to the audience. Aristotle says that if we believe that a speaker has good sense, good moral character, and good will, we are inclined to believe what that speaker says. Today we might add that a speaker should also appear to have the appropriate expertise or authority to speak knowledgeably about the subject matter
appeal to logic (logos)
the examination of an argument in terms of its logical support (or lack thereof)
chiasmus
a rhetorical device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form
concession
acknowledging the validity or logic of something your opponent believes. Making a concession means you allow that they have a point about something
connotation
refers to the emotional, historic, and sensual (relating to the senses) associations of a word
counterclaim
presents an opposing argument to a writer’s claim and then rebuts (responds to) it
diction
refers to the author’s choice of words
hyperbole
a deliberate exaggeration
imagery
the use of vivid sensory details to create a picture for the audience
juxtaposition
the placement of two or more things side by side
kairos
refers to the timeliness of an argument (opportune moment)
metaphor
a comparison between two different things without the use of like or as
parallelism/ parallel structure
a writer’s sentence structure or form is repeated in the same pattern over and over
polysyndeton
conjunctions (e.g. and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed
rebuttal
an argument or evidence presented to contradict or disprove another’s reasoning or claim
repetition
purposefully repeating a word or phrase a number of times throughout a text
rhetorical questions
questions to which the speaker/writer expects no response
exigence
why the author is writing about this subject
purpose
what the writer is seeking from the audience
syntax
the arrangement of words, punctuation, clauses, and phrases in a sentence. When analyzing syntax, pay attention to sentence length (is it long or short?), order of words (unexpected changes, additions, or deletions?), and punctuation (semicolons, commas, em dashes, and periods all have different effects).
