Rhetorical Analysis Terms Advanced Flashcards
Amplification
repeats a word or expression for emphasis - Love, real love, takes time.
Anacoluthon
disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence.
Antanagoge
places a criticism and compliment together to lessen the impact - The car is not pretty but it runs great.
Antecedent
a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another
Antimetabole
repeats words or phrases in reverse order - “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” (J F Kennedy)
Antithesis
makes a connection between two things - “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
Appositive
places a noun or phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes - Mary, queen of the land, hosted the ball.
Chiasmus
a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form; e.g. ‘Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds’.
Circumlocution
talking around a topic rather than directly addressing it; the use of many words where fewer would do
Colloquialism
a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation (regional)
Conceit
an elaborate metaphor. Example: “the idea of the wind’s singing is a prime romantic conceit”
Ellipsis
the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues
Enumeratio
makes a point with details - Renovation included a spa, tennis court, pool and lounge.
Epiphany
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something,usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience
Epithet
using an adjective or adjective phrase to describe - mesmerizing eyes
Epizeuxis
repeats one word for emphasis - The amusement park was fun, fun, fun.
Eutrepismus
separates speech into numbered parts, giving your reader or listener a clear line of thinking to follow.
Hyperbole
an exaggeration - I have done this a thousand times.
Inversion
also known as “anastrophe” - the normal order of words is reversed, in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis
Litotes
makes an understatement by denying the opposite of a word that may have been used - The terms of the contract are not disagreeable to me.
Lyrical
expressing the writer’s emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way
Metaphor
compares two things by stating one is the other - The eyes are the windows of the soul.
Onomatopoeia
words that imitate the sound they describe - plunk, whiz, pop
Oxymoron
a two-word paradox - near miss, seriously funny
Panegyric
a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something
Parable
a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson
Parallelism
uses words or phrases with a similar structure - I went to the store, parked the car and bought a pizza.
Proverb
a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice
Simile
compares one object to another - He smokes like a chimney.
Synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in “Cleveland won by six runs” or “All hands on deck.”
Tmesis
breaks up a word, phrase, or sentence with a second word, usually for emphasis and rhythm. “This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.”
Understatement
makes an idea less important that it really is - The hurricane disrupted traffic.
