rhetorical devices Flashcards
allegory
the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. in some allegories,for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction lie hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.
alliteration
the repetition of sounds,especially initial consonants in tow or more neighboring words.
allusion
a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known,such as an event,book,myth,place,or work of art.
ambiguity
the multiple meanings,either intentional or unintenional
analogy
a similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.
anaphora
One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is
repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.
anecdote
A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event.
antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
antithesis
Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually
through parallel structure; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences.
aphorism
A terse statement of know authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.
apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction,
asyndeton
consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.
atmosphere
The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and
partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described.
chiasmus
Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words.
clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a
complete thought and can sand alone as a sentence.
colloquial
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
coherence
A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole
may be immediately clear and intelligible.
conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between
seemingly dissimilar objects.
connotation
The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.
diacope
repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase
diction
Related to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness,
clearess, or effectiveness.
didactic
Didactic works have the primary aim of
teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.
enumeratio
Figure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details, and may include a
listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences; the listing or detailing of the parts of something.
expletive
Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal
speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive.
euphemism
From the Greek for “good speech,” euphemisms are a more agreeable or less
offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.
exposition
one of the four chief types of composition, the others being argumentation, description, and
narration.
extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout the work.
figurative languaage
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be
imaginative and vivid.
figure of speech
A device used to produce figurate language. Many compare dissimilar things.
generic conventions
This term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre
for example, they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing.
genre
The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.
hyperbole
A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.
hypophora
Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length,
by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one’s own question.
imagery
The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.
inference
To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.
invective
an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attach using strong, abusive language.
irony
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant.
juxtaposition
When two words, phrases, images, ideas are placed close together or
side by side for comparison or contrast.
litotes
From the Greek word “simple” or “plain.” Litotes is a figure of thought in which a point is
affirmed by negating its opposite.
loose sentence
a type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by
dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.
metaphor
A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the
other, suggesting some similarity.
metonymy
Metonymy is a
figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.
mood
The first meaning is grammatical and eals
with verbal units and a speaker’s attitude. Literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. In this usage, mood is similar to tone and atmosphere.
narrative
The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.
onomatopoeia
A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of
words.
oxymoron
From the Greek for “pointedly foolish,” an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups
apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.
paradox
A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection
contains some degree of truth or validity.
parallelism
It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.
parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or
ridicule.
pedantic
An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly,
academic, or bookish.
periodic sentence
A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent
clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone.
personification
A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate
objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.
polysyndeton
Figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of
conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so not normally found in successive words, phrases or clauses; the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses. The effect is a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up - a persistence or intensity.
point of view
In literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are two general divisions of point of
view, and many subdivisions within those. (1) the first person narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun, “I,” and is a character in the story. This narrator can be the protagonist, a participant (character in a secondary role), or an observer (a character who merely watches the action). 2) the third person narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns, “he,” “she,” and “it.”
predicate adjective
One type of subject complement is an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that
follows a linking verb.
predicate nominative
A second type of subject complement - a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that names
the subject.
prose
One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and non-fiction, including all its forms.
rhetoric
From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively,
eloquently, and persuasively.
sarcasm
From the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or
ridicule someone or something.
satire
A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.
semantics
The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological
development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.
style
1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in
Blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. 2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors.
subject complement
The word (with any accompanying phrases) or clauses that follows a linking verb and
complements, or completes, the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it or (2) describing it.
subordinate clause
Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying
phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the subordinate clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, the subordinate clause depends on a main clause, sometimes called an independent clause, to complete its meaning.
syllogism
From the Greek for “reckoning together,” a syllogism (or syllogistic-reasoning or
syllogistic logic is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the firs one called “major and the second, “minor”) that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.
symbol
Generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually a symbol is
something concrete - such as object, action, character, or scene - that represents something more abstract.
synecdoche
a type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, the
genus for the species, the species for the genus, the material for the thing made, or in short, any portion, section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa).
syntax
The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.
theme
The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.
thesis
In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or a group of sentences that directly expresses
the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position.
tone
Similar to mood, tone describes the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.
transition
A word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and
argumentative writing, transitions effectively signal a shift from one idea to another.
understatement
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is.
undertone
An attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece.
wit
In modern usage, intellectually amazing language that surprises and delights. A witty statement is humorous,
while suggesting the speaker’s verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks.
