rhetorical devices Flashcards
Anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
climax
the turning point of the story
anticlimax
a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events
Enumeration
listing items in order
Allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
Euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
Irony
saying the opposite of what you mean
Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.
Pun
a play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have diverse meanings
Simile
A comparison using “like” or “as”
metaphor
A comparison without using like or as
Personification
the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea
Symbol
A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
Parallelism
similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
triple
A kind of parallelism where words, phrases or sentences are arranged in groups of three
Hyperbole
exaggeration
Understatement
the opposite of hyperbole
Satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices,
rhetorical question
a question to which the answer is obvious
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole
Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
Metonymy
substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it
