Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
alliteration
a pattern where words start with the same sound or in certain syllables
allusion
a reference to another work/text
ambiguity
giving rise to uncertainty with regard for interpretation
anadiplosis
when the last word of a phrase is used to begin the next phrase
analogy
a logical inference drawing parallels between the comparisons of 2 unlike objects.
anaphora
the repetition of word(s) at the beginning of phrases
anecdote
a brief story used to illustrate a point
antithesis
where two sharply opposing ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced phrase/structure
apostrophe
directly addressing a person or personified abstraction, though they are not literally in the piece.
Ex.) Death, be not proud. Love, who needs you?
assonance
resemblance of sounds in words, especially the vowels
asyndeton
the omission of conjunctions from phrases
chiasmus
a type of antithesis where the second half of an expression is the reversal of the words of the first. Ex.) I had a teacher I liked who used to say
good fiction’s job was to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable
connotation
the emotional or associative value of a word
euphemism
a mild, indirect, or vague way of saying something harsh, blunt, or offensive
figurative language
an umbrella term for nonliteral language
hyperbole
a figure of speech that uses exaggeration
image
a vivid description
irony
1) verbal: saying one thing while meaning another. Sarcasm is one way to use verbal irony. Other ways would be to understate, overstate, or use Socratic irony.
2) situational: when the opposite of what is expected happens
3) dramatic irony: a situation where the audience knows something while the character does not.
jargon
terms and phrases specific to a certain field
juxtaposition
placing 2 unlike things side by side to show their differences
metaphor
a figure of speech where a word/phrase is used to describe another when it would not normally occur. Makes an implicit comparison.
Ex.) all the world’s a stage
metonymy
a figure of substitution in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.
Ex.) Washington for the US Government or sword for military power
onomatopoeia
formation of words to imitate a sound
oxymoron
when contradictory terms are combined
Ex.) deafening silence
paradox
a seemingly contradictory statement that may still technically be true. Not necessarily the opposite
Ex.) Less is more; To spend is to earn; The enemy of my enemy is my friend;
parallelism
identical syntax of phrases or clauses
parody
satiric use: imitating the characteristic style of an author or work to ridicule it
personification
where inanimate objects or abstractions are given human qualities or form
pun
a play on words
rhetoric
persuasive speech/language
rhetorical devices
figurative speech/language used for a persuasive/literary effect
rhetorical question
questions asked for an argumentative effect
rhetorical strategy
a plan to effectively deliver a message in a piece of work
satire
the use of irony, parody, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.; using humor to make a serious point
Ex.) Defending politicians when you disagree with them. Mimicking their arguments and tones to show how ridiculous it is.
simile
when 2 unlike things are explicitly compared using works such as ‘like’ and ‘as’
symbol
something that represents something else through resemblance, association, or convention
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword)
syntax
the pattern of formation of sentences/phrases
tone
a manner of expression or the feeling of atmosphere
understatement
restraint or lack of emphasis
