Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
Pun
A play on the meaning of words
Metaphor
An implied comparison between two unlike things
Simile
An explicit comparison between two unlike things signaled by the use of like or as
Personification
Attributing human qualities to an inanimate object
Apostrophe
“A turning away.” You “turn away” from your audience to address someone or
something new—God, the angels, heaven, the dead, or anyone not present
Irony
A contract between reality and expectations; takes on another voice or role that states the opposite of what is expressed
Sarcasm
Irony that involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule
Hyperbole
Exaggeration; deliberate exaggeration for emphasis
Understatement
The opposite of exaggeration; a technique for developing irony and/or
humor where the writer describes something as less than what it is
Euphemism
A type of understatement where you substitute less pungent words for harsh ones, sometimes with excellent ironic effect
Litotes
A type of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative contrary
Synecdoche
Related to classification and division—a part is substituted for the whole, or the
species for the genus
Metonymy
Designation of one thing with something closely associated with it
Oxymoron
Contradiction; two contradictory terms or ideas used together
Paradox
A statement that appears to be contradictory, but, in fact, has some truth
Onomatopoeia
Refers to the use of words whose sound reinforces their meaning
Rhetorical question
Questions that do not require an answer
Parallelism
Expresses similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structures
Anthiesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas
Chiasmus
Grammatical structure of the first clause or phrase is reversed in the second, sometimes repeating the same words
Anastrophe
Word order is reversed or rearranged
Apposition
The placing next to a noun another noun or phrase that explains it
Parenthesis
The insertion of words, phrases, or a sentence that is not syntactically related to the rest of the sentence
Asyndeton
Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose
Ellipsis
Omission of a word or short phrase easily understood in context; it can also be the literal use of a series of three spaced periods to produce the same effect
Epanalepsis
Repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning
Anaphora
The regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses
Epistrophe
The regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the ends of successive phrases or clauses (opposite of anaphora)
Polysyndeton
The use of many conjunctions to slow the pace. In certain circumstances it’s use can also create a childlike sense of excitement
Alliteration
The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words
Consonance
The repetition of consonants in words stressed in the same place (but whose vowels differ). Also, a kind of inverted alliteration, in which final consonants, rather than initial, repeat in nearby words
Assonance
Involves the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words
Euphony
Occurs when the use of a sound device produces a pleasant, mellifluous sound
Cacophony
Occurs when the use of a sound device produces a harsh, discordant sound
Allegory
A work that functions on a symbolic level
Allusion
A reference contained in a work to an event in history or to another piece of literature
Anecdote
A short, personal story or brief episode told by a writer or character to illustrate a point
Attitude/tone
The relationship an author has toward his or her subject and/or audience
Connotation
The interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning
Denotation
The literal or dictionary definition of a word
Epigraph
The use of quotation or excerpt at the beginning of a work or chapter that hints at its theme
Motif
The repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters
Satire
A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule
Symbol
Something in a literacy work that stand for something else, usually something greater than the thing itself
