Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
(29 cards)
Irony
Concealed sarcasm, the opposite of what is meant is said
Ex: nos autem, fortissimi viri = we, however, very brave men
Hysteron Proteron
A reverse of the logical order of events
Ex: moriamur et in media arma ruamus = let us die and rush into battle
Iitotes
A double negative, affirming by a denial of the opposite
Ex: non paucis dicam = I shall say in not a few words; that is not unheard of
Metaphor
Implied simile or comparison, without saying “like” or “as”.
Ex: cum duodecim secures (= praetores); you are the sunshine of my life
Metonymy
Substitution of one word for another it suggests
Ex: duodecim secures (“12 axes” meaning judges)
Synechdoche
A form of metonymy, a part used to represent the whole.
Ex: “all hands on deck”; “there are 20 head of cattle in the field”
Onomatopoeia
The use of words whose sound suggests the meaning
Ex: clamorque cirum clangorque tubarum; istius (= that low, no good, dirty rotten)
Oxymoron
Use of words apparently contradictory in meaning
Ex: hi taciti clamant = they, silent, are shouting
Paronomasia
A pun, or play on twosound-alike, though different, words
Ex: ut exul potius temptare quam consul vexare potes
Personification
Attributing human qualities to inanimate things.
Ex: si patria loquatur = if your country should speak
Pleonasm (or tautology)
Use of unnecessary, or redundant, words
Ex: sic ora locuta est = thus she spoke with her mouth
Praeteritio
The pretense of passing over unprovable or false statements while in fact stating them.
Ex: non dicam duo bella maxima esse confecta = I’m not going to mention the 2 very big wars
Rhetorical question
A direct question, to which an answer is not expected.
Ex: quo usque tandem abuterr patientia nostra? = to what end will you abuse our patience?
Simile
A comparison with “like” or “as” expressed (with sumilis, velit, quasi, etc.)
Ex: veluti agmine facto = like a marching column which was made; he looked like a lion; they were busy as bees
Syncope
Contracted form of word
Alliteration
The repetition of the same letter at the beginning of successive words or syllables
Ex: magno cum murmure montis; in praedonum potestatem pervenerint
Anaphora
The repetition of an entire word for emphasis at the beginning of successive phrases or sentences
Ex: testis est Italia….testis est Sicilia….testis est Africa
Anastrophe
Inversion of the natural word order, such as placing a preposition after the word it governs, instead of before it.
Ex: Italiam contra (rather than contra Italiam)
Assonance
The rhyme of similar vowel sounds.
(alliteration is the rhyme of consonant sounds)
Ex: the cat in the hat
Asyndeton
The omission of conjunctions where one would expect them.
Ex: Siciliam adiit, Africam exploravit, in Sardiniam venit.
Chiasmus
The arrangement of pairs of words in reverse of mirror-image order
Ex: pacis ornaments et subsidia belli (gen - nom - nom - gen) (ABBA)
Climax
A series of phrases, usually three (tri-colon), increasing in force with each colon more intense than the previous (ascending tricolon/tricolon ascendens)
Ex: non feram; non patiar; non sinam
Crescendo
A series of clauses (tri-colon) arranged so that each is longer than the preceding
Ex: quid tam novum….quid tam inauditum…. Quid tam inusitatum
Ellipsis
The omission of words necessary to grammar but easily supplied from the context
Ex: quid? Bullum? Quid ego?
