rhetorical devices Flashcards
What is an Absolute?
A word free from limitations or qualifications (e.g., ‘best,’ ‘all’, ‘unique,’ ‘perfect’).
What is an Allusion?
A reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.
What is an Analogy?
A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.
What is Anaphora?
Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.
Example: “In books I find the dead as if they were alive; in books I foresee things to come; in books warlike affairs are set forth; from books come forth the laws of peace.”
What is an Anecdote?
A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.
What is an Antecedent?
The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.
What is Antithesis?
A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced.
What is an Aphorism?
A concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.
What is Asyndeton?
A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions (e.g., ‘They spent the day wondering, searching, thinking, understanding.’).
What is a Balanced sentence?
A sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast.
Example: “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”
What is Chiasmus?
A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (e.g., ‘Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.’).
What is a Cliché?
An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off (e.g., ‘the time of my life’, ‘at the drop of a hat’).
What is a Colloquialism?
Informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing.
What is Connotation?
The implied or associative meaning of a word (e.g., slender vs. skinny; cheap vs. thrifty).
What is a Declarative sentence?
A sentence that makes a statement or declaration.
What is Deductive reasoning?
Reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case.
Example: ‘The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.’
What is Denotation?
The literal meaning of a word.
What is a Dialect?
A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region (e.g., ‘Y’all’ = Southern dialect).
What is Diction?
The word choices made by a writer (e.g., formal, semi-formal, ornate, informal, technical).
What does Didactic mean?
Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing.
What is Ellipsis?
The omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (e.g., ‘Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.’).
What is an Epigram?
A brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying.
What is Ethos?
The persuasive appeal of one’s character, or credibility.
What is a Euphemism?
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.
What is an Exclamatory sentence?
A sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark.
What is Hyperbole?
Intentional exaggeration to create an effect.
What is an Idiom?
An expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression (e.g., ‘fly on the wall’, ‘cut to the chase’).
What is Imagery?
The use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the five senses.
What is an Imperative sentence?
A sentence that gives a command.
What is Implication?
A suggestion an author or speaker makes without stating it directly.
The author/speaker implies; the reader/audience infers.
What is Inductive reasoning?
Deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (e.g., ‘Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals.’).
What is an Interrogative sentence?
A sentence that asks a question.
What is Invective?
An intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack.
What is Inverted syntax?
A sentence constructed so that the predicate comes before the subject (e.g., ‘In the woods, I am walking.’).
What is Irony?
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs.
What is Jargon?
The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.
What is Juxtaposition?
Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.
What is Litotes?
A type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (e.g., ‘It was not a pretty picture.’).
What is Logos?
Appeal to reason or logic.
What is a Metaphor?
A direct comparison of two different things.
What is Mood?
The emotional atmosphere of a work.
What is a Motif?
A standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works.
What is Parallelism?
The use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms.
What is a Parody?
A humorous imitation of a serious work (e.g., Weird Al Yankovic’s songs, The Scary Movie series).
What is Pathos?
An appeal to emotion.
What is Personification?
Giving non-human objects or creatures human qualities or characteristics.
What is Polysyndeton?
The use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (e.g., ‘And to set forth the right standard, and to train according to it…’).
What is a Rhetorical question?
A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer.
What is Sarcasm?
Harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule; similar to but not necessarily the same as verbal irony.
What is Satire?
The use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions (e.g., Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, The Simpsons).
What is a Simile?
A comparison of two things using ‘like,’ ‘as,’ or other specifically comparative words.
What is Solecism?
Non-standard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules (e.g., unflammable; they was).
What is Structure?
The arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work.
What is Style?
The choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work.
What is Syllepsis?
A construction in which one word is used in two different senses (e.g., ‘After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.’).
What is Synecdoche?
Using one part of an object to represent the entire object (e.g., referring to a car simply as ‘wheels’).
What is Synesthesia?
Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (e.g., ‘a loud color,’ ‘a sweet sound’).
What is Syntax?
The manner in which words are arranged into sentences.
What is Tone?
The attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience.
What is Understatement?
The deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it is.
