Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
Abstract
refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.
Allegory
an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.
Anecdote
a short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.
Annotation
explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.
Antithesis
the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “To be or not to be…” “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country….”
Aphorism
a short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life: “Early bird gets the worm.”
Apostrophe
usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction.
Cacophony; Dissonance
harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.
Caricature
descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality.
Colloquialism
a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (cool, swag)
Coherence; Unity
quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle
Concrete Language
language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.
Connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.
Consonance
repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and ping-pong
Conundrum
a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
Denotation
Literal meaning of a word as defined
Description
the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse
Diction
word choice, an element of style; Diction creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning. Different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang.
Didactic
writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. Didactic writing may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.
Epigraph
the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein.
Euphemism
a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. “He went to his final reward” is a common euphemism for “he died.” Euphemisms are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses “collateral damage” to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation.
Euphony
a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony
Explication
The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. Explication usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.
