Rhetorical Devices

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

The rhetorical strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narrative so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables

example:
Sally sells sea shells down by the sea shore

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

a brief reference to a person, event, place, or phrase. The writer assumes the reader will recognize the reference

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases of dauses

example:
‘The following is an example: ‘To raise a happy, healthful, and. hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers; it takes clergy; it takes business people; it takes community leaders; it takes those who protect our health and safety; it takes all of us.

Question 5

Antithesis

Answer 5

the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases grammatical structure, or ideas

example:
To err is human, to forgive divine.

Question 6

Aphorism

Answer 6

a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion

example:
Lost time is never found again.

Question 7

Apostrophe

Answer 7

a direct address to a person, thing, or abstraction

example:
“Ah, Sorrow, you consume us.”

Question 8

Assonance

Answer 8

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds

example:
please niece the ski tree

Question 9

Asyndeton

Answer 9

a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose

example:
Veni, vidi, vici

Question 10

Attitude

Answer 10

the sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author’ toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his ‘or her feelings for the reader

Question 11

Begging the question

Answer 11

an argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question

Question 12

Canon

Answer 12

that which has been accepted as authentic

Question 13

Chiasmus

Answer 13

a figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second

example:
He thinks I am but a fool. A fool, perhaps I am

Question 14

Claim

Answer 14

in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact

Question 15

Colloquial

Answer 15

term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area

Question 16

Comparison and contrast

Answer 16

a mode of discourse in which two or more things are compared, contrasted, or both

Question 17

Conceit

Answer 17

a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem

Question 18

Connotation

Answer 18

the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase

Question 19

Consonance

Answer 19

the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels,

example:
pitter-patter, splish-splash, and click-clack

Question 20

Convention

Answer 20

an accepted manner, model, or tradition

Question 21

Critique

Answer 21

an assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for the purpose of determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre

Question 22

Deductive reasoning

Answer 22

also known as deduction
the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principals

Question 23

Dialect

Answer 23

the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group

Question 24

Diction

Answer 24

the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect. There are four types of diction:

• *Formal Diction** - consists of a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language; it follows the rules of syntax exactly and is often characterized by complex words and lofty tone
• *Middle Diction** - maintains correct language usage, but is less elevated than formal diction; it reflects the way most educated people speak.
• *Informal Diction** - epresents the plain language of everyday use, and often includes idiomatic expressions, slang, contractions, and many simple, common words.
• *Poetic Diction** - efers to the way poets sometimes employ an elevated diction that deviates significantly from the common speech and writing of their time, choosing words for their supposedly inherent poetic qualities.

Question 25

Didactic

Answer 25

(from the Greek, meaning “good teaching”) writing or speech is didactic when it has an instructive purpose or a lesson. It is often associated with a dry, pompous presentation, regardless of its innate value to the reader/listener

Question 26

Elegy

Answer 26

a poem or prose work that laments, or meditates upon the death of, a person or persons. Sometimes an elegy will end with words of consolation

Question 27

Epistrophe

Answer 27

in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences

example:
“If women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work . their families will flourish.”

Question 28

Epitaph

Answer 28

writing in praise of a-dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone

Question 29

Ethos

Answer 29

in rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator. (Who is this person saying what, and what makes him able to say so?)

Question 30

Eulogy

Answer 30

a speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person
Elegy laments; eulogy praises.

Question 31

Euphemism

Answer 31

an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information

Question 32

Exposition

Answer 32

the interpretation or analysis of a text

Question 33

Extended metaphor

Answer 33

a series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they are consistently one concept this is also known as a conceit

Question 34

Figurative language
Figure of speech

Answer 34

figurative language has levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, oxymoron, litote, and others.

Question 35

Flashback

Answer 35

(also known as retrospection)
an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology the narration.

Question 36

Genre

Answer 36

a type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history

Question 37

Homily

Answer 37

a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture on moral or spiritual Iife

Question 38

Hyperbole

Answer 38

overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention

Question 39

Imagery

Answer 39

broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Basically, imagery involves any or all of the five senses. A writer generally uses imagery in conjunction with other figures of speech, such as simile and metaphor.

example:
“Her cheeks were rosy and so was my love—bursting with fragrance and softness’

Question 40

Inductive reasoning

Answer 40

also known as induction
the method of, reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principals; movement from the specific to the general.

Question 41

Inference

Answer 41

a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data

Question 42

Irony

Answer 42

the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The intended meaning Is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light sarcasm

Three main types:
Verbal irony
what the author/narrator says is actually the opposite of what is meant

Situational irony
when events end up the opposite of what is expected.

Dramatic irony
in drama and fiction, facts or situations are known to the reader or audience but not to the characters.

Question 43

Isocolon

Answer 43

parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length.

example:
“Many are called, but few are chosen”

Question 44

Jargon

Answer 44

specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.

Question 45

Juxtaposition

Answer 45

the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose

Question 46

Litote

Answer 46

a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement, for instance, the understated “not bad” as a comment about something especially well done

example:
“Last week Isaw a woman flayed and you would hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse”

Question 47

Loose sentence

Answer 47

(a term from syntax)
a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases

example:
“The child ran, frenzied and ignoring all hazards, as if being chased by demons”

Question 48

Metaphor

Answer 48

one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy. A metaphor is an implicit comparison or identification of one thing with another, without the use of a verbal signal such as like- or as

Question 49

Metonymy

Answer 49

a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something

example:
We must wait to hear from the crown until we make any further decision.

Question 50

Mode of discourse

Answer 50

the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form.
The Greeks believed there were only four modes of discourse:

narration, (cause and effect)
description (comparison/contrast)
exposition (process analysis)
argumentation

Contemporary thought often includes other modes, such as personal observation and narrative reflection.

Question 51

Mood

Answer 51

a feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer narrator’s attitude and point of view. It is a “feeling” that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse

Question 52

Narrative

Answer 52

a mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort and it is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework

Question 53

Onomatopoeia

Answer 53

a word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes. The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader or listener

example:
“The bees buzzed pleasently in the orchid.”

Question 54

Oxymoron

Answer 54

a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements

example:
“wise fool,” “baggy tights,” “deafening silence’

Question 55

Paradox

Answer 55

a statement that seems contradictory but may probably be true

example:
“fight for peace!”

Question 56

Parallel structure

Answer 56

the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts. In prose, parallel, recurrent syntactical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that their ideas are equal in importance

example:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness”

Question 57

Pathos

Answer 57

that element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow. In argument or persuasion it tends to the evocation of pity from the reader/listener.

Question 58

Periodic sentence

Answer 58

a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end

example:
“Looking as if she were being chased by demons, ignoring all hazards, the child ran”

Question 59

Personification

Answer 59

treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities

example:
“The jovial sun smiled at me as I opened the door.”

Question 60

Point of View

Answer 60

the relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse. Point of view in nonfiction requires the reader to establish the historical perspective of what is being said.

Question 61

Prose

Answer 61

the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure. In contrast to verse and poetry

Question 62

Realism

Answer 62

attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail

Question 63

Rebuttal
Refutation

Answer 63

an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered

Question 64

Rhetoric

Answer 64

the art of
“using words to persuade in writing or speaking.”
All types of writing may seek to persuade and rhetoricians study these genres for their persuasive qualities.

Question 65

Rhetorical question

Answer 65

a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered

Question 66

Sarcasm

Answer 66

a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. Sarcasm can be light, and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh, caustic, and mean

Question 67

Satire

Answer 67

a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure

Question 68

Simile

Answer 68

a direct, explicit comparison .of one thing to another, usually using the words like or as to draw the connection

example:
“There was a steamy mist in all the hollows, and it had roared in its forlornness up the hill like an evil spirit!”

Question 69

Style

Answer 69

the manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure. It is the distinctive manner of expression that represents that author’s typical writing style

Question 70

Symbolism

Answer 70

use of a person, place, thing event, or pattern that figuratively represents or “stands for” something else. Often the thing or idea represented is more abstract or general than the symbol, which is concrete

Question 71

Synecdoche

Answer 71

a figure of speech in which a -part signifies the whole

example:
“50 masts” representing 50 ships or
“100 heed of steer had to be moved to their grazing land’

Question 72

Syntax

Answer 72

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is sentence structure and how it influences the way the reader receives a particular piece of writing. It is important in establishing the tone of a piece and the attitude of the author/narrator

Question 73

Theme

Answer 73

the central or dominant idea or focus of a work; the statement a passage makes about its subject.

Question 74

Tone

Answer 74

the attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme; the tenor of a piece of writing based on particular stylistic devices employed by the writer
Tone reflects the narrator/author’s attitude

Question 75

Voice

Answer 75

the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story;
the speaker’s or narrator’s particular “take” on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his or her feelings

Question 76

Zeugma

Answer 76

a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated. Often used to comic effect

example:
“The thief took my wallet and the Fifth Avenue bus.”

Question 77

Ambiguity

Answer 77

Depending on the circumstances, ambiguity can be negative, leading to confusion or even disaster. On the other hand, writers often use it to achieve special effects, for instance, to reflect the complexity of an issue or to indicate the difficulty, perhaps the impossibility, of determining truth.

Question 78

Analogy

Answer 78

is a likeness or a comparison between two things that have some features that are the same and others which are different

example:
“I am as graceful as a refrigerator falling down a flight of stairs.”

Question 79

Anecdote

Answer 79

short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident

Question 80

Anthropomorphism

Answer 80

the act of attributing human qualities to animals, gods, or goddesses. Unlike personification which simply adds attributes “the dancing trees,” anthropomorphism goes more than that

example:
“Father Time”
“Mother Nature”
Buggs Bunny

Question 81

Antihero

Answer 81

a protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero. He or she may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely pathetic

Question 82

Archetype

Answer 82

a term used to describe universal symbols that evoke deep and sometimes unconscious responses in a reader. In literature, characters, images, and themes that symbolically embody universal meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when or where they live, are considered archetypes.

Question 83

Cadence

Answer 83

a major component of individual writers’ styles. A cadence group is a coherent group of words spoken as a single rhythmical unit

example:
“of parting day”
“our inalienable rights.”

Question 84

Catharsis

Answer 84

the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy

Question 85

Cliché

Answer 85

an idea or expression that has become tired and trite from overuse, its freshness and clarity having worn off. Clichés often anesthetize readers, and are usually a sign of weak writing

Question 86

Deism

Answer 86

an intellectual religious movement en vogue through the late seventeenth century up to the late eighteenth century concerned with rational rather than faith-based approaches to religion and understanding God. They tended to see God as an impersonal but intelligent force, a first cause that created the universe and set it in motion, who then allowed life and matter to proceed on its own without further need for divine intervention. The logic is that, if God is infallible, omniscient and omnipotent, logically he would pre-establish his design in the world in such a way that he would not need to tinker constantly with it or adjust it through supernatural intervention. Deistic writings often refer to the Deity using metaphors of the architect, the watchmaker, the mason, or some other skilled worker who measures out the universe with geometric and mechanical precision.

Question 87

Denotation

Answer 87

the literal meaning of a word; there are no emotions, values, or images associated with denotative meaning. Scientific and mathematical language carries few, if any emotional or connotative meanings

Question 88

Enjambment

Answer 88

a line having no pause or end punctuation but having uninterrupted grammatical meaning continuing into the next line usually applied to poetic formats

Question 89

Farce

Answer 89

a form of low comedy designed to provoke laughter through highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable or silly situations.
Some traits are:
(1) physical bustle such as slapstick,
(2) sexual misunderstandings and mix-ups, and
(3) broad verbal humor such as puns

Question 90

Foil

Answer 90

a secondary character who contrasts with a major character

Question 91

Foreshadowing

Answer 91

where the author drops subtle hints about the plot development to come later in the story

Question 92

Idiom

Answer 92

a construction or expression in one language that cannot be matched or directly translated word-for-word in another language

example:
“Koritsi Prama” in greek means “you smart/fashionable/sly/clever person you”
while literally translating gives “girl thing”

Question 93

Motif

Answer 93

a recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work

Question 94

Narrator

Answer 94

the person telling the story, not to be confused with the author’s voice. There are four types of narration:

First-person narrator -** **the I in the story presents the point of view of only one character. The reader is restricted to the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of that single character

**Omniscient narrator - **is an all-knowing narrator who is not a character in the story and who can move from place to place and pass back and forth through time, slipping into and out of characters as no human being possibly could in real life

Editorial omniscience - an intrusion by the narrator in order to evaluate a character for a reader

Neutral omniscience - narration that allows the characters’ actions and thoughts to speak for themselves

**Limited omniscience - **a narrator limited by the author to the single perspective of either a major or minor character. The way people, places, and events appear to that character is the way they appear to the reader. Sometimes a limited omniscient narrator can see into more than one character, particularly in a work that focuses on two characters alternately from one chapter to the next

Question 95

Parody

Answer 95

a parody imitates the serious manner and characteristic features of a particular literary work in order to make fun of those same features. The humorist achieves parody by exaggerating certain traits common to the work

Question 96

Parable

Answer 96

a story or short narrative designed to reveal allegorically some religious principle, moral lesson, psychological reality, or general truth

Question 97

Persona

Answer 97

a mask for the author to speak through. In literature, a persona is a speaker created by a writer to tell a story or to speak in a poem. A persona is not a character in a story or narrative, nor does a persona necessarily directly reflect the author’s personal voice

Question 98

Pun

Answer 98

a figure of speech that twists the meaning of words, often to create a humorous effect.

• *Homonymy** - the use of words with multiple similar words with the same equivalency.
• *Polysemy** - the use when one word has multiple meanings.

Question 99

Repetition

Answer 99

the return of a word, phrase, stanza form, or effect in any form of literature, an effective literary device that may bring comfort, suggest order, or add special meaning to a piece of literature.

Question 100

Stereotype

Answer 100

a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by members of a group. Stereotypes are typically generalizations based on minimal or limited knowledge about a group to which the person doing the stereotyping does not belong.

Question 101

Suspense

Answer 101

the feeling of uncertainty and interest about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience’s perceptions in a dramatic work

Question 102

Tragedy

Answer 102

a story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. Tragedies recount an individual’s downfall; they usually begin high and end low

Question 103

Tragic flaw

Answer 103

an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as greed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character

Question 104

Tragicomedy

Answer 104

a type of drama that combines certain elements of both tragedy and comedy. The play’s plot tends to be serious, leading to a terrible catastrophe, until an unexpected turn in events leads to a reversal of circumstance, and the story ends happily

Question 105

Understatement

Answer 105

a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected

example:
“Oh its just a light scratch.” when referring to an open wound.

Question 106

Overstatement

Answer 106

the act of describing or explaining something in a way that makes it seem more important or more serious than it really is

Question 107

Vernacular

Answer 107

the everyday or common language of a geographic area or the native language of commoners in a country as opposed to a prestigious dead language maintained artificially in schools or in literary texts

Question 108

Verisimilitude

Answer 108

the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true. Something that has the appearance of being true or real.