Rhetorical Devices and Literary Terms #2 Flashcards
Allusion
a brief or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or passage in a work of literature assumed to be sufficiently well known to be recognized by the reader. They add depth and universal significance to a passage.
Expert Testimony
Citation of information from people recognized for their special knowledge of a subject for the purpose of strengthening an author’s arguments.
Bandwagon
Either saying that supporting a specific cause/stance would result in the rejection of peers or using the popular support of a cause/stance to persuade others to support it as well; a logical fallacy.
Colloquial
Words or phrases (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing which is usually inappropriate in formal writing; a type of diction.
Connotation
Implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind; these are often classified as negative, neutral, or positive.
Euphanism
The use of a word or phrase that is less direct, but that is also less distasteful or less offensive than another.
Idioms
An expression in the usage of a language that has a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined literal meanings of its elements; it takes on a meaning beyond itself that is known to members of the culture which uses them.
Verbal Irony
A method of expression, often humorous or sarcastic, in which the intended meaning of the words is the opposite of their usual meaning.
Situational Irony
What actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate.
Dramatic Irony
Occurs when the reader or the audience knows something important that a character does not know.
Narrative
The telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.
Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which contradictory terms or ideas are combined.
Pacing
Where a passage speeds up or slows down; this is achieved through sentence structure (syntax), repetition, and punctuation.
Pairing
Using two loaded or emotionally charged words together for increased emphasis on each and a stronger effect; an effect of diction.
Pedantic
A term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing; it is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant; a type of diction.
