Rhetorical Devices Terms Flashcards
Hyperbole
a device that consists of exaggerating some part of your statement in order to give it emphasis or focus
Understatement
a device in which the forces of a descriptive statement is less than what one would normally expect
Litotes
a device that emphasizes its point by using a weird opposite to the condition
Antithesis
a device that makes use of a contrast in language to bring out a contrast in ideas
Hypophora
the technique of asking a question then proceeding to answer it
Rhetorical Question
asking a question in which the answer is implied
Procatalepsis
deals specifically with objections and it usually does so without even asking the question
Distinctio
a device where the writer elaborates on the definition of a word to make sure there is no misunderstanding
Similie
a device in which the writer compares two things that are already somewhat related, using the words “like” or “as”
Metaphor
speaks of one thing as though it actually were another by using a form of the very to be (is, was, are, am, be, etc.)
Analogy
a device that compares two things, making use of something already well known to explain something that is less well known
Allusion
is a reference to some fairly well known event, place, or person
Eponym
referring to a specific famous person to link his or her attributes with someone else
Sententia
a fancy term for a quotation, maxism, or wise saying
Exemplum
is is simply providing your reader with an example to illustrate your points
Climax
organizing ideas in your writing so that they proceed from the least to the most important
Parallellism/Chiasmus
it consists of using the same general structure for multiple parts of a sentence, or multiple sentences, in order to link them all
Anadiplosis/Conduplicatio
two forms of repetition
-anadiplosis=takes the last word of a sentence or phrase and repeats it near the beginning of the next sentence or phrase
-conduplicatio=takes an important word from anywhere in one sentence or phrase and repeats it at the beginning of the next sentence
Metabasis
a device used to sum up a body of work that has come before so that you can move on to a new point
Parenthesis
a device that is used to insert an aside or additional info into the main flow of your writing
Apostrophe
a device in which the writer breaks out of the flow of the writing to directly address a person or personified object
Enumeratio
the act of supplying a list of details about something it is used structurally to expand on a central idea, lending force to that idea by enumerating its many different facets
Antanogoge
is a way of ordering points to downplay negative points so that the reader feels less strongly about them
Epithet
it involves attaching a descriptive adjective to a noun to bring a scene to life or evoke a particular idea or emotion
Asyndeton/Polysyndeton
two forms that add stylistic force to your writing by handling conjunctions in non-standard ways
-Asyndeton=leaves out conjunctions in a list or between clauses
-Polysyndeton=puts a conjunction between every item
Zeugma
a device in which unexpected items in a sentence are linked together by a shared word
Synecdoche/Metonymy
-Synecdoche=is the use of a part of something to represent the whole
-Metonymy=allows you to refer to something closely related to the actual object and use that as a was of referring to the object itself
Hyperbaton
device in which you arrange the words in your sentence in an unexpected order
Aporia
a device a writer will use to express doubt about an idea
Anaphora
device in which the writer repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple clauses or sentences
Epistrophe
is a close relative to anaphora, it is one in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of multiple clauses or sentences
Symploce
combines both anaphora and epistrophe
Amplification
writers repeat something they’ve just said, while adding more detail and information to the original description
Personification
is the act of giving human attributes to something that is nonhuman
