Rhetorical strategies Flashcards

1
Q

absolute

A

a word free from limitations or qualifications (best, all, unique,perfect)

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2
Q

adage

A

a familiar proverb or wise saying; an aphorism

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3
Q

ad hominem

A

an argument attacking a person’s character rather than his/her position

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4
Q

aphorism

A

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance; an adage

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5
Q

apostrophe

A

a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or an abstract idea as a person

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6
Q

balanced sentence

A

a sentence in which words, phrases or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast

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7
Q

bathos

A

insincere of overly sentimental writing/speech, intended to evoke pity

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8
Q

colloquialism

A

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in writing or standard speech

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9
Q

complex sentence

A

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

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10
Q

compound sentence

A

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions

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11
Q

conceit

A

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

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12
Q

cumulative sentence

A

a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases

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13
Q

didactic

A

having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing

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14
Q

elegy/elegaic

A

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

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15
Q

ellipsis

A

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context.

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16
Q

epigram

A

a brief, pithy and often paradoxical saying

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17
Q

epigraph

A

a saying or statement on the title page or chapter heading or section of a work

18
Q

epitaph

A

an inscription on a tombstone or burial place

19
Q

epithet

A

a term used to point out a characteristic of a person/character. Can also be offensive or abusive

20
Q

euphemism

A

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something considered unpleasant

21
Q

expletive

A

a profanity; an interjection to lend emphasis

22
Q

homily

A

a sermon or moralistic lecture

23
Q

idiom

A

an expression in a language that cannot be understood denotatively; a regional speech or dialect

24
Q

invective

A

an intensely vehement, highly emotional, usually profane and abusive verbal attack

25
jargon
the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession
26
juxtaposition
placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
27
limerick
light or non serious poetry/verse of five lines
28
litotes
a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite
29
malapropism
the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar
30
maxim
a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage; a proverb; an aphorism
31
metonomy
substituting the name of one object for another closely associated with it.
32
nonsequitur
lit. "does not follow," i.e. an inference that does not logically follow from the premise
33
parable
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
34
paradox
an apparently contradictory statement that is nonetheless true
35
pedantic
characterized by an excessive and annoying display of learning or scholarship
36
personification
endowing nonhuman objects or creatures with human characteristics
37
philippic
a strong verbal denunciation; a tirade
38
satire
the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions
39
simple sentence
a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause
40
syllogism
a three part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and two minor premises