Rhetorical strategies Flashcards
absolute
a word free from limitations or qualifications (best, all, unique,perfect)
adage
a familiar proverb or wise saying; an aphorism
ad hominem
an argument attacking a person’s character rather than his/her position
aphorism
a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance; an adage
apostrophe
a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or an abstract idea as a person
balanced sentence
a sentence in which words, phrases or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast
bathos
insincere of overly sentimental writing/speech, intended to evoke pity
colloquialism
informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in writing or standard speech
complex sentence
a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
compound sentence
a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions
conceit
a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor
cumulative sentence
a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases
didactic
having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing
elegy/elegaic
a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme
ellipsis
the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context.
epigram
a brief, pithy and often paradoxical saying
epigraph
a saying or statement on the title page or chapter heading or section of a work
epitaph
an inscription on a tombstone or burial place
epithet
a term used to point out a characteristic of a person/character. Can also be offensive or abusive
euphemism
an indirect, less offensive way of saying something considered unpleasant
expletive
a profanity; an interjection to lend emphasis
homily
a sermon or moralistic lecture
idiom
an expression in a language that cannot be understood denotatively; a regional speech or dialect
invective
an intensely vehement, highly emotional, usually profane and abusive verbal attack
jargon
the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession
juxtaposition
placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
limerick
light or non serious poetry/verse of five lines
litotes
a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite
malapropism
the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar
maxim
a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage; a proverb; an aphorism
metonomy
substituting the name of one object for another closely associated with it.
nonsequitur
lit. “does not follow,” i.e. an inference that does not logically follow from the premise
parable
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
paradox
an apparently contradictory statement that is nonetheless true
pedantic
characterized by an excessive and annoying display of learning or scholarship
personification
endowing nonhuman objects or creatures with human characteristics
philippic
a strong verbal denunciation; a tirade
satire
the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions
simple sentence
a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause
syllogism
a three part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and two minor premises
