Rhetorical Strategies and Stylistic Devices

Question 0

Jargon

Answer 0

The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession
Ex: LOL is a form of internet jargon

Question 1

Irony

Answer 1

The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs( situational, verbal, dramatic)
Ex: a music teacher with a deaf child.

Question 2

Juxtaposition

Answer 2

Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
Ex: Romeo and Tybalt are two examples of juxtaposition in literature.

Question 3

Litotes

Answer 3

A type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite( describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, “It was not a pretty picture.”)
Ex: He’s not the brightest student.

Question 4

Logos

Answer 4

Appeal to reason or logic

Ex: Since women receive only 75% of a man’s dollar, it is obvious that subordinate women’s rights are still in place.

Question 5

Maxim

Answer 5

A concise statement, often offering advice; an adage.

Ex: All that glitters is not gold.

Question 6

Metonymy

Answer 6

Substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it( “The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting] )
Ex: Lend me your ears!(“ears” meaning attention)

Question 7

Mood

Answer 7

The emotional atmosphere of a work.

Ex: whimsical, morbid, dark, calm, serene, happy, uplifting, comical, confused, content, anxious, disappointed, dreamy.

Question 8

Non sequitir

Answer 8

An inference that does not follow logically from the premises( literally, “does not follow”)
Ex: She has the new iphone; she must be rich.

Question 9

Paradox

Answer 9

An apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth(“Whoever loses his life, shall find it”)
Ex: We fight in the dark, to serve the light.

Question 10

Parallel structure

Answer 10

Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.
Ex: Finn wanted to write essays quickly, effectively, and creatively.

Question 11

Parody

Answer 11

A humorous imitation of a serious work( Weird Al Yankovich’s songs and Scary movie series are examples)
Ex: Vampires Suck in response to Twilight.

Question 12

Pathos

Answer 12

The quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity.

Ex: We’re all going to die if we don’t find a water source!

Question 13

Personification

Answer 13

Endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics.
Ex: The volcano has been asleep for over a hundred years.

Question 14

Polysyndeton

Answer 14

The use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural.
Ex: We lived and laughed and loved and left.

Question 15

Rhetorical question

Answer 15

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer.
Ex: Are you blind?

Question 16

Satire

Answer 16

The use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions( Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s travels, The Simpsons, etc)
Ex: Political cartoons show flawed policy decisions and personalities of elected officials.

Question 17

Sibilance

Answer 17

Having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the h in sash. “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.”
Ex: Six slippery salmon.

Question 18

Synecdoche

Answer 18

Using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to the car simply as “wheels”.)
Ex: law to policemen/ white hair to elderly/ pigskin to football

Question 19

Tautology

Answer 19

Needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding(“Widow woman”, “free gift”)
Ex: frozen ice, sad misfortune, morning sunrise

Question 20

Trope

Answer 20

An artful deviation from the ordinary or principal signification of a word( hyperbole, metaphor, and personification are some examples.)
Ex: irony, metonymy, litotes, oxymorons, puns, synecdoche, and Zeugma

Question 21

Vernacular

Answer 21

The everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage.
Ex: Scottish sometimes use words that are unrecognizable by english speakers although English is their national language.

Question 22

Antimetabole

Answer 22

The words in one phrase or clause are replicated, exactly or closely, in reverse grammatical order in the next phrase or clause.
Ex: It’s not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.

Question 23

Alliteration

Answer 23

The repetition of initial consonant letters (or sounds) in two or more different words across successive sentences, clauses, or phrase.
Ex: Sally sought seashells at the seashore.

Question 24

Epistrophe

Answer 24

Repeating of the same word or phrase at the ends of successive clauses.
Ex: “of the people, by the people, for the people” - Abraham Lincoln

Question 26

Diction

Answer 26

The word choice made by a writer (diction can be described as: formal, semi-formal, ornate, informal, technical, etc.)
Ex: I will not accept your invitation to the party. (formal)
I ain’t gonna go there. (informal)

Question 27

Figurative Language

Answer 27

Language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)
Ex: The desert was an oven.

Question 28

Rhetoric

Answer 28

The art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner.
Ex: When at a restaurant, the server asks, “Can I add some of our delicious french fries to your entree for 50 cents more?”

Question 29

Rhetorical Devices

Answer 29

Literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression.
Ex: Alliteration, Analogies, Antithesis, etc.

Question 30

Style

Answer 30

The choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work.
Ex: Syntax, tone, diction, etc.

Question 31

Syntax

Answer 31

The manner in which words are arranged in sentences.
Ex: The child tripped the burglar.
The burglar tripped the child.

Question 32

Tone

Answer 32

The attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience.
Ex: How dare she rob me! (angry)
This sled is so much fun! (joyous)

Question 33

Allusion

Answer 33

A reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.
Ex: Vegetables were her Achillies’ heel.

Question 34

Analogy

Answer 34

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.
Ex: Her voice was as grating as nails on a chalkboard.

Question 35

Anaphora

Answer 35

Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of the successive clauses.
Ex: Water, water everywhere. In the rivers of England. Water, water everywhere. In the lakes of Scotland.

Question 36

Anecdote

Answer 36

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.
Ex: A short story about a family vacation to Mexico.

Question 37

Antithesis

Answer 37

A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced.

Ex: Many are called, but few are chosen

Question 38

Aphorism

Answer 38

A concise, statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.
Ex: So much to do, so little time.

Question 39

Assonance

Answer 39

Repetition of similar vowels, preceded and followed by different consonants, in the stressed syllables of adjacent words.
Ex: The man asked him to cool the pool with an expensive tool.

Question 40

Asyndeton

Answer 40

A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.
Ex: They spent the night hiking, swimming, climbing, running.

Question 40

Dialect

Answer 40

A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a geographical region.
Ex: Ain’t in a Southern Dialect

Question 41

Chiasmus

Answer 41

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed.
Ex: The waves rushed in, the sand washed out.

Question 43

Didactic statement

Answer 43

Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing.
Ex: “Four-score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Abraham Lincoln

Question 44

Ellipsis

Answer 44

The omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context.
Ex: Some dogs love the beach; others, the mountains.

Question 45

Ethos

Answer 45

The persuasive appeal of one’s character, or credibility.

Ex: Veterinarians from all over the world recommend this dog food.

Question 46

Euphemism

Answer 46

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.
Ex: Our boss passed away this month in the hospital.

Question 47

Hyperbole

Answer 47

Intentional exaggeration to create an effect

Ex: He is older than the dinosaurs.

Question 48

Imagery

Answer 48

The use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses
Ex: The once placid lake shivered after the sudden gust of wind.

Question 48

Inverted syntax

Answer 48

A sentence constructed so that the predicate comes before the subject.
Ex: Swimming in the water I am.

Question 49

Inference

Answer 49

A conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence.
Ex: Because he does all of his homework, I can infer that he will do good on the test.