Rhetorical Terms

Question 1

a statement which contains seemingly contradictory elements or appears contrary to common sense, yet can be seen as perhaps true when viewed from another angle
Ex. Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink; my job ages me and keeps me young at the same time.

Answer 1

Paradox

Question 2

understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary
Ex. After I won the lottery and stated, “It was not a bad day.”

Answer 2

Litotes

Question 3

the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning
Ex. The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny.”

Answer 3

Irony

Question 4

the use of a word to represent or imitate natural sounds

Ex. Sizzle, buzz, pop, hiss

Answer 4

Onomatopoeia

Question 5

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Ex. Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore

Answer 5

Alliteration

Question 6

the language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people. Ex. Literary jargon, scientific jargon, tech jargon, etc.

Answer 6

Jargon

Question 7

speech particular to a region; exhibits distinctions between two groups or even two persons

Answer 7

Dialect (syn. of vernacular)

Question 8

the positioning of ideas or images side by side for emphasis or to show contrast

Answer 8

Juxtaposition

Question 9

the comparison of two things, which are alike in several respects, for the purpose of explaining or clarifying some unfamiliar or difficult idea or object by showing how the idea or object is similar to some familiar one Ex. Sunbathing is like smoking cigarettes. (implied: either way, you are asking for cancer).

Answer 9

Analogy

Question 10

short narrative about a real incident or person used in a longer work or speech to make a point

Answer 10

Anecdote

Question 11

A device in which the author poses a question which is, in turn, answered, unlike the rhetorical question that is not answered.

Answer 11

Hypophora

Question 12

Language that allows for no exceptions. i.e. all, every, never, always

Answer 12

Absolute language

Question 13

Language that puts limitations on a claim. i.e.most, sometimes, often, usually,

Answer 13

Qualified language

Question 14

expresses the author’s attitude toward his or her subject. Consider the sound of the “voice.”

Answer 14

Tone

Question 15

a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state; a mental position with regard to a fact or state. The author’s feeling/opinion toward a subject or topic.

Answer 15

Attitude

Question 16

the specific, exact meaning of a word; a dictionary definition

Answer 16

Denotation

Question 17

the emotional implications that a word may carry; implied or associated meaning for a particular word

Answer 17

Connotation

Question 18

figure of speech which makes brief reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object; a reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work.

Answer 18

Allusion

Question 19

informal, not always grammatically correct expressions that find acceptance in certain geographical areas and within certain groups of people. i.e. pop = soda; jimmies = sprinkles; etc. Ex. Saying “That is sus” for suspect.

Answer 19

Colloquial

Question 20

language characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly in tone.

Answer 20

Erudite

Question 21

a figure of speech which takes the form of a comparison between two unlike quantities for which a basis for comparison can be found, and which uses “like” or “as” in the comparison
Ex. clear as frost on the grass-blade

Answer 21

Simile

Question 22

a figure of speech wherein a comparison is made between two unlike quantities without the use of the words “like” or “as”
Ex. all the world’s a stage

Answer 22

Metaphor

Question 23

a metaphor introduced and then further developed throughout all or part of a literary work
Ex. “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief.” (Romeo and Juliet)

Answer 23

Extended Metaphor

Question 24

exaggeration for effect and emphasis, overstatement

Ex. I’ve told you a million times.

Answer 24

Hyperbole

Question 25

figure of speech in which inanimate objects are given qualities of speech and/or movement
Ex. Carl Sandburg’s Chicago: “Stormy, husky, brawling, / City of the big shoulders”

Answer 25

Personification

Question 26

technique used to produce an effect by seeming self-contradicting
Ex. Cruel kindness; pretty ugly.

Answer 26

Oxymoron

Question 27

devices which appeal to the senses: visual, tactile, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, and kinetic
Ex. The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric

Answer 27

Imagery

Question 28

a worn out idea or overused expression

Ex. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Answer 28

Cliché

Question 29

an expression that is common and familiar but can not be taken at its literal meaning. It is figurative in nature.
Ex. It’s raining cats and dogs; break a leg; easy as pie.

Answer 29

Idiom

Question 30

a play on words wherein a word is used to convey two meanings at the same time
Ex. In Romeo and Juliet, after Mercutio is stabbed he says, “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.

Answer 30

Pun

Question 31

A figure of speech wherein the speaker speaks directly to something non-human or someone that is not present
Ex. “Sweet cousin ram why lag behind the rest in the night cave?” (Homer 611)

Answer 31

Apostrophe

Question 32

substitute word that sounds better than another; the use of inoffensive or neutral words to describe a harsher, more serious concept.
Ex. Lingerie instead of underwear, or passing away instead of dying

Answer 32

Euphemism

Question 33

statement in which the literal sense of what is said falls short of the magnitude of what is being talked about
Ex. It rained a bit more than usual while describing an area being flooded after heavy rainfall.

Answer 33

Understatement

Question 34

a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language

Answer 34

Vernacular