Rhetorical terms Flashcards
Ad Hominem Argument
-an argument that attacks the opposing speaker or another person rather than addressing the issues at hand.
Comes from the Latin phrase meaning, “to the man.”
Allegory
A fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts.
EX:
In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, for example, the characters Faithful, Mercy, and Mr. Worldly Wiseman are meant to represent types of people rather than to be characters in their own rights.
Alliteration
the repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words
ex:
the repeated “t” and “d” sounds in the sentence, The tall tamarack trees shaded the cozy cabin,” are examples.
allusion
a passing reference to a familiar person, place, or thing drawn from history, the Bible, mythology, or literature. It is an economical way for a writer to capture the essence of an idea, atmosphere, emotion, or historical era, as in “The scandal was his Watergate,” or “He saw himself as a modern Job,” or “Everyone there held those truths to be self-evident.” should be FAMILIAR to the reader; if it is not, it will add nothing to the meaning. a reference, usually oblique or faint, to another thing, idea, or person.
EX:
in the sentence, “She faced the challenge with Homeric courage, “Homeric”is this to Homer’s works, the Iliad and the Odyssey
ambiguity (ambiguous)
it is uncertain or indefinite; it is subject to more than one interpretation.
EX: “The poet’s use of the word is ___,” to begin to discuss the multiple meanings suggested by the use of the word and to indicate that there is an uncertainty of interpretation.
analogy
asks a reader to think about the correspondence or resemblance between two things that are essentially different-a form of comparison in which the writer explains something unfamiliar by comparing it to something familiar.
anadiplosis
repitition of the last word of a preceding clause at beginning of a new clause
EX:
having power makes totalitarian leadership isolated; isolation breeds insecurity; insecurity b reeds suspicion and fear…
anaphora
repetition of word or phrase at beginning of successive clauses
anastrophe
inversion of usual order of words/ clauses (sometimes to add emphasis)
EX: “its all part of the enigma that is jane” instead of “jane is an enigma”
antecedent
the noun from which a pronoun derives its meaning
“the car he wanted to buy was a green one” using “one” derives its meaning from the ___ “car”
antithesis
opposition or contrast of ideas expressed in balanced phrases/clauses
ex:
“whereas he was boisterous, i was reserved” “while he was happy, i was sad” thats it
apostrophe**
figure of speech which an absent person or personified object is addressed by the speaker
EX:
“Oh love, where have you gone?”
apotheosis
meaning deify
when a character/thing is elevated so much it appears godlike
“Fight Club is the ____ of blockbuster”
appositive
follows noun/pronoun for clarity
EX:
“The luxury train, the Orient Express, is…”
or
“My friend, Sarah, is going…”
Sarah is the ____ for friend and the orient express is the _____ for the train
argument
attempt to convince the reader to agree with a POV, make a decision, or pursue an action
assertion with evidence
“dogs are better than cats because they are friendly”
assertion
thesis/proposition that the writer puts forward in an argument
gives no evidence just states argument basically
“dogs are better than cats”
assonance
internal rhyming where vowel sounds are repeated
EX:
“the pot’s rocky, pocked surface”
the ______ exists bc of the repeated “o” sounds
assumption
belief or principle that’s taken for granted
belief without proof
asyndeton
exists when conjunctions (such, as, and, or, but) are omitted from a sentence
EX:
“I came, I saw, I conquered”
“We left, they saw, I cried” This makes sense with or without and, but
atmosphere
emotional feeling/mood of a place/scene/event
attitude
feelings of speaker or piece of writing toward a subject/person/idea
audience
intended readership for writing
bathos
1 A false or forced emotion that is often humorous. Whereas pathos draws upon deep emotion, bathos takes this emotion to such an extreme that the reader finds it humorous rather than touching
2 An effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous
EX:
That abrupt turn from serious/poetic to silly
Her hair was finely curled, her cheeks were lined with rouge, and her dress was a flowing green and blue which made her look rather like a tired, old peacock
beginnings/endings
sentences/section that introduces and brings essay to closure
cause and effect OR causal analysis
one of the types of exposition
answers the question why?
explains reasons for occurrence or consequences of an action
chiasmus
words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order3
“Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds”
claim
thesis, proposition to put forth in argument
classifiction
type of exposition
division
writer sorts/arranges ppl/place/things into categories according to differing characteristics, making more managable/understandable
cliché
expression that becomes INEFFECTIVE through overuse
“quick as a flash”
“jump for joy”
“dry as dust”
coherence
quality of good writing that results when all sentences, paragraphs, and longer divisions of an essay are naturally connected.
1) a logical sequence of ideas ( arranged in chronological order, spatial order, order of importance, or some other appropriate order),
2) the thoughtful repetition of key words and ideas,
3) a pace suitable for your topic and your reader, and
4) the use of transitional words and expressions. Unity is a related concept, but it is not the same.
colloquial expressions
characteristic of or appropriate to spoken language or to writing that seeks its effect. Colloquial expressions are informal, as chem., gym, come up with, be at loose ends, won’t and photo illustrate. Thus, are acceptable in formal writing only if they are used purposefully.
“you’re nuts”
“don’t chicken out”
comparison and contrast
type of exposition
point out similarities and differences between subjects in the same class/category
concrete/abstract
- names a SPECIFIC object, person, place, or action that can be directly perceived by the senses: car, bread, building, book, Abraham Lincoln, Toronto, or hiking.
- in contrast, refers to GENERAL qualities, conditions, ideas, actions, or relationships that cannot be directly perceived by the senses: bravery, dedication, excellence, anxiety, stress, thinking, or hatred.
Although writers must use both concrete and abstract language, good writers avoid using too many abstract words. Instead, they rely on concrete words to define and illustrate abstractions. Because concrete words affect the senses, they are easily comprehended by the reader.
connotation/denotation
both refer to meanings of words
1. dictionary, literal meaning of words
2: implied/suggested meaning of words
ex of 1: lamb and “young sheep”
ex of 2: lamb and “pure, innocent, weak”
controlling idea
thesis
conclusion
ending
