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”
