Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
Isocolon
A series of similarly structured elements having the same length
Parallelism
Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
Antithesis
Contrasting ideas placed side by side, often using parallel structure
Climatic
The arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in order of increasing importance
Anticlimactic
An expectation is established, then something comes along which deflates the expectation
Juxtaposition
Placement of two items (words, phrases, style items, etc.) next to each other
Anastrophe
Inversion of natural or expected word order
Parenthesis
Insertion of a verbal unit which interrupts normal syntactical flow
Apposition
Addition of an adjacent, coordinate, explanatory element
Polyptoton
Repeating the same root in different forms
Ellipsis
Omission of a word or words readily implied by context
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions between a series of clauses
Polysyndeton
Opposite of asyndeton- a superabundance of conjunctions
Assonance
Repetition of similar vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of adjacent words
Anaphora
Repetition if the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses
Epistrophe
Repetition of the same word or group of words at the end of successive clauses
Anadiplosis
Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause
Chiasmus
Repetition of grammatical structures in reverse order in successive phrases or clauses
Rhetorical question
A question for the purpose of asserting or denying something, not for an answer
Hypophora
Asking a question and immediately answering it in order to demonstrate authority
Epiplexis
Asking a question in order to reproach or upbraid, rather than elicit information
Rhetorical or logical fallacies
A category of arguments with errors in reasoning, often presented as true, misleading arguments
Ad hominem
Attacks the person, not the issue
Circular reasoning
Argument that restates or rewords rather than proves
Slippery slope
Assumes that because one thing is allowed, other, more grievous things will follow
Bandwagon
Everybody’s doing it, so therefor you should do it too
Oversimplification
A statement or argument that leaves out relevant considerations or evidence
Non sequitur
“Does not follow”- part of a statement may be true, but what follows is not true and may not even be related
Appeal to tradition
We should continue to do it this way because we’ve always done it this way
Inductive error
A conclusion based on too little or too selective evidence
Begging the question
Assumes a statement’s conclusion is true without sufficient evidence
Concede
To acknowledge and accept as true or valid