Rhetorical Terms

Question 1

Abstract

Answer 1

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images ( ideas and qualities rather
than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.

Question 2

Ad Hominem

Answer 2

In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning “against the man.”

Question 3

Allegory

Answer 3

an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.

Question 4

Alliteration

Answer 4

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another: Mickey Mouse; Donald Duck

Question 5

Allusion

Answer 5

a reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc. Example: Eden

Question 6

Analogy

Answer 6

Comparison of two similar but different things, usually to clarify an action or a relationship, such as comparing the work of a heart to that of a pump. An analogy is a comparison to a directly
parallel case.

Question 7

Anaphora

Answer 7

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent. (Example:
“There was the delight I caught in seeing long straight rows. There was the faint, cool kiss of sensuality. There was the vague sense of the infinite….”)

Question 8

Anecdote

Answer 8

a short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point

Question 9

Annotation

Answer 9

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.

Question 10

Antithesis

Answer 10

the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. “To be or not to be…” “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can
do for your country….”

Question 11

Aphorism

Answer 11

a short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life: “Early bird gets the worm.”

Question 12

Apostrophe

Answer 12

usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction

Question 13

Argumentation

Answer 13

writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation

Question 14

Assonance

Answer 14

repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade

Question 15

Asyndeton

Answer 15

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words. The parts are emphasized equally when the conjunction is omitted; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. Asyndeton takes the form of X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.

Question 16

Cacophony

Answer 16

harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.

Question 17

Caricature

Answer 17

descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a faced of personality.

Question 18

Colloquialism

Answer 18

a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)

Question 19

Coherence

Answer 19

quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle

Question 20

Concrete Language

Answer 20

Language that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.

Question 21

Connotation

Answer 21

implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.

Question 22

Consonance

Answer 22

repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and ping-pong

Question 23

Conundrum

Answer 23

a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem

Question 24

Deduction

Answer 24

the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example

Question 25

Denotation

Answer 25

literal meaning of a word as defined

Question 26

Description

Answer 26

the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse

Question 27

Diction

Answer 27

word choice, an element of style; Diction creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning. Different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang.

Question 28

Didactic

Answer 28

writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. Didactic writing may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific
lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.

Question 29

Discourse

Answer 29

spoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.

Question 30

Dissonance

Answer 30

harsh or grating sounds that do not go together

Question 31

Dramatic Irony

Answer 31

When the reader is aware of an inconsistency between a fictional or nonfictional character’s perception of a situation and the truth of that situation.

Question 32

Emotional Appeal

Answer 32

When a writer appeals to readers’ emotions (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument.

Question 33

Epigraph

Answer 33

the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein.