Rhetorical Terms for Reading and Writing

Question 1

Allegory:

Answer 1

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 2

Allusion:

Answer 2

An allusion is a reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other
literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar.

Question 3

Anecdote:

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Anaphora:

Answer 4

Is a rhetorical device that features the repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of successive sentences, phrases, or clauses. Anaphora works as a literary device to
allow writers to convey, emphasize, and reinforce meaning. Take “Tale of two Cities” as an
example” “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was
the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of Light, it was the season of Darkness…” Even the phrase “Go big or go home.” Is a
simple example.

Question 5

Asyndeton:

Answer 5

A stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate
conjunctions between the phrases, and in the sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy. “I
came, I saw, I conquered.” Is an example of asyndeton.