Rhetorical Terms Test #3 Flashcards
Inference/Infer
To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.
Invective
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attach using strong, abusive language.
Irony/Ironic
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what actually is true.
Juxtaposition
When two words, phrases, images, ideas are placed close together or side by side for comparison or contrast.
Litotes
From the Greek word “simple” or “plain.” It’s a figure of thought in which a point is affirmed by negating its opposite. Ex. He’s no fool.
Loose Sentence
A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.
Metaphor
A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.
Metonymy
A term from the Greek meaning “changed label” or “substitute name.” It’s a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.
Mood
Two meanings: 1) Grammatical and deals with verbal units and a speaker’s attitude and 2) Literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.
Narrative
The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.
Onomatopoeia
A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Ex. buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.
Oxymoron
From the Greek “pointedly foolish,” it’s a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.
Paradox
A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.
Parallelism
This term comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.
