Rhetorical Vocab Pt.2 Flashcards
Pedantic
overly concerned in one’s learning
Euphemism
substitution of words that sound not as harsh
anachronism
something or someone not in correct time period
colloquialism
informal speech or expression “I wasn’t born yesterday”
invective
insulting or abusive words or expressions
discernible
distinguishable
ambiguity
unclear; doubtful
nostalgic
sentimental yearning for the happiness felt in a former time, place or situation
simile
comparing two things to clarify how they are alike…uses words like or as
metaphor
comparing two things without using like or as
red herring
meant to deter or throw off readers or speakers//occurs when the writer creates a distraction
exordium
Latin word for beginning/introduction to an essay
peroratio
brings the essay to a close
claim
assertion or proposition
claim of fact
asserts if something is true or not true
claim of value
argues if something is good or bad
claim of policy
proposing a change
closed thesis
statement of the main idea of the argument that ALSO previews the major points the writer tends to make
open thesis
the main idea of an argument but does not list all the points the writer intends to cover
counterargument thesis statement
this statement usually contains an although or a but BEFORE the writer’s opinion
logical fallacies
potential weaknesses in an argument
fallacies of relevance
using evidence that is not relevant to the claim
ad hominem
tactic of switching from the topic at hand to attacking the character of the other speaker
fallacies of accuracy
using information that is inaccurate (straw man fallacy - using an oversimplified example in order to ridicule an opponent’s view.
fallacies of insufficiency
hasty generalizations/ not enough evidence to support/ circular reasoning is repeating bad evidence resulting in no evidence at all
satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues in order to raise awareness or to bring about change; ridiculing something in an attempt to bring about change or to raise awareness
DIDLS Prose Analysis Method
Be able to write out each letter and explain each. Stands for Diction, Images, Details, Language, Sentence Structure.
Diction
What words does the author choose? Consider his/her word choice compared to another. Why did the author choose that particular word? What are the connotations of that word choice?
Images
What images does the author use? What does he/she focus on in a sensory way? The kinds of images the author puts in or leaves out reflect his/her style? Are they vibrant? Prominent? Plain? NOTE: Images differ from detail in the degree to which they appeal to the senses.
Details
What details does the author choose to include? What do they imply? What does the author choose to exclude? What are the connotations of their choice of details? PLEASE NOTE: Details are facts or fact-lets. They differ from images in that they don’t have a strong sensory appeal.
Language
What is the overall impression of the language the author uses? Does it reflect education? A particular profession? Intelligence? Is it plain? Ornate? Simple? Clear? Figurative? Poetic?
Sentence Structure
What are the sentences like? Are they simple with one or two clauses? Do they have multiple phrases? Are they choppy? Flowing? Sinuous like a snake? Is there antithesis, chiasmus, parallel construction? What emotional impression do they leave? If we are talking about poetry, what is the meter? Is there a rhyme scheme?
warrant
the general, hypothetical and often implicit logical statements that serve as bridges between the claim and the data
qualifier
statements that limit the strengths of the argument or statements that propose the conditions under which the argument is true
rebuttal
counter arguments or statements indicating circumstances when the general argument does not hold true
backing
statements that serve to support the warrants
syllogism
a logical structure that uses major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion
Rogerian arguments
based on the assumption that having a full understanding of an opposing position is essential to refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating
post hoc ergo propter hoc
italicize foreign words or underline them when you use them in your writing
correlation does not imply causation
incorrect to claim that something is a cause just because it happened earlier
bathos
insincere pathos
ad populum
bandwagon appeal
SOAPStone
subject, occasion, audience, purpose, speaker, tone Be able to write out and explain each.
rhetorical triangle
a diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text (p. 4 Bedford) ALSO called Aristotelian ___. Be able to draw, label, and explain it. List each letter for POETSGAS
nominalization
the process of changing a verb into a noun
exclamatory
sentence that makes an exclamation
imperative
a sentence that gives a command
interrogatory
a sentence that asks a question
declarative
a sentence that makes a statement
enthymeme
one of the premises is implied (taken for granted that it’s understood)
Juvenalian satire
characterized by its bitter and abrasive nature. A ___ist is much more likely to see the targets of his satire as evil or actively harmful to society, and to attack them with serious intent to harm their reputation or power. While ___ often attacks individuals on a personal level, it’s most common objective is social criticism
Horatian satire
utilizes a much gentler form of ridicule to highlight folly or oddity
Anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Ibid
in the same source (used to save space in textual references to a quoted work which has been mentioned in a previous reference).
Menippean Satire
The genre of ___ is a form of satire, usually in prose, which has a length and structure similar to a novel and is characterized by attacking mental attitudes rather than specific individuals or entities.
Et al
short for Latin term et alia, which means “and others.”
i.e.
The abbreviation ___ stands for id est, which translates literally as “that is.” Sometimes it might be more useful, however, to translate it as “what that means is” or “that is to say.” This abbreviation is used to clarify the preceding idea by restating it more simply or in different terms. It might be useful to think of ___ as representing an equal sign (=). This will help you remember that ___ stands for a strict equivalence.
e.g.
The abbreviation ___ stands for exempli gratia, which translates literally as “for the sake of an example”-but you can really just cut out the stuff in the middle and read it as “for example.”
N.B.
The abbreviation ___ stands for nota bene, which literally translates as “note well,” although in practice you can read it as “pay attention.”
Cf.
The abbreviation ___ stands for the Latin word confer which means “compare.” It is primarily used in endnotes or footnotes to point readers to works that the author recommends referencing in comparison with the work at hand. Therefore, it might be more useful to read ___ as “but compare this to.”
Sic
Although it is not an abbreviation, ___ is included here because it is one of the more frequently used Latin terms. The word ___ means “thus” or “so” and is used in quotations to indicate that any strange aspects of a piece of text, such as errors in of grammar[___], spelling, or word choice, are part of the original text and not a typo. Therefore, it could be more appropriately translated as “yes, that’s actually what it says.”
Circa
Circa, which translates as “around” or “approximately,” usually appears with dates.
