terms Flashcards
rhetoric
the art of finding ways of persuading an audience.
text
things that can be read, consumed, comprehended, and investigated.
purpose
the goal.
context
background or event.
ocassion/exigence
the external motivation; what triggered the speaker to write it.
subject
topic
persona
the character of the speaker they present to their audience.
rhetorical triangle/appeals.
ethos, logos, and pathos.
ethos
credibility
pathos
engages with emotions and reliability.
logos
information, facts, and statistics.
denotation
dictionary meaning.
connotation
associated meanings (e.g., juvenile).
satire
the use of sarcasm and irony to expose a flaw.
diction
word choice.
syntax
how words are organized in a sentence (length, order, and structure).
tone
the speaker’s attitude toward a subject.
mood
the feeling or atmosphere created by the text.
alliteration
repetition of the same sound or word.
colloquialism
casual/informal words and phrases.
euphemism
a mild expression or word to substitute harsh language.
antithesis
comparison of ideas or words in parallel construction.
hyperbole
exaggeration, an overstatement.
metaphor
compares two things.
simile
compares two things but uses words like “as” or “like.”
synecdoche
a part = the whole.
inversion/anastrophe
inverted order/syntax.
irony
saying one thing that means something else.
allusion
references
anaphora
repetition at the beginning of clauses, lines, or phrases.
juxtaposition
side-by-side comparison.
metonymy
something is referred to by another name.
parallelism
similar structure in a series of words, phrases, or clauses.
imagery
visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and auditory.
personification
giving something non-living lifelike abilities.
rhetorical question
a question used as an effect and has no expected answer.
understatement/litotes
belittlement; the opposite of hyperbole.
closed thesis statement
includes a preview of supporting points.
open thesis statement
does not include a preview of supporting points.
claim
an arguable assertion.
evidence
supports the claim with facts, examples, statistics, etc.
concession
acknowledgment that opposing arguments exist.
rebuttal
an answer that refutes/crushes a counterclaim.
deductive reasoning/deduction
draws a specific conclusion from a general truth.
inductive reasoning/induction
draws a general conclusion from a general truth; generalization.
anecdote
a brief story that illustrates a point.
maxim/adage/aphorism
a true wisdom statement (e.g., proverbs).
subjective
based on a personal perspective.
