Karteikarten
Rhetorical Terms
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- 1Abstractrefers 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.
- 2Ad hominemIn 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."
- 3Allegoryan 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.
- 4Alliterationrepetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another: Mickey Mouse; Donald Duck; Daffy Duck; Suzy Sells Seashells
- 5Allusiona reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc. Example: Eden, Scrooge, Prodigal Son, Catch-22, Judas, Don Quixote, Mother Theresa
- 6AnalogyComparison 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.
Ex: Running a business is like managing an orchestra. - 7AnaphoraRepetition 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.
- 8Anecdotea short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.
- 9AnnotationExplanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data.
- 10Antithesisthe presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs. Examples: "To be or not to be..." Shakespeare's Hamlet "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country...." Kennedy
- 11Aphorisma short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life. Examples: "Early bird gets the worm." "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
- 12Apostrophethe device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction Ex: "For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him." Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
- 13Argumentationwriting 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
- 14Assonancerepetition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade,
- 15AsyndentonCommas 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. X, Y, Z as opposed to X, Y, and Z.
- 16Cacaphonyharsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.
- 17Caricaturedescriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person's appearance or a facet of personality.
- 18Colloquialisma word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y'all, ain't)
- 19Coherencequality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle
- 20Concrete languageLanguage that describes specific, observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities.
- 21Connotationimplied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind.
- 22Consonancerepetition 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
- 23Conundruma riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem
- 24Deductionthe process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
- 25Denotionliteral meaning of a word as defined
- 26Descriptionthe 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
- 27Dictionword choice, an element of style; it 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 would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang.
- 28Didacticwriting whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. The work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. This type of writing may be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.
- 29Discoursespoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of ____________ are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.
- 30Dissonanceharsh or grating sounds that do not go together
- 31Dramatic IronyWhen the reader is aware of an inconsistency between a fictional or nonfictional character's perception of a situation and the truth of that situation.
- 32Emotional appealWhen a writer appeals to readers' emotions (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument.
- 33Epigraphthe use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two quotations. One of them is "You are all a lost generation" by Gertrude Stein.
- 34Ethical AppealWhen a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text.
- 35Euphamisma more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. "He went to his final reward" is a common saying for "he died."
- 36Euphomya succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony
- 37ExampleAn individual instance taken to be representative of a general pattern.
- 38ExplicationThe art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. It usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.
- 39Expositionthe immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse
- 40Extended metaphora sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed throughout a piece of writing
- 41False AnalogyWhen two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them.
- 42Figurative Languagelanguage that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, in order to create associations that are imaginative rather than literal.
- 43Figures of speechexpressions, such as similes, metaphors, and personifications, that make imaginative, rather than literal, comparisons or associations.
- 44Foreshadowingthe use of a hint or clue to suggest a larger event that occurs late in the work
- 45Freight-trainSentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions.
- 46GeneralizationWhen a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable. Sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a claim applies to all instances instead of some.
- 47Genrea type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as science fiction or sonnet, within the larger genres
- 48Hubristhe excessive pride of ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impending doom, eventually causing his or her downfall.
- 49Humoranything that causes laughter or amusement; up until the end of the Renaissance, humor meant a person's temperament
- 50Hyperboledeliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis (Example: He was so hungry he could have eaten a horse.)
- 51ImageA word or words, either figurative or literal, used to describe a sensory experience or an object perceived by the sense. An image is always a concrete representation.
- 52Imagerywords or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the five senses in order to create a mental picture
- 53Inductionthe process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
- 54Inferencea conclusion one can draw from the presented details
- 55Interior monologuewriting that records the conversation that occurs inside a character's head
- 56Invectivea verbally abusive attack
- 57Inversionreversing the customary (subject first, then verb, then complement) order of elements in a sentence or phrase; it is used effectively in many cases, such as posing a question: "Are you going to the store?" Usually, the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject.
- 58Ironya situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected.
- 59JargonThe special language of a profession or group. The term usually has pejorative associations, with the implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, and unintelligible to outsiders.
- 60Logicthe process of reasoning
- 61Logical fallacya mistake in reasoning
- 62LyricalSonglike; characterized by emotions, subjectivity, and imagination.
- 63Metaphora figure of speech in which one thing is referred to as another; for example, "my love is a fragile flower"
- 64Metonymya figure of speech that uses the name of an object, person, or idea to represent something with which it is associated, such as using "the crown" to refer to a monarch ; Also, "The pen is mightier than the sword."
- 65Modethe method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written
- 66Moodsimilar to tone, it is the primary emotional attitude of a work (the feeling of the work; the atmosphere). Syntax is also a determiner of this term because sentence strength, length, and complexity affect pacing.
- 67MoralThe lesson drawn from a fictional or nonfictional story. It can also mean a heavily didactic story.
- 68Motifmain theme or subject of a work that is elaborated on in the development of the piece; a repeated pattern or idea
- 69Narrationthe telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of the four modes of discourse
- 70Negative-PositiveSentence that begins by stating what is NOT true, then ending by stating what is true.
- 71non-sequitorLatin for "it does not follow." When one statement isn't logically connected to another
- 72Objectivityan impersonal presentation of events and characters. It is a writer's attempt to remove himself or herself from any subjective, personal involvement in a story. Hard news journalism is frequently prized for its objectivity, although even fictional stories can be told without a writer rendering personal judgment.
- 73Onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like what they mean, such as "hiss," "buzz," "slam," and "boom"
- 74OversimplificationWhen a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument
- 75Oxymorona figure of speech composed of contradictory words or phrases, such as "wise fool," bitter-sweet," "pretty ugly," "jumbo shrimp," "cold fire"
- 76Pacingthe movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another
- 77Parablea short tale that teaches a moral; similar to but shorter than an allegory
- 78Paradoxa statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning, as in this quotation from Henry David Thoreau; "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."
- 79Parallelismthe technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form. Ex (from Churchill): "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields."
- 80Parodya work that ridicules the style of another work by imitating and exaggerating its elements. . It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous. It depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content.
- 81Pathosan element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. . Over-emotionalism can be the result of an excess of pathos.
- 82Pedantica term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant
- 83Personoficationthe attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or an inanimate object
- 84Persuasiona form of argumentation, one of the four modes of discourse; language intended to convince through appeals to reason or emotion.
- 85Point of Viewthe perspective from which a story is presented
- 86PolysyndetonSentence which uses and or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate the items in a series. Polysyndeton appear in the form of X and Y and Z, stressing equally each member of a series. It makes the sentence slower and the items more emphatic than in the asyndeton.
- 87Protagonistthe main character of a literary work
- 88Red HerringWhen a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue
- 89Reductio and Absurdumthe Latin for "to reduce to the absurd." This is a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to an either/or choice
- 90Regionalisman element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot
- 91RepetitionWord or phrase used two or more times in close proximity
- 92Rhetoricthe art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse; Rhetoric focuses on the interrelationship of invention, arrangement, and style in order to create felicitous and appropriate discourse.
- 93Rhetorical modesexposition, description, narration, argumentation
- 94Rhetorical Questionone that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience.
- 95Sarcasmharsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone; less subtle than irony
- 96SatireA work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. It doesn't simply abuse (as in invective) or get personal (as in sarcasm). It targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals.
- 97SettingTime and place of a literary work
- 98Similea figure of speech that uses like, as, or as if to make a direct comparison between two essentially different objects, actions, or qualities; for example, "The sky looked like an artist's canvas."
- 99Speakerthe voice of a work; an author may speak as himself or herself or as a fictitious persona
- 100Stereotypea character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and who lacks individuality; a conventional patter, expression or idea.
- 101Straw manWhen a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak. Setting up a straw man diverts attention from the real issues.
- 102Stylean author's characteristic manner of expression - his or her diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to style
- 103Subjectivitya personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions
- 104SyllogismA form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them. It consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. Ex: Major: All tragedies end unhappily. Minor: Hamlet is a tragedy. Concl: Therefore, Hamlet ends unhappily.
- 105Symbolismthe use of symbols or anything that is meant to be taken both literally and as representative of a higher and more complex significance
- 106Synecdochea figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent a whole, such as using "boards" to mean a stage or "wheels" to mean a car - or "All hands on deck."
- 107Syntactic FluencyAbility to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex and/or simple and varied in length.
- 108Syntactic permutationSentence structures that are extraordinarily complex and involved. They are often difficult for a reader to follow.
- 109Syntaxthe grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence. It includes length of sentence, kinds of sentences (questions, exclamations, declarative sentences, rhetorical questions, simple, complex, or compound).
- 110Themethe central idea or "message" or a literary work
- 111Thesisthe main idea of a piece of writing. It presents the author's assertion or claim. The effectiveness of a presentation is often based on how well the writer presents, develops, and supports this.
- 112Tonethe characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience (anger, sarcastic, loving, didactic, emotional, etc.)
- 113Transitiona word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.
- 114TricolonSentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses.
- 115Understatementthe opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.
- 116Unityquality of a piece of writing (also see coherence)
- 117Voicerefers to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and verb (active and passive voice). The second refers to the total "sound" of a writer's style.
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