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Accomplished Rhetorical Terms
Accomplished rhetorical terms and their definitions.
60
English
10th Grade
01/15/2012

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Term
allegory
Definition
narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves
Term
allusion
Definition
a figure of speech which makes brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance in the reader
Term
ambiguity (lol)
Definition
use of language in which multiple meanings are possible
Term
anachronism
Definition
use of historically inaccurate details in a text
Term
analogy
Definition
comparison of two things that are alike in some respects
Term
analysis
Definition
the process in writing wherein one examines what the writer has done to create the effects she or he has gotten in a piece of writing
Term
appeals to...
Definition
rhetorical arguments in which the speaker appeals to authority, emotion, or logic
Term
assonance
Definition
the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words
Term
catharsis
Definition
purification or cleansing of the spirit of the viewer or reader through the emotions of pity or terror
Term
cliche
Definition
a commonplace expression that reveals the writer's lack of imagination to use fresher, more vivid language
Term
climactic phrasing
Definition
the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance
Term
colloquial/colloquialism
Definition
ordinary language
Term
consonance
Definition
the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels
Term
deductive
Definition
the reasoning process by which a conclusion is drawn from set of premises and contains no more facts in these premises
Term
deus ex machina
Definition
use of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situation
Term
devices
Definition
a particular word pattern or combination of words used in a literary word to evoke a desired effect
Term
ellipses
Definition
the deliberate omission of a word or words which are readily implied by the context
Term
epigraph
Definition
quote set at the beginning of a literary work or at its divisions to set the tone or suggest a theme
Term
epitaph
Definition
a piece of writing in praise of a deceased person
Term
ethos
Definition
the use of or appeal to moral elements of right or wrong to determine a character's actions
Term
eulogy
Definition
a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing
Term
euphemism
Definition
substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt
Term
expletive
Definition
a single word or short phrase intended to emphasize surrounding words
Term
explication
Definition
the close study and exposition of a text, paying attention to content, style, language, symbolism, and the relationships of the parts to the whole
Term
genre
Definition
the major category into which a literary work fits (prose, poetry, drama, etc.)
Term
homily
Definition
means "sermon", but includes any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
Term
hyperbole
Definition
an overstatement characterized by exaggerated language
Term
inductive
Definition
conclusion or type of reasoning whereby observation or information about a part of a class is applied to the class as a whole
Term
inference
Definition
the process of arriving at a conclusion from a hint, implication, or suggestion
Term
juxtaposition
Definition
the placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose
Term
logical fallacies
Definition
errors in reasoning and often occur in arguments: ad hominem, arguing from analogy, begging the question, either/or reasoning, non sequitur, hasty generalization, oversimplification, post hoc ergo propter hoc
Term
logos
Definition
the use of or appeal to reason to determine a character's actions or persuade to an argument
Term
metaphor
Definition
the implicit comparison or identification or one thing with another unlike itself without the use of a verbal signal such as like or as
Term
nostalgia
Definition
desire to return in thought or fact to a former time
Term
oxymoron
Definition
a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements
Term
paradox
Definition
a statement that seems contradictory, but is actually true
Term
paraphrase
Definition
putting someone else's ideas into your own words
Term
parenthesis
Definition
inversion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal syntatical flow of the sentence
Term
parody
Definition
a satirical imitation of a work of art for purpose of ridiculing its style or subject
Term
parallelism
Definition
recurrent syntatical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences equal in importance
Term
pathos
Definition
the use of or appeal to emotional or sentimental elements to determine a character's actions or persuade to an argument
Term
persona
Definition
the voice or figure of the author who tells and structures the story and who may or may not share the values of the actual author
Term
personification
Definition
treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by giving it humanlike qualities
Term
perspective
Definition
a character's view of the situation or events in the story
Term
propaganda
Definition
information or rumor deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, or institution
Term
realism
Definition
the literary practice of attempting to describe life and nature without idealization and with attention to detail
Term
reflection
Definition
repeating or repeated action
Term
retrospection
Definition
looking back on things past
Term
rhetoric
Definition
the art of using language effectively to serve the writer's purpose, originally referred to speech-making
Term
rhetorical device
Definition
particular use of word patterns and styles used to clarify, make associations, and focus the writing in a piece of literature
Term
rhetorical question
Definition
asking a question, not for the purpose of eliciting an answer but for the purpose of asserting or denying something obliquely
Term
sarcasm
Definition
a sharp caustic remark
Term
satire
Definition
humorous, witty criticism of people's foolish, thoughtless, or evil behavior
Term
speaker
Definition
the person-not necessarily the author- who is the voice of the poem or story
Term
symbolism
Definition
a person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary work that designates itself and at the same time figuratively represents something else
Term
syntax
Definition
the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences
Term
tone
Definition
the attitude a literary work takes towards its subject and theme
Term
transition
Definition
the writer's ability to move the reader smoothly along the course of ideas
Term
understatement
Definition
deliberate expression of an idea or event as less important that it actually is or was
Term
wit
Definition
intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights
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