R Flashcards
(21 cards)
realism
A literary movement that aims to represent everyday life and people as they truly are, without idealization.
Example: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
rebus
A puzzle that uses pictures or symbols to represent words or parts of words.
Example: An image of an eye + a heart + a U = “I love you.”
rebuttal
A response to an argument that presents a counterargument or contradiction.
Example: In a debate, responding to an opponent’s point with facts disproving it.
red herring
A misleading clue or distraction that diverts attention from the real issue.
Example: A mystery novel where an innocent character seems guilty.
reducto ad absurdum
A logical fallacy or argumentative technique that shows a statement leads to absurd or contradictory conclusions.
Example: “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?”
refrain
A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song, often at the end of a stanza.
Example: “Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.’” – Edgar Allan Poe
refutation
The part of an argument where a speaker or writer counters opposing points.
Example: A persuasive essay addressing and disproving a common misconception.
repetition
The intentional reuse of words or phrases for emphasis.
Example: “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
resolution
The conclusion of a story where conflicts are resolved and loose ends tied up.
Example: In Harry Potter, Voldemort is defeated and peace is restored.
rhetoric
The art of persuasive speaking or writing.
Example: Political speeches using ethos, pathos, and logos.
rhetorical device
Techniques used in writing or speaking to persuade or emphasize ideas.
Example: Metaphor, hyperbole, rhetorical questions.
rhetorical question
A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered.
Example: “Isn’t it a bit late to apologize now?”
rhyme
The repetition of similar-sounding words at the end of lines in poems.
Example: “Sky” and “high” rhyme.
rhyme scheme
The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem.
Example: ABAB, AABB, etc.
rhythm
The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.
Example: Iambic pentameter creates a rhythmic flow.
riddle
A question or statement that requires cleverness to solve or understand.
Example: Why is Europe like a frying pan?
(Because it has Greece at the bottom)
rising action
The part of a plot that builds tension and leads up to the climax.
Example: Frodo setting out on his journey in The Lord of the Rings.
romance
A genre involving love, adventure, and often idealized characters or settings.
Example: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
romanticism
A literary and artistic movement emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism, often as a reaction to industrialism.
Example: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
round character
A complex, fully developed character with multiple traits and growth.
Example: Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
run-on sentence
Two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
Example: “I went to the store I forgot my wallet.”
