Rhetorical Devices Flashcards
(108 cards)
Allegory
The rhetorical strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narrative so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text
Alliteration
the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables
example:
Sally sells sea shells down by the sea shore
Allusion
a brief reference to a person, event, place, or phrase. The writer assumes the reader will recognize the reference
Anaphora
the regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases of dauses
example:
‘The following is an example: ‘To raise a happy, healthful, and. hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers; it takes clergy; it takes business people; it takes community leaders; it takes those who protect our health and safety; it takes all of us.
Antithesis
the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases grammatical structure, or ideas
example:
To err is human, to forgive divine.
Aphorism
a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion
example:
Lost time is never found again.
Apostrophe
a direct address to a person, thing, or abstraction
example:
“Ah, Sorrow, you consume us.”
Assonance
the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds
example:
please niece the ski tree
Asyndeton
a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose
example:
Veni, vidi, vici
Attitude
the sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author’ toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his ‘or her feelings for the reader
Begging the question
an argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question
Canon
that which has been accepted as authentic
Chiasmus
a figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second
example:
He thinks I am but a fool. A fool, perhaps I am
Claim
in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact
Colloquial
term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area
Comparison and contrast
a mode of discourse in which two or more things are compared, contrasted, or both
Conceit
a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem
Connotation
the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase
Consonance
the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels,
example:
pitter-patter, splish-splash, and click-clack
Convention
an accepted manner, model, or tradition
Critique
an assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for the purpose of determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre
Deductive reasoning
also known as deduction
the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principals
Dialect
the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group
Diction
the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect. There are four types of diction:
- *Formal Diction** - consists of a dignified, impersonal, and elevated use of language; it follows the rules of syntax exactly and is often characterized by complex words and lofty tone
- *Middle Diction** - maintains correct language usage, but is less elevated than formal diction; it reflects the way most educated people speak.
- *Informal Diction** - epresents the plain language of everyday use, and often includes idiomatic expressions, slang, contractions, and many simple, common words.
- *Poetic Diction** - efers to the way poets sometimes employ an elevated diction that deviates significantly from the common speech and writing of their time, choosing words for their supposedly inherent poetic qualities.