Rhetorical & Literary Terms Portfolio Vocab

Question 1

alliteration

Answer 1

• the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words
  ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Question 2

allusion

Answer 2

• an implied or indirect reference
  ex: She had the patience of Job.

Question 3

anadiplosis

Answer 3

• repetition of a prominent and usually the last word in one phrase or clause at the beginning of the next
  ex: “The love of wicked men converts to fear; That fear to hate; and hate turns one, or both, To worthy danger, and deserved death.” (William Shakespeare, Richard II)

Question 4

analogy

Answer 4

• a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect
  ex: Finding a good friend is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Question 5

anaphora

Answer 5

• repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect
  ex: Lincoln’s “we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground”

Question 6

antithesis

Answer 6

• the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences
  ex: “they promised freedom and provided slavery”

Question 7

apposition

Answer 7

• a grammatical construction on which two or more usually adjacent words, phrases, or clauses that have the same referent stand in the same syntactical relation to the rest of a sentence
  ex: “The capital of France, Paris, is a beautiful city.”

Question 8

asyndeton

Answer 8

• omission of the conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words or clauses
  ex: “veni, vidi, vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”)

Question 9

chiasmus

Answer 9

• an inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases
• two or more clauses are presented, and the second clause reverses the order of the first; creates a mirrored effect
  ex: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” (John F. Kennedy)

Question 10

epanalepsis

Answer 10

• a word or phrase is repeated at the end of a clause or sentences, having been used at the beginning; form of emphasis through repetition
  ex: Nothing is worse than doing nothing.

Question 11

epithet

Answer 11

• a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing
  ex: “Star-crossed lovers” (Romeo and Juliet).

Question 11

epistrophe

Answer 11

• repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effects
  ex: Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice”:
  “If you had known the virtue of the ring, Or half her worthiness that gave the ring, Or your own honour to contain the ring, You would not then have parted with the ring.”

Question 12

euphemism

Answer 12

• the substitution of an agreeable of inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant
  ex: “Passing gas” or “breaking wind” instead of “farting”

Question 13

hyperbole

Answer 13

• extravagant exaggeration
  ex: “I’m dying of boredom.”

Question 14

irony

Answer 14

• the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning
  ex: Looking outside during a blizzard and saying, “Perfect beach weather”

Question 15

juxtaposition

Answer 15

• the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect
  ex: “Frankenstein”:
  Mary Shelley juxtaposes the Creature’s eloquent speech with his monstrous appearance.

Question 16

metaphor

Answer 16

• a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or Analogy between them
  ex: “The snow is a white blanket”

Question 17

oxymoron

Answer 17

• a combination of contradictory or incongruous words
  ex: cruel kindness

Question 18

paradox

Answer 18

• a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
  ex: “this sentence is false”

Question 19

Parallelism (parallel structure)

Answer 19

• the repetition of grammatical structures or similar ideas in a sentence, paragraph, or larger text to create a sense of balance, Rhythm, and emphasis
  ex: “He is not only intelligent but also athletic.” (instead of: “He is not only intelligent but also a good athlete.”

Question 20

personification

Answer 20

• representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form
  ex: “the wind whispered secrets,”*

Question 21

polysyndeton

Answer 21

• repetition of conjunctions in close succession
  ex: we have ships and men and money*

Question 22

rhetorical question

Answer 22

• a question asked not to elicit a direct answer, but to create a dramatic effect, emphasize a point, or provoke thought
  *ex: “Are you kidding me?” *

Question 23

symbolism (symbol)

Answer 23

• an object, person, situation, or acting represents something beyond its literal meaning
  ex: A rose can symbolize love, beauty, or passion.

Question 24

understatement (meiosis)

Answer 24

- something is presented as less significant than it truly is *ex: saying "It's a bit cold" when the temperature is below freezing*