Rhetorical Devices and Terms

personification

Figure of speech, describes non-human objects or organisms with human attributes or emotions

Polysyndeton

Deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive sentences

figure of emphasis

Predicate Adjective

Type of subject complement; adjective/group of adjectives after a linking verb

Describes the subject

Predicate Nominative

Type of subject complement

noun/group of nouns that names the subject; Renames the subject

Repetition

Duplication (exact or approximate) of any language

Rhetorical Question

used for effect/emphasis; erotesis

Sarcasm

Bitter, caustic language to hurt/ridcule someone or something

satire

a work that targets human vices and/or social institutions

Subordinate Clause

dependent clause; can not stand on its own

Syllogism

deductive system of formal logic; two premises make one conclusion

symbolism

Anything that represents itself and stands for something else

synecdoche

metaphor, part stands for the whole

theme

central idea of a work

thesis

statement about the author’s opinion or position

tone

author’s attitude to the material or audience

transition

word or phrase to link different ideas

tricolon

sentence made up of three parallel words or phrases

understatement

ironic minimizing of a fact, less significant

undertone

attitude that lies under the seeming tone

wit

intellectual language that surprises and delights

zeugma

when a verb or adjective applies to multiple nouns

metaphor

comparison of two things or replacement of one object as another

metronymy

substituting the name of an object for a similar associated name

mood

audience’s emotion; three types: indicative, subjective, imperative

non-sequitur

when statements do not logically connect

onomatopoeia

natural sounds are imitated

oxymoron

groupings of contrasting terms

paradox

statement that appears to be self-contradictory

parallelism

grammatical framing of words with repetition or parallel structure

parody

a work that closely imitates the content of another work

pedantic

adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is very overly scholary

periodic sentence

sentence with central meaning at the end

extended metaphor

metaphor developed at a greater length

hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration

hypophora

multiple questions are asked and then answered

imagery

sensory details used to describe or represent abstractions

induction

process that moves from specific examples to generalization

invective

emotionally violent verbal attack with strong abusive language

irony

contrast between what is explicitly stated and implied

jargon

special language of a group

juxtaposition

two words/ideas/images placed side by side for contrast or to prove a point

litotes

when a point is affirmed by invalidating the opposite

loose sentence

main idea comes first then several phrases follow

asyndeton

excluding conjunctions between words

cacophony

harsh, awkward, or non-harmonous words

chiasmus

two neighboring phrases are parallel in structure, but order is reversed in following phrase

colloquial

informal language in speech or writing

conceit

imaginative and unrealitic expressions with metaphors or analogies

deduction

moving from general to specific example

diacope

repetition of a word phrase after an intervening phrase

enumeration

emphasis on something by dividing up a subject into multiple parts

epistrophe

repetition of a word at the end of successive phrases

expletive

short phrases that interrupt the normal speech

euphemism

a word or phrase that substitutes an offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept

allegory

a device that portrays an idea/message AND the literal meaning

alliteration

repetition of sounds in neighboring words

allusion

an implied reference to common knowledge

ambiguity

the quality of having multiple meanings

analogy

comparision between two different things and the relationship between them

anaphora

repetition of the same expression at the beginning of sentences or clauses

anecdote

a short story about a real event or person

antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause referred by the pronoun

antithesis

two extremely contrasting ideas are juxtaposed

aphorism

statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle

apostrophe

message to something or someone that can’t respond

syntax

the way the author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences

style

an evalutation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other lit devices.

classifcation of authors to a group and comparision to similar authors (historical period/lit movement)

semantics

branch of linguistics, meanings of words

rhetorical modes

describes the variety, conventions, and purposes of major kinds of writing

exposition —> explain & analyze info by presenting idea; argumentation —> prove the validity of an idea w/ sound reasoning; description —> recreate a presentation of a action; narration —> tell story

rhetoric

describes the principles for writing efficiently

prose

major division of genre; printer determines the length of line

point of view

perspective the story is told

narrative

telling a story or an account of an event or series of events

kairos

making exactly the right statement at exactly the right moment

inference

to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented

homily

any serious talk, speech, or lecture about moral or spiritual advice

genre

major category into which a literary work fits

figure of speech

device used to produce figurative language

figurative language

writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning

exposition

to explain something, an introduction

explication

art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text

didactic

has a teaching or instructing purpose

diction

writers word choice

denotation

the strict and literal defintion of a word

connotation

nonliteral associative meaning of word; images + emotions

clause

grammatical unit that contains a subject and verb

coherence

principle that the parts of any composition should be arranged so the meaning of the whole is immediately clear and intelligible

atmosphere

emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work