Rhetorical Terms/Strategies Quiz 1

Allusion

a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. often Biblical or mythological

Analogy

a process of reasoning that assumes if two subjects share a number of specific observable qualities then they may be expected to share qualities that have not been observed; process of drawing a comparison between two things based on a partial similarity of like features
ex. learning is like climbing a mountain; you must take one step at a time"

Anaphora

one of the devices of repetition in which the same expression is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.
ex. We will fight. We will endure. We will win.

Antithesis

figure of speech characterized by strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences, or ideas. balancing of one term against another for emphasis.
ex. it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

apostrophe

a figure of speech in which someone (usually, but not always absent), some abstract, or a nonexistent personage is directly addressed as through present.

ex. O, Death, where is your victory?

chiasmus

type of balance in which the second part is balanced against the first but with the part reversed

“ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

emotional appeal (pathos)

exploiting reader's’ feelings of pity or fear to make a case
ex. the abandoned puppy trembled alone in the cold.

epistrophe

repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses
ex. we need justice. they demand justice. the people deserve justice.

ethical appeal (ethos)

ability to convince your readers that you are a reliable, intelligent person who knows what you’re talking about and cares about the issues

ex. as a doctor with 30 years of experience, i can tell you that this treatment is safe.

euphemism

the substitutions of an inoffensive, indirect, or agreeable expression for a word or phrase perceived as socially unacceptable or unnecessarily harsh.
ex. “private parts” for sexual organs.

exigence

an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak. has to do with what prompts the author to write in the first place, a sense of urgency, a problem that requires attention right now, a need that must be met, concept that must be understood before the audience can move to the next step
ex. after a shooting, the principal gives a speech about school safety.

hyperbole

figure of speech in which conscious exaggeration is used without the intent of literal persuasion
ex. i’ve told you a million times to clean your room

irony

mode of speech in which words express a meaning opposite to the intended meaning

ex. a fire station burns down

juxtapose

placing two ideas side by side or close together. sometimes the ideas are completely different
ex. a wealthy mansion is shown next to a homeless shelter.

logical reasoning (logos)

the idea that there are principles governing correct or reliable inferences. examples include facts, reasons, and expert opinion

ex. this car gets 40 mpg, while the other gets 25 mpg, so this care uses less fuel.

metaphor

figure of speech involving an implied comparison. doesn’t use like or as.
ex. the classroom was like a zoo.

onomatopoeia

use of words that by their sound suggest their meaning. words like “hiss,” “buzz,” or “sizzle”

oxymoron

self contradictory combination of words or smaller verbal units.

ex. deafening silence.

paradox

self contradictory or situation. a recognized philosophical tool for argument to assess groups of valid facts or logical processes which appear to be conflicting directly.

ex. the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.

personification

attributing human characteristics to nonhuman thing

ex. the wind whispered through the trees.

polysyndeton

repetition of conjunctions in close succession for rhetorical effect

ex. we ran and jumped and laughed and played. “here and there and everywhere”

pun

usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another world similar in sound

ex. im reading a book about anti-gravity. it’s impossible to put down.

repetition

rhetorical device reiterating a word or phrase, rewording the same idea to secure emphasis

ex. never give up. never give in. never surrender.

simile

figure of speech involving a comparison using like or as

ex. her smile was like a sunshine

understatement

a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected

ex. after getting a terrible grade: “well that could have gone better”