Rhetorical terms 2

Ambiguity

Use of language with multiple meanings, leaving interpretation open. Example: “I saw her duck.”

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas presented in parallel structure. Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Example: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…”

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person making an argument rather than the argument itself. Example: “You can’t trust his opinion; he’s not even a scientist.”

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions between phrases or clauses. Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Colloquialism

Informal, conversational language. Example: “Y’all” or “gonna.”

Aphorism

A concise, memorable statement expressing a general truth. Example: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Epanalepsis

Repetition of a word at the beginning and end of a clause. Example: “The king is dead, long live the king.”

Chiasmus

Reversal of grammatical structure in successive clauses, often not repeating exact words. Example: “Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.”

Antimetabole

Repetition of words in reverse order in successive clauses. Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Anastrophe

Inversion of the usual word order. Example: “Excited the children were for the trip.”

Apostrophe

Addressing someone absent, dead, or an abstract idea as if present. Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?”

Epithet

A descriptive phrase expressing a characteristic of someone or something. Example: “Alexander the Great.”

Inversion

Reversing the normal word order in a sentence. Example: “In the night sky shimmered the stars.”

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning of a word beyond its literal definition. Example: “Home” connotes warmth and comfort.

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically moral or political. Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. Example: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”

Didactic

Writing intended to teach or instruct, often morally. Example: Fables or moral stories.

Hypotactic

Sentences with subordination, using multiple clauses and connectors. Example: “Because I was hungry, I ate lunch before I went to the meeting.”

Analogy

A comparison between two things to explain or clarify. Example: “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’ll get.”

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, place, event, or work of literature. Example: “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”

Explication

Detailed explanation or analysis of a text or idea.

Conceit

An extended metaphor making a clever or far-fetched comparison. Example: “Love is like an oil change—you forget it at your peril.”

Motif

A recurring theme, idea, or symbol in literature. Example: The green light in The Great Gatsby.

Metonymy

Substituting a related word or concept for the thing actually meant. Example: “The crown will decide” (crown = king/queen).

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals truth. Example: “Less is more.”

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting elements side by side for effect. Example: “It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”

Parable

A short story illustrating a moral or spiritual lesson. Example: The Prodigal Son.

Simple Sentence

A sentence with one independent clause. Example: “She runs every morning.”

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or vice versa. Example: “All hands on deck” (hands = sailors).

Periodic Sentence

A sentence in which the main idea comes at the end. Example: “Despite the heavy rain and stormy winds, the team continued the match.”

Parallel Structure

Using the same pattern of words or phrases to show equal importance. Example: “She likes cooking, jogging, and reading.”

Telegraphic Sentence

Very short sentence, often 5 words or fewer. Example: “I came. I saw. I left.”