Rhetorical Analysis Terms

Rhetoric

The study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle, use of the “available means of persuasion”

Speaker

A term used for the author or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing

Purpose

One’s intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing

Audience

One’s listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed

Context

The set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. (i.e. what is happening in the world politically, socially, economically, etc.)

Exigence

An urgent problem or issue that a writer feels compelled to address

Choices

The moves a writer makes to enrich his/her writing (through paterns of diction, syntax, organization, rhetorical strategies, etc.)

Appeals

Rhetorical strategies, specifically THE BIG THREE: logos, pathos, ethos; when used in a balanced way, they create an effective use of rhetoric.

Tone

The speaker’s attitude toward the subject or audience

Logos

A Greek term that means “word”; an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals

Pathos

A Greek term that refers to suffering but has come to be associated with broader appeals to motion; one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals. Think of this as an effort to incite empathy

Ethos

A Greek term referring to the character of a person; his or her “ethics.” one of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals

Narration

Recalling an event or series of events; telling a story

Description

Writing that includes many specific details and emphasizes the sense by painting a picture of how something looks, sounds, smells , tastes, or feels (utilizes imagery)

Exemplification

Writing that provides a series of examples - facts, specific cases, or instances - and turns a general idea into a concrete one to make an argument clearer and more persuasive to the reader

Comparison/Contrast

Writing that juxtaposes two things to highlight their similarities and differences

Classification/Divison

Writing that sorts material or ideas into major categories so that readers can make connections between things that might otherwise seem unrelated

Definition

Writing that establishes common ground or identifies areas of conflict to ensure that writers and their audiences are speaking the same language

Cause/Effect

Writing that analyzes the causes that lead to a certain effect or, conversely, the effects that result from a cause

Process Analysis

Writing that explains how something works, how to do something, or how something was done

Trope

Artful diction; the use of language in a non-literal way; also called a figure of speech

Diction

Word choice (specify such as artful, patriotic, etc.)

Scheme

A pattern of words or sentence construction used for rhetorical effect (example: parallelism, as in “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”)

Syntax

Sentence structure

Style

The distinctive quality of speech or writing created by the selection and arrangement of words and figures of speech

Repetition

Repeating a word or phrase within a sentence or poetical line in order to emphasize an idea

Parallelism

The repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns (“I came, I saw, I conquered.” ~ Julius Caesar)

Anthithesis

Parallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas (Example: “Money is the root of all evils; poverty is the fruit of all goodness.”)

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things side by side for emphasis

Cumulative Sentence

An independent clause followed by subordinate clauses or phrases that supply additional detail (Example: She cautiously walked to the door, wary of what was awaiting her on the other side.)

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that builds toward and ends with the main clause (Example: Wary of what was awaiting her on the other side, she cautiously walked to the door.)

Hortative Sentence/Hortatory

A sentence that urges or strongly encourages (Example: “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.” ~ JFK

Inverted sentence/Inversion

A sentence in which the verb precedes the subject (Example: “Always in motion is the future.” ~ Yoda, Star Wars

Rhetorical Question

A question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer (Example: “What business is it of yours?”)

Alliteration

The repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables (Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…)

Anaphora

The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses (Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Antimetabole

The repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast (Example: “Eat to live, not live to eat.” ~ Socrates)

Simile

A figure of speech that uses “like” or “as” to compare two things (Example: He was as strong as an ox.)

Metaphor

A figure of speech or trope through which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison (Example: She is fishing in troubled waters.)

Imagery

Vivid use of language that evoked a reader’s senses (Sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)(Example: “The eerie silence was shattered by her scream.”)

Allusion

AN indirect reference, often to another text or an historic event (can be religious, literary, classical, mythological, or historical); Example: He was a real Romeo with the ladies

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions; Example: “[I]t is respectable to have no illusions — and safe — and profitable — and dull.” ~ Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, 1900

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis; Example: “If he doesn’t call soon, I’ll just die!”

Irony

A contradiction between what is said and what is meant; incongruity between action and result; Example: He patted the St. Bernard’s head and said, “Take it easy, Tiny.”

Metonymy

A metaphoric use of an aspect of something to represent the whole; Example: He lusted for the crown. Crown here is a metonymies use for power or authority - it is not used literally

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms (to describe one thing); Examples: Open secret; tragic comedy; original copies; liquid gas; seriously funny; foolish wisdom; civil war

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true; Example: “What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” ~ George Bernard Shaw; “I can resist anything but temptation.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Personification

Assigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects; Example: The flowers danced in the breeze

Zeugma

A construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs - often in different, sometimes incongruent ways - two or more words in a sentence; Example: John lost his coat and his temper.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, including a historical, political, philosophical, or religious one (Example: In Animal Farm, Orwell constructs a political allegory by using a barnyard to tell the story of the rise of the Communist Party in Russia.)

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification; metaphors and similes are specific types

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning; may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. (Example: the de notation of a knife would be a utensil used to cut; the connotation of a knife might be fear, violence, anger, foreboding, etc.)

Euphemism

Greek for “good speech”; a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept; may be used to adhere to standards of social political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement (Example: Saying “earthly remains” rather than “corpse”)

Mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work, which is determined or affected by setting, tone, and events; similar to tone and atmosphere

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule (Example: Vampire Sucks is a parody of Twilight; The Scary Movie series parodies multiple horror films)

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule (Examples: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Daily Show, The Colbert R