Lang Rhetorical Quiz #1

parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses (eg our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour)

antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure (eg what if i am rich and another is poor)

parenthesis

insertion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence (adding a dash, comma, parentheses, etc)

ellipsis

deliberate omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context and must be supplied by the reader (every little pebble was distinct, every speckled trout » “was distinct” is removed)

asyndeton

deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of words, phrases, or clauses (eg i came i saw i conquered)

polysyndeton

deliberate use of many conjunctions (does not involve omission). used to emphasize each clause. (eg i have to help her and her and him and her and her and him)

anaphora

repetition of the same word or groups of words at the beginnings of successive phrases (eg we shall not flag or fail. we shall go on to the end. we shall fight in france..)

climax

arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in order of increasing importance

alliteration

repetition of initial or medial (in the middle of word) consonants in two or more adjacent words

synecdoche

figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole (eg i have nothing to offer but blood, toil, sweat, and tears »substitutes full effort)

metonymy

substitution of some attributive or suggestive word for what is actually meant (eg the british crown has been plagued by scandal » crown means the Queen)

verbal irony

words are the literal opposite of the writers meaning

situational irony

events turn out the opposite of what was expected—what the characters and readers think should happen does not happen (eg a fire station burns down)

dramatic irony

facts arent known to the characters, but the readers know.