Lang Rhetorical Terms

Alliteration

Alliteration

A literary device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial consonant sounds.

Anadiplosis

A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a word or words in successive clauses, where the second clause starts with the same word that ends the previous clause.

Anaphora

A rhetorical device that features the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, phrases, or clauses.

Apostrophe

A poetic phrase or speech made by a character that is addressed to a subject not literally present in the literary work.

Blank Verse

An un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter, characterized by 10 syllables per line with a consistent meter.

Concessio(n)

A literary device used in argumentative writing that acknowledges a point made by one’s opponent.

Deliberative Rhetoric

A type of rhetoric concerned with determining the best course of action in the future.

Enthymeme

An argumentative statement where a major or minor premise is omitted yet remains understandable.

Epistrophe

A stylistic device involving the repetition of phrases or words at the ends of clauses or sentences.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration.

Irony

A literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true.

Judicial Rhetoric

A type of rhetoric focused on past events

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one object or idea takes the place of another that it is closely associated with.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, where no real answer is expected.

Paralipsis

A rhetorical device where an idea is suggested by deliberately omitting significant points.

Personification

A figure of speech in which human attributes and feelings are attributed to nonhuman things.

Simile

A figure of speech that explicitly compares two dissimilar objects or concepts using 'like' or 'as'.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole or vice versa.

Ethos

A rhetorical device that establishes credibility or ethical appeal.

Decorum

A principle of appropriateness or social etiquette in rhetoric.

Ascending Tricolon

A rhetorical device that involves three parallel clauses or phrases increasing in importance.

Meter

The structured rhythm in poetry, defined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Polysyndeton

A rhetorical device that uses multiple conjunctions in close succession for emphasis.

Logos

A rhetorical appeal to logic and reason.

Syllogism

A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two premises.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Commonplace

A statement or idea that is often accepted as true; used as a rhetorical tool.

Pathos

A rhetorical appeal to emotion.

Accommodation

Adjusting one's argument or position to address the audience's perspective.

Isocolon

A rhetorical device involving parallel structure in successive phrases or clauses of equal length.

Iambic

A metrical foot in poetry consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

Apothegm

A concise and instructive saying or maxim that conveys a truth or principal

Kairos

A rhetorical concept referring to the opportune moment to deliver a message.

Argumentum ad populum

A logical fallacy that appeals to the popularity of a claim as a reason to accept it.

Iambic Pentameter

A type of rhythm in poetry where each line consists of five iambs (unstressed followed by stressed syllables).

Transferred Epithet

A figure of speech where an adjective or descriptive phrase is transferred from the noun it logically describes to another noun.