Rhetorical Devices

Vocabulary flashcards covering ad hominem, allegory, and alliteration from Page 1 notes.

Ad hominem argument

From Latin meaning 'to or against the man,' relies on emotion rather than reason.

Allusion

Reference to something

Allegory

A narrative technique in which characters and events symbolize abstract ideas and moral truths beyond their literal surface.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (e.g., 'she sells sea shells'), used for emphasis, unity, or a musical effect.

Ambiguity

Multiple meanings of a word

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them and analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid imaginative and intellectually engaging

Antecedent

The word phrase or clause referred to by pronoun.

Antithesis

A figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure resulting parallelism serves to emphasize opposition of ideas. The familiar phrase “man proposes, God disposes” is an example of anti-thesis, as is John dryden's description in the hind and the panther ”two black for heaven and yet too white for hell”

Aphorism

A term statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle. If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb. Can be a memorable summation of the author's point

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction such as Liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, “Milton, thou should be living at this hour: England half need of thee.”

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather can contribute to this. Frequently, this foreshadows events.

Caricature

A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subset subjects distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. Sometimes it can be so exaggerated that it becomes a grotesque imitation or misrepresentation synonymous words include burlesque, parody, travesty, satire and lampoon.

Chiasmus

A figure of speech based on inverted parallelism. It is a rhetorical figure in which two clauses are related to each other through a reversal of terms. The purpose is usually to make a larger point or to provide balance or order in classical rhetoric. The parallel structures did not repeat words, such as found in Alexander Pope's essay on man: “his time and moment, and a point his space." However, contemporary standards allow for repeated words; a commonly cited example comes from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: "…ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both the subject and a verb. An independent or Maine version expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent or subordinate version cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent version.

Colloquialism

Slang or informality in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, these give work a conversational, familiar tone. These expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. This displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison being made

Connotation

Nonliteral definition

Denotation

Literal definition

Diction

Related to style, word selection

Didactic

Instructive. Words with the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethnic principles

Euphemism

From the Greek for good speech. These are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. These may be used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness, or to add humor or ironic understatement. Saying earthly remains rather than corpse is an example

Extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at Great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work

Figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid

Figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. These include for example apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement

Generic conventions

The term describes traditions for each genre. These these help to define each genre; for example, they differentiate between an essay and journalistic writing or in autobiography and political writing. On the AP language and composition exam, try to distinguish the unique features of writer's work from those dictated by this

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are pros, poetry, and drama. However, this is a flexible term; within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called this themselves. For example, pros can be divided into fiction novels and short stories or non-fiction essays, biographies, autobiographies and so on. Poetry can be divided into such subcategories as lyric-dramatic, narrative, epic and so on

Drama

Can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce and so on.

Homily

Involving spiritual or moral

Hyperbole

Exaggerated speech

Imagery

Words used to create sensory details often used to be able to picture scenes

Infer

Draw a conclusion

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language

Irony

A contrast between appearance and reality. A dramatic contrast.

Juxtaposition

Dissimilar items placed together to show contrast

Loose sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (Independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a. Were placed at the end of the independent clause, The cause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many of these often seems informal, relaxed and conversational.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity

Metonymy

Greek meaning "changed label” or "substitute name" it's a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. A news release that claims the “White House declared” rather than “the president declared” is using this.

Mood

This term has two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first is grammatical and deals with verbal units and a speaker's attitude. The indicative is used only for factual sentences. For example, “ Joe eats too quickly”. The subjunctive is used for a doubtful or conditional attitude. For example, “ if I were you, I'd get another job.” The imperative is used for commands. For example “shut the door!” The second meaning is literary meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional Aura of a work setting, tones and events can affect this.