Studied by 3 people
Inference
a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence
malapropism
the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar (the doctor wrote a subscription)
Pathos
a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)
polysyndeton
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural (he ran and laughed and jumped for joy)
satire
language or writing that exposes follies or abuses by holding them up to ridicule
symbolism
a device in literature where an object represents an idea
anadiplosis
repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next (anger leads to hate, hate leads to…)
anecdote
short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
aphorism
a brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life
appositive
a word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun (my father, Bob, worked for NASA)
asyndeton
lack of conjuctions between coordinate phrases, clauses or words (we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardships, support any friend, oppose any…)
ethos
an appeal to ethics, conscience, morals, values, principles
homily
the term literally means “sermon,” but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
logos
an appeal based on logic or reason
periodic sentence
presents the main clause at the end of the sentence, for emphasis (despite Barbara’s irritation at Jack, she loved him)
persona
the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing
stream of consciousness
the continuous flow of ideas and feelings that constitute an individual’s conscious experience
synthesis
the combination of separate parts into a unified whole
voice
the fluency, rhythm and liveliness in writing that makes it unique to the writer
zeugma
when a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them (He closed the door and his heart on his lost love)
