Rhetorical Terms List 1

motif

\n a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work

antithesis

exact opposite

connotation

an idea that is implied or suggested

denotation

the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression

euphemism

\n an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one

allusion

passing reference or indirect mention

archetype

something that serves as a model

assonance

the repetition of similar vowels in successive words

consonance

a harmonious state of things and of their properties

polysyndeton

using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in \`he ran and jumped and laughed for joy')

asyndeton

omission of conjunctions where they would normally be used

synecdoche

using part of something to refer to the whole thing

ambiguity

unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning

juxtaposition

the act of positioning close together

analogy

drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity

ellipsis

a mark indicating that words have been omitted

ethos

the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era

pathos

a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow

logos

a rhetorical appeal to the audience's reason or rationality

oxymoron

conjoined contradictory terms