Rhetorical Terms

Tropes

Figure of speech that uses language in a non-literal way. (ex. metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, iron)

**Change in word meaning**

Analogy

• A comparison between two things, usually for explanation or clarification

• Similes and metaphors function as analogies

Simile

comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as” for description and imagery

Metaphor

Word or phrase applied to object/action which isn’t literally applicable (one thing is another)

Litotes

Uses understatement to emphasize a point by stating a negative (usually double negatives) to imply a positive

(NOT)

Apostrophe

Speaker directly addresses an inanimate object, dead person, or someone who isn’t present (as if it were a living, thinking being)

Synecdoche

• a part is made to represent the whole, or vice versa ( a whole is made to represent a part)

• uses a specific part/component as stand-in

Metonymy

replace the name of one thing with something closely associated with it

Euphemism

• Mild, polite, or vague word/phrase that replaces harsh/blunt or potentially offense concept/term

• avoid offense, discuss sensitive topics

Understatement

when you intentionally downplay something’s importance or intensity

Antonomasia

replace a person’s name with a descriptive phrase or title

Schemes

Device that plays with sounds, order, and arrangement of words

**Change in word order**

Chiasmus

• Structure/order of words or ideas is flipped  (AB—>BA)

• makes something memorable

Analepsis

A flashback in literature

Parallelism

2 or more phrases/clauses in a sentence that have the same grammatical structure

Antithesis

2 contrasting/opposing concepts placed in parallel structure to create a contrasting effect

Anadiplosis

Repeating the last word/phrase of a clause/sentence at the beginning of the next clause/sentence.

Polyptoton

Different forms of the same root word in close proximity to create emphasis, irony, or rhythm.

Anaphora

• The repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses/sentences

• for emphasis, rhythm, make a point more memorable

Assonance

• Repetition of identical/same vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) within nearby words

• to create internal rhyme or mood.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds with nearby words, often at the end or middle of words

Anastrophe

• normal word order of the subject and verb is changed

• YODA

Apposition

• word or phrase is placed next to another to clarify, identify, or rename it

• 2 noun phrases next to each other, nonessential information

Zeugma

a single word (usually verb or adjective), governs two or more words/contexts, even though it may not be grammatically or logically applicable to both

Asyndeton

conjunctions are intentionally omitted to change a sentence’s tone

Polysyndeton

use of repeated conjunctions between words or clauses in a sentence to emphasize what’s being said

Aphorism

A short, concise, often witty statement that expresses a general truth, moral principle, or wisdom.

Ambiguity

When a word, phrase, or statement contains more than one possible meaning/interpretation

Connotation

The emotional, figurative, cultural associations that a word carries beyond its literal meaning — what it suggests or implies.

Denotation

The literal dictionary meaning of word or object

Diction

The choice and use of words/phrases in speech or writing

Mood

How the audience feels when reading a piece of writing

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward a subject or in a piece of writing

Parable

• Short and simple narrative that illustrates a moral lesson or religious principle, often used to teach universal truths

• Comparison —> familiar situations to draw parallels between story and own lives

Oxymoron

combination of contradictory words

Paradox

Statement or scenario that seems contradictory/absurd/doesn’t make sense at first glance, but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Syntax

Purposeful/strategic arrangement of words, phrases, sentences to convey meaning or create rhetorical effect

(control pace, convey tone/mood, emphasize ideas)