ENG rethorical devices & critical terms

allusion

a brief, indirect hint or reference to a famous person, place, event, work of art, or piece of literature

connotation

the emotional or cultural feeling that a word brings up

denotation

the literal, explicit, or dictionary definition of a word

epithet

a descriptive word or phrase that expresses a quality or characteristic of a person, place, or thing

foreshadowing

used to drop a hint or clues about events that will happen later in a book, movie, or play

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”

Irony

A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens or between what is said and what is meant.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).

Kenning

A compound expression that replaces an ordinary noun, especially in Old English poetry. Example: “whale-road” = sea.

Litotes

Emphasizing something by denying its opposite. Example: “That’s not bad” meaning “That’s good.”

Metaphor

A direct comparison between unlike things without using “like” or “as.” Example: “Time is a thief.”

Metonymy

Replacing the name of something with something closely associated with it. Example: “The White House announced…” meaning the U.S. administration.

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere a work creates for the reader.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes. Example: buzz, bang, hiss.

Personification

Giving human characteristics to nonhuman things. Example: “The wind whispered.”

Simile

A comparison using “like” or “as.” Example: “He ran like the wind.”

Symbolism

Using an object, person, place, or event to represent a larger idea. Example: a dove representing peace.

Synecdoche

Using a part of something to represent the whole, or the whole to represent a part. Example: “All hands on deck,” where “hands” means sailors.

Tone

The author’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words. Example: “Peter Piper picked…”

Anachronism

Something placed in a historical period where it does not belong. Example: a medieval knight using a smartphone.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or lines. Example: “We will fight… We will work… We will win…”

Anastrophe

Reversing the normal word order of a sentence for emphasis. Example: “Strong you have become.”

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent person, a dead person, an object, or an abstract idea as though it could respond. Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?”

Asyndeton

Deliberately leaving out conjunctions such as “and” or “or.” Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Ethos

Persuasion based on the speaker’s credibility, character, or authority.

Logos

Persuasion based on logic, facts, evidence, and reasoning.

Malapropism

Accidentally using an incorrect word that sounds similar to the intended word, often creating a humorous effect.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures for related ideas. Example: “To learn, to grow, to succeed.”

Pathos

Persuasion that appeals to the audience’s emotions.

Ad hominem

Attacking the person making an argument instead of addressing the argument itself.

Bandwagon argument

Claiming something is true or good simply because many people believe or do it.

Hasty generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion from too little evidence or too few examples.

Non sequitur

A conclusion that does not logically follow from what came before it. Literally means “it does not follow.”

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Assuming that because one event happened before another, the first event caused the second. Literally: “after this, therefore because of this.”

Red herring

Introducing an irrelevant issue to distract attention from the real argument.

Straw man

Misrepresenting or oversimplifying someone’s argument so that it is easier to attack.

Allegory

A story in which characters, events, or settings represent deeper moral, political, religious, or abstract ideas.

Aphorism

A short, memorable statement expressing a general truth or principle. Example: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Elegy

A poem or literary work expressing grief or mourning, often for someone who has died.

Legend

A traditional story passed down over time that may be based partly on historical people or events but includes exaggeration or fictional elements.

Local color

Writing that emphasizes the distinctive customs, speech, scenery, traditions, and characteristics of a particular region.

Narrative

A spoken or written account that tells a story or sequence of events.

Parable

A short, simple story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson.

Reportage

Writing that reports real events or facts, often using techniques associated with journalism.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize people, society, institutions, or ideas, often with the goal of exposing problems or encouraging change.