rhetorical terms quiz #1

Allusion

An indirect reference to some vent, person or place which is not explained, relying on the reader’s familiarity

ex. Chocolate is my Achilles' heel

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

ex. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia... I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi

Apostrophe

The direct address of a person or personified thing, either present or absent. Its most common purpose in prose is not to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back.

ex. "O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done”

Asyndeton

The omission of a conjunction. In a list of items, asyndeton gives the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity

ex. I came, I saw, I conquered

Context

The entire rhetorical situation surrounding a text, encompassing the surrounding circumstances, setting, audience, purpose, historical period, social environment, cultural background

Exigence

The urgent problem, issue, or situation that motivates an author or speaker to create a text

Explicit

Meaning or idea that is stated directly and clearly

Implicit

A meaning through context, description, and tone, rather than stating it directly

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side, usually to show contrast

ex. You're making a mountain out of a molehill

Paradox

A statement that seems untrue on the surface but is true nevertheless

Parallelism - balanced

Similar grammatical structures expressing parallel or like ideas - often compound.

ex. The government of the people, for the people, by the people shall not perish from the earth.

Pedantic

Writing or speech that is overly focused on minor details, formal rules, or ostentatious displays of learning, often in a tiresome or lecturing way

Periodic sentence

A complex sentence where the main clause comes at the end, after several dependent clauses or modifiers

Polysyndeton

The use of a conjunction between each word or clause and is the opposite of asyndeton. The effect is, however, often shared with asyndeton- multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up.

ex. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds

Purpose

The author's specific intention or goal when creating a text

Rhetorical situation

The specific circumstances surrounding a piece of communication (like a speech, text, or essay) that influence its meaning and effectiveness

Shift

A general term in linguistics for any slight alteration in a word’s meaning, or the creation of an entirely new word by changing the use of an expression

Symbolism

An object, person, event, or action represents something beyond its literal meaning, such as an idea, concept, or emotion

Syntax

The specific arrangement of words, phrases, and sentences that an author uses to convey meaning, tone, and overall effect in a passage

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward the reader and the subject