Literary Terms 51-75

Ad Hominem

Attacks the personality of the individual instead of dealing with arguments and issues

Ad Populum

Logical fallacy that tries to prove something by showing that some sector of the public agrees with you

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas in a balanced structure

Apostrophe

the narrator addresses an absent or dead person, or something nonhuman as if it were present and could reply

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life

Begging the Question

also called Circular Reasoning-logical fallacy that assumes something to be true that needs proof

Critique

A critical evaluation in the form of an essay, article, evaluation, or review

Denotation

the precise, literal meaning of the word

Dialect

the version of a language spoken by people of a particular region or social group

Either/Or Reasoning

logical fallacy in which the argument or issue uses two polar opposites, ignoring any alternatives

Emotional Appeal(pathos)

an appeal that evokes a sense of pity or compassion from the audience

Ethical Appeal(ethos)

Establishes the credibility of the speaker

Generalization

a logical fallacy in which an assumption is made about a whole group based on a small sample

Literary Criticism

the evaluation, analysis, or interpretation of literature

Logical Fallacy

an incorrect reasoning in argumentation resulting in a misconception

Logical Appeal(logos)

an appeal to the audience’s logic or reason

Non Sequitur

Latin for “It does not follow.” Logical fallacy in which one statement is not logically connected to the next

Overstatement

hyperbole; extreme exaggeration

Primary Source

material that is closest to the person, idea, information, or time period being studied

Rhetoric

The art of communicating ideas effectively

Rhetorical Question

a question posed for emphasis of a point, not for the purpose of getting an answer

Satire

a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change

Secondary Source

a source of research or writing that other authors have published about the primary source or a related subject

Symbolism

using a person, place, thing, or event to represent something greater than itself

Understatement

a figure of speech that consists of saying less than what one means