Rhetoric List #3

rhetoric list

what is an invective?

a verbally abusive attack

what is a metonymy?

a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea.   Ex:  The pen is mightier than the sword.  Other examples can include the White House, the crown, Wall Street, etc.

what is a motif?

the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters.  An example would be the use of birds and bird names in To Kill a Mockingbird.

what is a parody?

a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original.  It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous.  It depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content.

what is an aphorism?

a terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle

what is a caricature?

a verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person’s distinctive physical features or other characteristics.

what is an archetype?

the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model, or first form.

what is an ellipsis?

indicated by a series of three periods, the ellipsis indicates that some material has been omitted from a given text.  It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole section.

what is an inference?

making an educated assumption based on material presented to you

what is an irony?

at the most basic sense, saying the opposite of what you mean; also used to describe situations in which the results of an action are dramatically different than intended. 

what is a litotes?

ironic understatement where an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary. Examples: “You won’t be sorry!” (You’ll be glad.) “Not too shabby” (Good!)  “He wasn’t as young as he once was.” (He’s old).

what is a digression?

a section of a composition or speech that marks a temporary shift of subject; the digression ends when the writer or speaker returns to the main topic. Digressions can be used intentionally as a stylistic or rhetorical device.

what is a parable?

a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson

what is a dialect?

the re-creation of regional spoken language such as Southern dialect.