Rhetorical Choices and Vocabulary - Thune

aesthetic

a reference to artistic elements or expressions within a textual work

allegory

the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures an actions of truths or generalizations about human existence

alliteration

the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of successive words

allusion

the repetition, explicit, or implicit to something in previous literature history

analogy

an extended comparison between two things/instances/people /etc. that share some similarity to make a point

anaphora

the repetition of the same word or groups of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines.

anecdote

a (typically short) narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds (but not consonant sounds)

colloquial

a characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

connotation

the set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds (but not vowels)

deductive reasoning

a type of reasoning that works from the more general to the more specific, beginning with a theory that becomes a hypothesis, and using observations to confirm the original theory (top-down approach)

denotation

the literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition

diction

word choice

didactic

a instructional tone designed to teach an ethical, moral, or religious lesson

elegiac

a tone involving mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past

epistrophe

ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line or stanza

ethos

appealing to credibility

euphemism

the substitution of an inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

extended metaphor

several thematically-related figures of speech that suggest non-literal similarities without using “like” or “as”

foreshadowing

providing vague advance indications

hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration for the sake of emphasis

imagery

descriptive language that provided vivid images that evoke the senses

inductive reasoning

reasoning that moves from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories; uses observations to detect patterns and regularities, and develops a hypothesis and later broader theories based on the observations (bottom-up approach)

irony

stating the opposite of what is said or meant

juxtaposition

placing two or more things side by side for comparison or contrast

logos

appealing to logic

metaphor

a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity without using “like” or “as”

mood

a reader’s emotional response to an author’s writing

onomatopoeia

using words that imitate the sound they denote

pacing

the speed at which a piece of writing flows — use when discussing organization; point out where action/syntax begins to speed up, slow down, is interrupted, etc.

paradox

apparently self contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny; its purpose is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought

parallel structure

a repetition of words, phrases, or sentences using the same grammatical structure emphasizing all aspects of the sentence equally

pathos

appealing to emotion

personification

attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas

repetition

the purposeful reuse of words, phrases, or ideas

rhetorical question

a question presented by the author that is not meant to be answered

rhyme

correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry

satire

techniques used in literature, art, media, speech, and music to ridicule various aspects of popular culture, most commonly a political topic, in order to draw attention to social or cultural criticism and bring about change, and/or improvement

simile

a figure of speech expressing a resemblance between things using “like” or “as”

stanza

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

stream of consciousness

a technique that records the thoughts and feelings of a character without regard to logical argument or narrative sequence; reflects all the forces, internal and external, affecting the character’s psyche at the moment.

symbol

something visible that represents something invisible

syntax

sentence structure

thesis

statement of purpose, intent, or main idea in a literary work

tone

the attitude a writer takes toward the reader, a subject, or a character